Disaster Planning and Response

Disasters are tragedies that overwhelm our communities, destroy our property, and harm our populations. The United Nations General Assembly, recognizing the magnitude of the problem, has declared the 1990s the International Decade of Natural Disaster Reduction and has called for a worldwide effort to reduce the loss of life and property. The involvement of the medical community in this effort is crucial. Disasters are the results of natural or man-made events and are routinely described in terms of certain characteristics (Table 1). 1 2 3 Yet each is unique, each is of extreme urgency, and each places a tremendous burden on the community . . .