A Department of Homeland Security Emeritus Center of Excellence led by the University of Maryland

Natural Hazards


Natural Hazards

Project Title Investigators Project Period
How Forecasters Decide to Warn: Insights on Tornado Risk Communication from the Southeast U.S. Brooke Liu, Anita Atwell Seate September, 2017 to August, 2019
School Emergency Public Information and Warning/Information Sharing Brooke Liu, Holly Roberts October, 2015 to September, 2016
Understanding Tornado Warnings, False Alarms, and Complacency, and Proposing Theory-Directed Solutions for Effective Warnings Michael Egnoto, Brooke Liu October, 2015 to September, 2016
Social Media Use during Disasters Brooke Liu July, 2012 to October, 2013
Community Field Studies and Analyses of Preparedness Networks Kathleen Tierney May, 2005 to September, 2009
National Household Survey Linda Bourque July, 2005 to May, 2009
Community Assessment of Resilience Tool (CART) Betty Pfefferbaum, Fran Norris June, 2005 to May, 2008
Developing Community Resilience for Children and Families Betty Pfefferbaum, Fran Norris June, 2005 to May, 2008
Project Title Publication Date START Authors Publication Type
A Case Study of Climate Change, Extreme Weather Events, and Risk Communication in a Coastal Community June 2019 Petrun Sayers, Elizabeth Book Chapter
A psychometric analysis of Project Liberty's Adult Enhanced Services Referral Tool January 2006 Norris, Fran Journal Article
Advancing Understanding of Tornado Warnings, False Alarms, and Complacency September 2017 Liu, Brooke; Roberts, Holly; Egnoto, Michael Research Brief
Annotated Bibliography for Public Risk Communication on Warnings for Public Protective Actions Response and Public Education September 2006 Mileti, Dennis; Sutton, Jeannette; Bourque, Linda; Wood, Michele Report
Are Natural Hazards and Disaster Losses in the U.S. Increasing? October 2005 Cutter, Susan Journal Article
Balancing Pre-disaster Preparedness and Post-disaster Relief January 2016 Zhuang, Jun Journal Article
Building National Capacity for Child and Family Disaster Mental Health Research February 2010 Pfefferbaum, Betty Journal Article
Challenges in Implementing Disaster Mental Health Programs: State Program Directors' Perspective April 2006 Norris, Fran Journal Article
Childhood injuries sustained during the 1999 Kocaeli earthquake January 2005 Bourque, Linda Journal Article
Children and Families in the Context of Disasters: Implications for Preparedness and Response January 2008 Pfefferbaum, Betty Journal Article
Children Displaced by Hurricane Katrina: A Focus Group Study July 2008 Pfefferbaum, Betty Journal Article
Choosing research methods to match research goals in studies of disaster and terrorism November 2005 Norris, Fran Book Chapter
Community resilience and wellness for children exposed to Hurricane Katrina November 2007 Pfefferbaum, Betty; Norris, Fran; Pfefferbaum, Rose Book Chapter
Comparison of Spanish and English Versions of the Civilian Mississippi Scale for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Following the Northridge Earthquake of January 17, 1994 January 2005 Bourque, Linda Journal Article
Cry Wolf Effect? Evaluating the Impact of False Alarms on Public Responses to Tornado Alerts in the Southeastern United States April 2019 Liu, Brooke; Egnoto, Michael Journal Article
Definitions and Concepts in Disaster Research November 2005 Norris, Fran Book Chapter
Disaster Research Methods: Past Progress and Future Directions April 2006 Norris, Fran Journal Article
Disasters: A Sociological Approach March 2019 Tierney, Kathleen Book
Early Identification of Children at Risk for Developing Posttraumatic Stress Symptons Following Traumatic Injuries December 2008 Pfefferbaum, Betty Journal Article
Early physical health consequences of disaster exposure and acute disaster-related PTSD January 2006 Norris, Fran Journal Article
Emergency Management: Principles and Practice for Local Government November 2006 Tierney, Kathleen Book
