The aim of this study is to analyze the use of different media channels occurred within a natural disaster situation. This research focuses specifically on charting the factors that affect audiences in their choice of media channels and how these factors ultimately lead to the complimentarily use of sources. This study is based on channel complementarity theory and utilizes a qualitative method consisting of semi-structured interviews and has been complemented with a survey that respondents were required to complete prior to the interview. The twelve college students that made up the sample for this study were selected through convenient and purposive means and have personally been involved in natural disaster situations without exception. Final results and analysis suggest that individuals utilize several media channels combined, at different points in time or simultaneously, and in random order during a natural disaster. The analysis of the results also shows that individuals use this variety of media channels in order to obtain two different perspectives: broad and narrow. Traditional media channels such as radio and television are shown to be used in order to obtain the broader perspective during a natural disaster event. In contrast, social media like Instagram, Facebook, and Snapchat are used to gain the narrower perspective. The findings of this study also suggest that factors affecting media choices are accentuated by a crisis such as a natural disaster and are intrinsically connected to specific needs audiences have at one particular point in time. The most relevant factors contributing to the choice of media type and leading to channel complementarity found in this study are accessibility, compatibility of sources, tailorability, and humor appeal. Controversially, credibility appears to be disregarded as a key factor, even though it is still perceived as an influential characteristic.

Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited / This thesis formulates and solves a mixed-integer program to plan the recovery of an electrical power transmission grid that has been damaged by a natural disaster or terrorist attack. The damage can be extensive and recovery can take weeks or months. An efficient recovery plan that maximizes the utilization of repair resources can help ensure swift restoration of services. The network recovery-planning model is implemented in GAMS (General Algebraic Modeling System) and uses CPLEX as the solver. An electrical grid based on IEEE's 300-bus transmission network is used for testing. To simulate varying degrees of damage to the network, we choose up to 20% of the grid's lines, buses and transformers to be placed out of service. Based on the availability of repair resources, the repair-time horizon and penalties for unserved demand, the model produces a repair schedule that minimizes the cost of power shed. We demonstrate that for a network with up to 8% of its components damaged, the model can produce an optimal recovery plan within 20 minutes on a 2 GHz personal computer. For our largest test-case with 20% of network components damaged, the recovery plan is within 7% of optimal after 1 hour of solver time. / Outstanding Thesis

Examining older adults’ experiences with and response toward hurricanes within the context of the community of residence is key to both understanding their experiences and planning for future hurricanes. Specific to this research, the objective was to understand the current social network of older adults, or who provides care for whom under what circumstances, using the social constructionist perspective. Grounded theory combined with action research was the theoretical orientation guiding the study. Sources of data included the collection of household disaster plans, semi-structured interviews with older adult residents of housing authority neighborhoods, semi-structured interviews with community planners, and observation of community planning meetings. Data were gathered from older adults living in housing authority communities in Southeastern North Carolina using guidelines established by the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services to develop individual disaster plans. The individual disaster plans were completed during face to face meetings with the older adults, as were semi-structured interviews. Semi-structured interviews were also completed with area planners. Agendas, minutes, and observational notes from disaster planning meetings were collected. The content of the individual disaster plans, semi-structured interviews, and observation notes were then analyzed to determine gaps that must be addressed in order to meet the overall needs of the community. Working with participants, the housing authority disaster response committee, and county planners, a neighborhood plan will be developed that reflects the social construction of all concerned for use in response to future hurricanes. The impact of the multiple levels of communities was apparent in this research. While common thematic processes emerged in data analysis, planners, housing authority personnel and residents of housing communities define community differently. There is discordance when they identify needed resources, and when they reflect on past experience. A power differential which resulted in stifling was also observed.

Humans have an innate tendency to attach themselves to objects on their cultural landscape. After a natural disaster like Hurricane Katrina, people seem to hold on to objects left behind by the disaster. This paper examines several of the concepts and reasons as to why attachments may have formed to objects left on New Orleans' landscape after Hurricane Katrina. I explored human reactions after a natural disaster, and discussed how memories, collective and individual, often lead to personal attachment to objects. In an attempt to get a better understanding of this phenomenon, 250 surveys were distributed to residents in the New Orleans metro area. The surveys were used as a tool to discover if attachments were formed and if so, what led to the attachment. The results from the survey revealed that 38% of the people surveyed formed an attachment to an object left by Hurricane Katrina.

