ABSTRACT
Since 2004, there have been a large number of high-proœle disasters and catastrophic incidents, both within the United States and around the world. In the United States, we have been largely subjected to natural disasters in the form of hurricanes and tornadoes, as well as human-caused environmental disasters, including a signiœcant oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico in 2010. Internationally, there was the 2004 tsunami in the Paciœc Rim and the catastrophic 2011 event in Japan combining an earthquake, tsunami, and subsequent nuclear power plant radiation release. There is no question that the recent disasters have been long-term, dynamic, and complex events resulting in signiœcant loss of life and property.
