Description
This essay discusses the effects of disasters on law and society. It focuses on Hurricane Katrina, which struck the Gulf Coast of the United States in 2005. The essay discusses the ways in which law and legal institutions can help facilitate recovery from a disaster.
In August of 2005, Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast of the United States, killing more than 1,500 people and directly affecting 1.5 million people, while destroying 300,000 homes. Only one year earlier, an Indian Ocean tsunami struck Indonesia, killing more than 200,000 people, displacing more than 2 million, and destroying or damaging more than 370,000 homes. As forces of nature, hurricanes, tsunamis, earthquakes, and floods are not limited to occurrences in any one community or any one country.In "Law and Recovery from Disaster: Hurricane Katrina", attention is focused on the ability of law and legal institutions to not only survive such disasters but to effectively facilitate recovery. Using Hurricane Katrina as a lens, contributors address a wide range of issues of interest to people concerned about property law, disaster preparedness, housing, insurance, small business recovery, land use planning, and the needs of people with disabilities. While Hurricane Katrina is the focal point for discussion, the lessons learned are readily applicable to a variety of disaster situations in a wide range of global settings.
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