Recovery from a natural disaster is difficult, expensive, and can take ten years or more. Many contend that recovery planning can be ordered, knowable, and predictable and that the destruction of buildings and displacement of the population provide an opportunity to build back better. This thesis examines the complexity of recovery through the lens of land use planning. Land use planning serves as the central focus because land provides an individual or family their livelihood and its use underlies the economy. The thesis considers two planning models -- rational comprehensive and incremental. The thesis concludes that incremental planning is more appropriate for recovery planning, but that even during recovery the community needs post recovery goals and objectives to provide context to their day-to-day decisions. A more comprehensive planning process is better suited for developing and articulating post recovery goals and objectives.

Disasters occur all over the world, and affect a rising number of people. The health effects of natural disasters depend on several factors present before, during, and after a disaster event. However, there is only limited knowledge of survivors experiences, needs, and health after natural disasters. Disaster radio means a temporary radio station that broadcasts information, music, and support to the affected population. Disaster radio has the potential to function even in a severely affected area, but its effects need to be further evaluated from a health perspective. The context of this thesis was the Haiyan supertyphoon that hit parts of the Philippines in November 2013. The overall aim was to describe survivors’ and health professionals’ experiences during and in the immediate aftermath of a natural disaster, the health effects from such a disaster, and how disaster radio as a disaster response intervention can be used and evaluated from a health perspective. The thesis includes four studies using qualitative research methods, including content analysis and a phenomenological hermeneutic method, and quantitative methods with statistical analysis. The results show that the Haiyan typhoon affected physical, psychological, and social dimensions of health. Disaster radio was used to broadcast health-related information and psychosocial support, and made a positive contribution to recovery from the perspective of the survivors. Being a health professional deployed during the disaster was an experience of being both a helper and a victim. The use of a self-selected internetbased sample recruited via Facebook for a web-based survey mitigated several practical challenges related to disaster research, but also raised questions about the generalizability of the results. Based on the findings, the importance of an integrated physical, psychological, and social health response to natural disasters is emphazized. Also, the health care system should prepare to use disaster radio as disaster response. In addition, the results suggest that disaster training for health professionals should include personal preparation and coping strategies. Internet-based methods in disaster research need to be further evaluated.

This study investigates the relationship between social learning and perceived realism in the context of an entertainment media text, the 2015 movie San Andreas. As a fictional natural disaster movie, this film depicts several safety and survival techniques that could potentially be observed and adopted by audience members should they face a similar situation (i.e. major earthquake). While the majority of these techniques align with professionally recommended behaviors, a few are misleading. This study investigates the perceptions, attitudes, beliefs, and behavioral intentions different groups of audience members hold concerning the behaviors they observed in the film. Participants were grouped by geologically-based knowledge levels and levels of perceived realism. While the findings of this study reveal minimal differences based on knowledge and perceived realism, results clearly show that the film triggered high levels of curiosity and thinking about earthquakes and earthquake safety across the board. Furthermore, all audience members appeared to be persuaded on both a conscious and even more so on a subconscious level to behave as the characters in the film did, assuming the consequences of those actions were positive. These findings suggest that entertainment media texts can be a powerful educational and persuasive tool.

Hundreds of thousands of people are affected by natural disasters every year. Many of these people face mental and emotional consequences from the traumatic experience. Research indicates that the aftereffects of such experiences can result in social, familial, and educational impairments in children. The current study tested the efficacy of a brief cognitive behavioral intervention on elementary school aged children intended to alleviate the mental and emotional consequences following a natural disaster. The study applied quantitative methods through pre and post intervention assessments measuring stress and hope. The participants assessed included 18 Filipino children between the ages of 10-12 years, who had recently been exposed to one of the strongest typhoons in the country’s history. Incorporating a quasi-experimental design, 12 of these participants were given a brief cognitive behavioral intervention based on their parent / caregiver involvement in a supplemental workshop and 6 participants were engaged in facilitated play acting as a comparison group. Results indicated that the cognitive behavioral intervention was effective in reducing stress in children, but had little to no effect on hope. However, facilitated play proved to be effective in raising hope levels, but also raised stress levels in children. An inference may be made that future interventions embodying both cognitive behavioral therapy and facilitated play could increase hope and decrease stress in children who have experienced a natural disaster. Furthermore, these initial findings contribute to seeking advocacy for inclusion of brief and low cost mental health interventions as part of relief efforts.