Emotional and Biological Stress Measures in Katrina Survivors Relocated to Oklahoma January 2010 Pfefferbaum, Betty Journal Article
English, Spanish, and Annotated Questionnaires: Questionnaires Used in the National Survey of Disaster Experiences and Preparedness (NSDEP) October 2008 Mileti, Dennis; Bourque, Linda Report
Evaluation of a National Effort to Reach Hurricane Katrina Survivors and Evacuees: The Crisis Counseling Assistance and Training Program April 2009 Norris, Fran Journal Article
Experiences with and Preparedness for Emergencies and Disasters Among Public Schools in California January 2007 Bourque, Linda Journal Article
Experiencing Disasters Indirectly: How Traditional and New Media Disaster Coverage Impacts Youth January 2008 Pfefferbaum, Betty Journal Article
Exploring Community Resilience in Workforce Communities of First Responders Serving Katrina Survivors November 2010 Pfefferbaum, Betty; Norris, Fran; Pfefferbaum, Rose Book Review
Eyes of the Storm: How Citizen Scientists Contribute to Government Forecasting and Risk Communication April 2020 Atwell Seate, Anita; Liu, Brooke; Herovic, Emina; Iles, Irina A. Journal Article
Factors Predicting Crisis Counselor Referrals to Other Crisis Counseling, Disaster Relief, and Psychological Services: A A Cross-site Analysis of post-Katrina Programs April 2009 Norris, Fran Journal Article
Financial and Social Circumstances, the Incidence and Course of PTSD in Mississippi During the First Two Years After Hurricane Katrina July 2008 Norris, Fran Journal Article
First Aid Training and Capabilities of the Lay Public: Potential Alternative Sources of Emergency Medical Assistance Following Natural Disasters January 2005 Bourque, Linda Journal Article
Formulating Questions about PostDisaster Mental Health November 2005 Norris, Fran Book Chapter
From the margins to the mainstream: Disaster research at the crossroads January 2007 Tierney, Kathleen Journal Article
Geotargeted Alerts and Warnings March 2017 Wood, Michele Book Chapter
Hazard Vulnerability of U.S. Coastal Counties June 2005 Cutter, Susan Journal Article
Holistic Disaster Recovery: Ideas for Building Local Sustainability After a Natural Disaster (1st revision). November 2005 Book
How Mobile Home Residents Understand and Respond to Tornado Warnings April 2019 Liu, Brooke; Egnoto, Michael Journal Article
Hurricane Katrina: A Failure of Planning or a Planned Failure? November 2006 Cutter, Susan Book Chapter
Identification and Evaluation of Mental Health and Psychosocial Preparedness Resources From the Centers for Public Health Preparedness June 2005 Pfefferbaum, Betty Journal Article
Individuals’ Religiosity and Emotional Coping in Response to Disasters April 2019 Liu, Brooke; Roberts, Holly; Egnoto, Michael Journal Article
Innovations in Disaster Mental Health Services and Evaluation: National, State, and Local Responses to Hurricane Katrina April 2009 Norris, Fran Journal Article
Introducing 'Political Resilience' August 2012 McCauley, Clark Discussion Point
Is a Picture Worth a Thousand Words? The Effects of Maps and Warning Messages on How Publics Respond to Disaster Information April 2017 Liu, Brooke; Mileti, Dennis; Bean, Hamilton; Sutton, Jeannette; Egnoto, Michael; Wood, Michele; Madden, Stephanie Journal Article
Katrina Survivors Relocated to Oklahoma: A Tale of Two Cities February 2008 Pfefferbaum, Betty Journal Article
Linkages between Vulnerability and Resilience January 2018 Cutter, Susan Book Chapter
Looking for Resilience: Understanding the Longitudinal Trajectories of Responses to Stress June 2009 Norris, Fran Journal Article
Machines, Monsters, and Coffin Corners: Broadcast Meteorologists’ Use of Figurative and Intense Language During Hurricane Harvey April 2020 Sutton, Jeannette Journal Article
Metaphors Matter: Disaster Myths, Media Frames, and their Consequences in Hurricane Katrina January 2006 Tierney, Kathleen Journal Article
