Hollywood gives us certain images of disaster: people fleeing in panic; chaos in the streets; and heroic responders who come in, take charge, and solve problems in superhuman ways. But of course, the real world does not operate like Hollywood. People behave differently than they do in the movies, and…
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Living through a disaster is not a question of if—it’s a question of when. Fires, floods, chemical spills, terrorist attacks, and other disasters can happen swiftly and without warning, so it is imperative that we all do what we can now to prepare. Do you know what hazards are most likely in your neighborhood? How will you find out about potential disasters? And how will you communicate with your loved ones? If you had to evacuate without warning, do you know where you will go, and what route you will take?
Delving into these questions is a great first step in becoming disaster-aware and ready to survive should the unthinkable happen. When Everything Fails: Surviving Any Disaster offers a practical guide for protecting yourself, your family, and your community. Taught by Professor Stephen Owen of Radford University, these 14 practical and informative lectures will arm you with information for planning ahead so you can prepare for the effects of a disaster or catastrophe. You will also learn about the resources and infrastructure in your community that are in place to aid in preparedness, response, and recovery.
As you will discover, when a disaster occurs, it may be some time before help arrives. Every one of us may find ourselves on our own in a dangerous situation, so we must be prepared, for our own sakes as well as for the people, pets, and community that depend on us. Planning for such a scenario can be overwhelming—after all, one hallmark of disasters is they catch us off-guard—but with the right training, supplies, and practice, you can live confidently, knowing you are as ready as possible. From basic first aid measures like CPR and the Heimlich maneuver to the fundamentals of the first responders, When Everything Fails: Surviving Any Disaster shows you what you need to know to survive.
A Case Study Approach
One of the best ways to prepare for the next disaster is to study past disasters. Numerous “after action reviews” have been written for everything from hurricanes to train wrecks, and these case studies can tell us what happened, what went wrong, what individuals and first responders did well, and what we can learn for next time. Professor Owen draws essential lessons from calamities that have affected big cities and small towns across the United States, including
- The winter 1982 airline crash in Washington, D.C.’s Potomac River;
- The 1997 flood of the Red River valley;
- The 2011 tornado in Joplin, Missouri;
- The 2016 firestorm that hit Gatlinburg, Tennessee;
- The 2016 mass shooting at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Florida; and more.
- Through these and other case studies, Professor Owen draws larger lessons, such as the distinction between a “routine emergency” (e.g., a car wreck), a “disaster” (e.g., a train wreck that creates a massive chlorine spill), and a “catastrophe” (community-wide destruction such as the result of Hurricane Katrina). He asks you to reflect on what you would do and how you would respond—and he offers the latest recommendations from emergency management organizations on how to prepare or respond.