<p>Natural disaster hits and damages the lives thousand of human beings and their infrastructure. Natural disaster can not be stopped but we can minimize the volume of devastation and destruction caused by the disaster. Especially, in third world countries the level to respond the disaster is limited and narrow, so these countries have to suffer more then the developed countries, where as in developed countries valuable recourses and effective planning are existed to deal with natural disasters. So this thing insists me to write something just to get know how about all humanitarian and relief activities.I have utilized the SCM Supply chain management practices and techniques in order to conquer barriers faced by logistician of humanitarian response/ relief operation during disaster. I will use methodology of empirical data technique, barriers will be discovered and analyzed then proposed solutions would be picked up from the literature of supply chain management for the barriers to effective humanitarian logistics.There is a mixture of SCM principle from various organizations such as military, private sector and nonprofit organization in order to provide a utility to disaster/ response operations. The output of this research will show the easy makeup of SCM remedies to control the complexities and difficulties of logistics process during disaster relief operation in results and analysis chapter.Natural disaster hits and damages the lives thousand of human beings and their infrastructure. Natural disaster can not be stopped but we can minimize the volume of devastation and destruction caused by the disaster. Especially, in third world countries the level to respond the disaster is limited and narrow, so these countries have to suffer more then the developed countries, where as in developed countries valuable recourses and effective planning are existed to deal with natural disasters. So this thing insists me to write something just to get know how about all humanitarian and relief activities.I have utilized the SCM Supply chain management practices and techniques in order to conquer barriers faced by logistician of humanitarian response/ relief operation during disaster. I will use methodology of empirical data technique, barriers will be discovered and analyzed then proposed solutions would be picked up from the literature of supply chain management for the barriers to effective humanitarian logistics.There is a mixture of SCM principle from various organizations such as military, private sector and nonprofit organization in order to provide a utility to disaster/ response operations. The output of this research will show the easy makeup of SCM remedies to control the complexities and difficulties of logistics process during disaster relief operation in results and analysis chapter.</p>

Natural disaster hits and damages the lives thousand of human beings and their infrastructure. Natural disaster can not be stopped but we can minimize the volume of devastation and destruction caused by the disaster. Especially, in third world countries the level to respond the disaster is limited and narrow, so these countries have to suffer more then the developed countries, where as in developed countries valuable recourses and effective planning are existed to deal with natural disasters. So this thing insists me to write something just to get know how about all humanitarian and relief activities.I have utilized the SCM Supply chain management practices and techniques in order to conquer barriers faced by logistician of humanitarian response/ relief operation during disaster. I will use methodology of empirical data technique, barriers will be discovered and analyzed then proposed solutions would be picked up from the literature of supply chain management for the barriers to effective humanitarian logistics.There is a mixture of SCM principle from various organizations such as military, private sector and nonprofit organization in order to provide a utility to disaster/ response operations. The output of this research will show the easy makeup of SCM remedies to control the complexities and difficulties of logistics process during disaster relief operation in results and analysis chapter.Natural disaster hits and damages the lives thousand of human beings and their infrastructure. Natural disaster can not be stopped but we can minimize the volume of devastation and destruction caused by the disaster. Especially, in third world countries the level to respond the disaster is limited and narrow, so these countries have to suffer more then the developed countries, where as in developed countries valuable recourses and effective planning are existed to deal with natural disasters. So this thing insists me to write something just to get know how about all humanitarian and relief activities.I have utilized the SCM Supply chain management practices and techniques in order to conquer barriers faced by logistician of humanitarian response/ relief operation during disaster. I will use methodology of empirical data technique, barriers will be discovered and analyzed then proposed solutions would be picked up from the literature of supply chain management for the barriers to effective humanitarian logistics.There is a mixture of SCM principle from various organizations such as military, private sector and nonprofit organization in order to provide a utility to disaster/ response operations. The output of this research will show the easy makeup of SCM remedies to control the complexities and difficulties of logistics process during disaster relief operation in results and analysis chapter.