Moral Hazard, Social Catastrophe: The Changing Face of Vulnerability along the Hurricane Coasts January 2006 Cutter, Susan Journal Article
Morbidity and mortality associated with disasters November 2005 Bourque, Linda Book Chapter
Our Hazardous Environment: Four Decades of Progress or Retrenchment? January 2016 Cutter, Susan Journal Article
Piloting a New Model of Crisis Counseling: Specialized Crisis Counseling Services in Mississippi after Hurricane Katrina April 2009 Norris, Fran Journal Article
Planning for Pet Evacuations During Disasters August 2008 Cutter, Susan Journal Article
Practice Parameter on Disaster Preparedness November 2013 Pfefferbaum, Betty Journal Article
Psychometric Characteristics of Spanish and English Versions of the Civilian Mississippi Scale December 2005 Bourque, Linda Journal Article
Psychosocial consequences of disaster: A review of past research November 2005 Norris, Fran Book Chapter
Public Mental Health Surveillance and Monitoring November 2005 Norris, Fran Book Chapter
Public Responses to Extreme Events: Top 5 Disaster Myths October 2005 Schoch-Spana, Monica Conference Paper
Public Schools Underprepared for Disasters October 2006 Research Brief
Questionnaire Specifications: Documentation of the National Survey of Disaster Experiences and Preparedness (NSDEP) October 2008 Mileti, Dennis; Bourque, Linda Report
Reaching Vulnerable Populations in the Disaster-Prone US Gulf Coast: Communicating Across the Crisis Lifecycle August 2019 Petrun Sayers, Elizabeth Journal Article
Research with Children Exposed to Disasters December 2008 Pfefferbaum, Betty Journal Article
Rumor Response, Debunking Response, and Decision Makings of Misinformed Twitter Users during Disasters May 2018 Zhuang, Jun Journal Article
Serious Emotion Disturbance Among Youth Exposed To Hurricane Katrina Two Years Post-Disaster October 2010 Pfefferbaum, Betty Journal Article
Service characteristics and counseling outcomes: Lessons from a cross-site evaluation of crisis counseling after Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, and Wilma January 2009 Norris, Fran Journal Article
Singapore-Malaysia-Indonesia-US Dialogue on Biosecurity December 2015 Journal Article
START Annual Meeting 2016: Quick-Fire Presentation - Unconventional Weapons and Technology, Political Instability, Risk Communication October 2016 Ackerman, Gary; LaFree, Gary; Roberts, Holly; Halverson, James; Binder, Markus; Egnoto, Michael; Sin, Steve Presentation
Temporal and Spatial Changes in Social Vulnerability to Natural Hazards February 2008 Cutter, Susan Journal Article
Testimony on Needed Emergency Management Reforms January 2007 Tierney, Kathleen Journal Article
The Geography of Social Vulnerability: Race, Class, and Catastrophe September 2005 Cutter, Susan Report
The Landscape of Disaster Resilience Indicators in the USA September 2015 Cutter, Susan Journal Article
The Long Road Home: Race, Class, and Recovery from Hurricane Katrina March 2006 Cutter, Susan Journal Article
The Precarious Nature of Food April 2015 Cutter, Susan Op-ed
The Red Pill October 2005 Tierney, Kathleen Report
The Role of Public Health in Mental and Behavioral Health in Children and Families Following Disasters January 2009 Pfefferbaum, Betty Journal Article
Top-Down and Bottom-Up Measurement to Enhance Community Resilience to Disasters September 2019 Schoch-Spana, Monica Journal Article
Tornado Warning: Understanding the National Weather Service’s Communication Strategies January 2020 Atwell Seate, Anita; Liu, Brooke; Herovic, Emina; Iles, Irina A. Journal Article
Toward a comprehensive loss inventory of weather and climate hazards November 2007 Cutter, Susan Book Chapter
Training for Disaster Response Personnel: The Development of Proposed Core Competencies in Disaster Mental Health January 2007 Pfefferbaum, Betty Journal Article
