This publication serves as an appraisal of US emergency management as the nation’s risk profile changes due to physical factors such as climate change and social factors such as politicization and wealth inequality. The book explores whether hazard events that occurred between 2019 and 2023 are representative of changing hazard trends. The authors consider whether the country’s existing emergency management system is sufficient to meet the needs of both current and future risks. The second edition of U.S. Emergency Management in the 21st Century differs from the first, which considers how hazard events between 2011 and 2018 affected federal emergency management policy.
The book’s structure is perhaps best illustrated by the chapter “Wildfires: Firestorms, Smoke, and Unintended Consequences.” The chapter opens with an exploration of the factors that shape fire risk and the consequences of those changes. The factors examined include climate change, vegetation change, land management, local population increases, and changes in land use. Additionally, case studies of the Tubbs, Thomas, Camp, and Dixie fires in California, the Marshall fire in Colorado, the Maui fire in Hawaii, and the Gatlinburg fire in Tennessee are explored. These cases are used to discuss issues related to prescribed burns and the transboundary nature of smoke and air quality. The authors also provide an analysis of the relationship between social vulnerability and wildfire, demonstrating the ways in which underresourced communities experience disproportionate wildfire impacts and how fires can deepen predisaster vulnerabilities. However, the chapter also includes cases that challenge traditional assumptions about vulnerability. For example, the authors present research that shows that perceived risk and housing characteristics are stronger predictors of wildfire exposure than demographics. The chapter concludes with recommendations for better wildfire mitigation practices, including vegetation management, homeowner mitigation, land use planning, ignition prevention, and continued investment in and research on fire technology.
Authors & Contributors
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