Mass hysteria and lawlessness during disasters are remarkably rare, contrary to Western Cape Premier Helen Zille’s prediction of anarchy when Cape Town’s taps run day.
Even when power is restored and floodwaters have receded after hurricanes, mold can still be a big problem. There are some things you can do on your own, but the damage can be extensive.
FEMA’s handling of Hurricane Katrina inspired resentment in the affected communities – but did it bring about real change in the organization?
Dental Ben
Is the Federal Emergency Management Agency ready for the new era of disasters?
Damage from Irma can be seen in this photo of Kelly McClenthen in Bonita Springs, Florida, as she returned to her home Sept. 11, 2017.
AP Photo/Gerald Herbert
Even in areas predicted to take direct hits from hurricanes and other storms, hospitals must do all they can to stay open. It isn’t an easy task, but preparation and practice help.
Millions of Americans donate to relief efforts after natural disasters.
MISHELLA/Shutterstock.com
Donations to relief efforts from corporations and celebrities may get the most attention, but they are exceptions.
Naval Aircrewman (Helicopter) 2nd Class Jansen Schamp rescues two dogs after floodwaters from Hurricane Harvey reached the grounds of a shelter in Vidor, Texas, Aug. 31, 2017.
Christopher LIndahl/U.S. Navy
During Hurricane Katrina in 2005, some people died rather than evacuating without their pets. Now emergency managers are required to include animals in their response plans.
The financial impact of Hurricane Katrina on individual lives has been little studied until now.
Reuters/Robert Galbraith
Researchers examined credit data on the victims of Hurricane Katrina to understand how the disaster affected their personal finances, revealing important lessons for those hurt by Harvey.
Cars leaving Beaumont, Texas during a mandatory evacuation before the arrival of Hurricane Gustav, August 30, 2008.
Patsy Lynch/FEMA
Why did some Texas coastal cities order mandatory evacuations ahead of Hurricane Harvey while others, including Houston, did not? There is no formula for these decisions; either choice can backfire.
Interstate 69 in Humble, Texas is covered by floodwaters from Tropical Storm Harvey on Tuesday, Aug. 29, 2017.
AP Photo/David J. Phillip
Many people may have stayed put during Hurricane Harvey because no storm that big had struck Texas since 1961. But like New Orleans after Katrina, Texas is likely to be much better prepared next time.
Deleon Gambel, 14, fights the current from the overflow of Buffalo Bayou as he makes his way through floodwaters from Tropical Storm Harvey while checking on neighbors in his apartment complex in Houston, Sunday, Aug. 27, 2017.
AP Photo/LM Otero
The number of natural disasters around the world has doubled since 1980, raising serious questions about how to respond. Here’s how game theory could help.
The sun rises behind the remains of a New Jersey roller coaster destroyed by Hurricane Sandy.
AP Photo/Mel Evans
As the rich move away from disaster-prone areas, the poor may be left behind.
Buddhist monks and family members of victims of the Fukushima tsunami and earthquake face the sea to pray on March 11, 2016 while mourning the victims of the March 11, 2011 disaster.
REUTERS/Kyodo
March 11 marks the anniversary of the Fukushima earthquake. Natural disasters here in the US also have wreaked havoc. There may be a way to improve response to these natural disasters.
National Guard soldiers inspect homes in Rockaway Park, Queens, New York, after Superstorm Sandy, 2012.
Spc. Zane Craig, PA National Guard/Flickr
As Atlantic hurricane season opens on June 1, eastern U.S. cities can prepare by updating laws, codes and ordinances that hamper rebuilding after storms.
Brian Williams will be a breaking news reporter for MSNBC.
Lucas Jackson/Reuters
Ten years after Katrina, recovery in New Orleans is mixed – divided in familiar patterns between white and black, rich and poor. The same groups that suffered the brunt of the storm still struggle.
There were only 3,964 seniors in the graduating New Orleans class of 2015, which represents only half of the original cohort of babies. What happened to the missing children?
Ten years ago in the Seventh Ward of New Orleans.
REUTERS/Shannon Stapleton
The resurrection of New Orleans is a tale of resiliency, but other American cities must heed lessons learned by the storm or face disaster in the decades ahead.
Outside the Superdome in New Orleans on September 2 2005.
REUTERS/Jason Reed
The experiences of Hurricane Katrina evacuees spotlight the difficulties with our social “safety net” and the holes through which the poorest can fall.
A New Orleans policeman during a boat rescue mission in New Orleans on September 6 2005.
REUTERS/Lee Celano
New Orleans police have been eulogized as heroes and condemned as racists in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. A scholar examines the legacy of conflicting narratives and points to a way forward.