Trusted Partnership or Tentative Courtship: Exploring the Culture of Information Sharing Across Local and Federal Emergency Preparedness Organizations January 2008 Bean, Hamilton; Keranen, Lisa Conference Paper
Understanding Tornado Warnings, False Alarms, and Complacency September 2016 Liu, Brooke; Roberts, Holly; Egnoto, Michael Fact Sheet
Validation of the Short Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Rating Interview as a Measure of Post-Disaster Distress and Treatment Need July 2008 Norris, Fran Journal Article
Vulnerability Analysis, Environmental Hazards January 2008 Cutter, Susan Journal Article
Vulnerability of U.S. Cities to Environmental Hazards June 2007 Cutter, Susan Journal Article
When do losses count? Six fallacies of natural hazards loss data January 2009 Cutter, Susan Journal Article
Youth's Reactions to Disasters and the Factors That Influence Their Response January 2008 Pfefferbaum, Betty; Regens, James Journal Article
Title Byline
Focus groups yield insight into complacency in emergency situations Jessica Rivinius
New NOAA project aims to improve all hazards risk communication Jessica Rivinius
Study shows longer emergency text alerts improve safety Jessica Rivinius
START seeking 2014 Outstanding Article Award nominations Jessica Rivinius
Database Spotlight -- Public Warnings and Evacuations: A Study of the 2009 California Station Fire
Mapping a career: Former START intern observed Hurricane Sandy from FEMA headquarters
New report: Social media use during disasters
Researcher Spotlight: Dennis Mileti and the sociology of disaster Jessica Rivinius
Researcher Spotlight: Monica Schoch-Spana Sarah May
School principals can help assess community resilience Nicholas Munson
START interns nominated for DHS award Nicholas Munson
Increasing risk perception alone won't improve preparedness Jessica Rivinius
The tradeoffs between protecting against man-made and natural disasters Kelly Kline
START participates in risk communication conference Claire Simon
START Investigators Participate in 2011 American Sociological Association Annual Conference
Spring 2011 START Bulletin Now Available
Have you seen it yet? START Research Review
START Releases First Research Review
*New Training Program* Crisis Manager's Course: Leadership for Catastrophic Events
Call for Posters: Emergency Pre‐Event Communication
START Site Launched at Lessons Learned Information Sharing (LLIS.gov)
SC's Hazards & Vulnerability Research Institute releases Social Vulnerability Index (SoVI)
START Launches Research Brief Series
START Welcomes New Advisory Board Member
START Researchers Featured in TIME Magazine
Natural Hazards Center co-sponsors Capitol Hill event on critical hazards facing the U.S.
Tierney to Host Web Chat on Preparedness with National City Network
START investigator, Susan Cutter, advises Congress
START Announces Fellowships for 2005-06
Image Title Job Title Institution
Alexandra Williams

Junior Researcher

 University of Maryland
Photo of Brooke Liu Brooke Liu

Professor of Communication and START Affiliated Faculty Member

 University of Maryland
Elise Miller-Hooks Elise Miller-Hooks

Professor, Civil & Environmental Engineering 

 University of Maryland
Elizabeth Petrun Elizabeth Petrun Sayers

Associate Behavioral and Social Scientist

 RAND Corporation
Helena Craig

Junior Researcher, UWT

 University of Maryland
Irina A. Iles

Researcher, National Cancer Institute

 University of Maryland
James Pennebaker James Pennebaker

Professor and Chair of Psychology Department

 University of Texas
Julia Fraustino, START Julia Fraustino

Assistant Professor

 West Virginia University
Jun Zhuang

Associate Professor of Engineering

 University of Buffalo
Marcus A. Boyd

Senior Researcher, GIS, START

Director, Graduate Studies, START

 University of Maryland
Michele Wood

Assistant Professor of Health Science, Director CA-NV Public Health Training Center - Fullerton

 California State University, Fullerton
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