ABSTRACT
Planning for disasters of all forms has been a part of human history since the first formation of human societies. In fact, the very formation of human societies can be partly attributed to the need to mitigate potential harm due to natural disaster or human conflict. The response to disaster by ancient and medieval civilizations was almost universally local. The early American experience with disaster response mirrors the British experience with a seminal event marking the beginning of more direct government involvement. Civil defense also became a dominant feature of the overall American disaster response regime in the immediate aftermath of World War II and the development by the Soviet Union of nuclear weapons. Despite the declared federal role in disaster response and the powers given to the president, the 1950s and 1960s still had legislation from Congress dealing with specific disasters.
