22Jan 09
Honors Seminar
Surviving Natural Disasters: Learning from Hurricane Katrina, Big Earthquakes,
and Other Natural Hazards
HONR219T
Monday 2:00pm - 4:30pm
Room HBK 1108
Dr. Ed Link
Tel: 301-471-5012
elink@umd.edu
Spring 2010
Course Description: The United States as well as nations throughout the world increasingly faces the
threat of significant natural disasters that include hurricanes, floods, earthquakes, tsunamis, and fires.
Hurricane Katrina clearly identified the massive consequences of a failure to adequately prepare for a
natural disaster - over a thousand deaths and $100 billion in damages. Society has developed structural
(engineering) and nonstructural methods of mitigating the losses from natural disasters but for a variety of
reasons has not successfully implemented such strategies. Climate variability, competing local and
national priorities, short term political actions and long term needs and policies that lack flexibility all
complicate the process. New science and technology, advancing methods for systems approaches, both
in the political and engineering domains, and the emergence of new risk assessment methodologies offer
pathways to solutions.
The course will examine the nature of natural hazards faced in the United States and in other countries,
the risks involved with these hazards, the strategies and tools that might be employed to deal with them,
and the challenges faced by engineers, scientists and public policy personnel in developing and carrying
out mitigation strategies. The first part of the course will look at each of the natural disaster types, their
causes and our ability to deal with these disasters. We will examine what went wrong during Hurricane
Katrina and what general lessons can be learned from that experience. Based on our look at the common
elements found among disasters, we will develop a framework to examine specific events. Throughout
the course, we will collectively dig into a wide variety of recent natural disasters and their consequences
and attempt to determine what could have been done to reduce the impact of these disasters.
Textbooks: Electronic Library
Assignments: This course will be using the 'Blackboard' (BB) course environment and all assignments
will be posted on BB. Students can login to the course(s) by going to http://bb.eng.umd.edu. A University
ID and password is required to access Blackboard. Students are required to maintain their current e-mail
address in Testudo as BB uses this address to send course related e-mail. (Since e-mail addresses are
imported from Testudo into BB, it is NOT possible to update e-mail addresses from within Blackboard).
Course Objective: To have students have big picture understanding of existing policy and engineering
practice concerning natural hazard mitigation, including a perspective on the major gaps in policy, major
gaps in engineering practice, miss-alignments in existing situation and developed concepts for improving
alignment and closing gaps.
Schedule:
1. Jan 25
Introduction, Risk Framework and Natural Hazards
2. Feb 1
Systems, Consequences and Policy
3.
8
Floods
4.
15
Hurricanes
5.
22
Sea Level Rise, Subsidence and Coastal Erosion
6. Mar 1
Severe Storms (Tornados, Blizzards, Hail)
7.
8
Mid - Term Exam
Spring Break
8.
22
Earthquakes and Tsunamis
9.
29
Volcanoes
9.
Apr 5
Drought and Heat
10.
12
Wild Fires
11.
19
Policy Dilemmas and Issues
12.
26
Risk Mitigation Options
13. May 3
Student Presentations Final Paper
14.
10
Student Presentations Final Paper
15.
Final Exam
Topics to be integrated in above lessons. Perception studies: the individual; Behavioral studies:
community attitudes and adjustments; Public policy issues in hazard management; Risk assessment and
risk management.
Course grading: Student grades will be based on 1) a midterm exam covering the general background
information on the first part of the course, 2) short presentations by students on their examination of
recent natural disasters, 3) classroom participation, and 4) a final paper analyzing a selected natural
disaster that will include recommendations to decision-makers for actions that might be taken to prevent
recurrence of the significant impacts of the selected disaster.
Academic Integrity: The University is one of a small number of universities with a student-administered
Code of Academic Integrity and an Honor Pledge. The Code prohibits students from cheating on exams,
plagiarizing papers, submitting the same paper for credit in two courses without authorization, buying
papers, submitting fraudulent documents, and forging signatures. Students will be required to write the
following signed statement on each examination or assignment:
I pledge on my honor that I have not given or received any unauthorized assistance on this examination
(or assignment).
Religious Observances: The University of Maryland policy "Assignments and Attendance on Dates of
Religious Observance" states that students should not be penalized in any way for participation in
religious observances and that, whenever feasible, they be allowed to make up academic assignments
that are missed due to such absences. Student must personally hand the instructor a written notification
of the projected absence within two weeks of the start of the semester. The request should not include
travel time. We will take the validity of these requests at face value.
It is the student's responsibility to inform the instructor of any intended absences for religious
observances in advance and that prior notification is especially important in connection with final
examinations, since failure to reschedule a final examination before the conclusion of the final
examination period may result in loss of credits during the semester.
Accommodations for Students with Disabilities: The University is legally obligated to provide
appropriate accommodations for students with documented disabilities. In order to ascertain what
accommodations may need to be provided, students with disabilities should inform the instructors of their
needs at the beginning of the semester. They will make arrangements with the student to determine and
implement appropriate academic accommodations. Student should also register with Disability Support
Services (DSS) http://www.counseling.umd.edu/DSS/ (301-314-7682).
Attendance Policies: University policy excuses the absences of students for illness (self or dependent),
religious observances, participation in University activities at the request of University authorities, and
compelling circumstances beyond the student's control. Students must submit the request in writing and supply
appropriate documentation, e.g. medical documentation.
Inclement Weather: Official closures and delays are announced on the campus website and snow phone line
(301-405-SNOW) as well as local radio and TV stations. If bad weather forces a faculty member to cancel a
class even though the University is open, instructors will contact students directly (e-mail).
Office Hours:
Mondays 12:30 – 1:30 PM and by appointment.
Other contacts:
Dr. Ed Link: Cell (preferred) 301-471-5012, Home 301-371-8896