ABSTRACT
In Chapter 2, we provide 10 case studies on major disaster events to show that the same issues present themselves after each disaster. That is, preexisting conditions in a community drive what happens during and after a disaster. Unfortunately, in most instances, government and emergency management did not factor preexisting conditions into a tailored response and recovery. What does this mean for a community? It means that issues that exist prior to a disaster are exacerbated post-disaster and hinder resiliency for many communities. Not understanding or properly dealing with these preexisting conditions costs not only money but also lives. And over time, disasters will continue to hit communities and preexisting conditions will worsen. Ignoring these issues will continue a cycle of poor response and recovery efforts by emergency management.
