Comprehensive overview of the issues, challenges, components, and best practices in disaster communication

Disaster Communication provides an overview of and best practices surrounding disaster communication for professionals, organizations, and community members who want to increase disaster preparedness, provide disaster warnings, facilitate protective disaster actions, support disaster recovery, and foster disaster resilience.

To aid in reader comprehension and appeal to a wide base of readers, the text utilizes a comprehensive multi-phased, multimedia, and multi-audience approach to disaster communication.

This book includes information on:

• Importance of disaster communication including its relevance to various fields and disciplines (such as emergency management, public health, mental health, communication, media, and engineering)
• Different types of disasters resulting from natural hazards (such as tornadoes, hurricanes, and earthquakes) and corresponding communications for each one
• Non-intentional disasters (such as environmental ones) and intentional human-caused disasters (such as terrorism and mass shootings)
• Ways that communication can be used before, during, and after a disaster to facilitate human survival, coping, recovery, and resilience

Providing comprehensive coverage of a subject with vast impact on human populations, Disaster Communication is an essential resource for practitioners in emergency management, public safety, communication, public relations, journalism, media, disaster studies, psychology, public health, and public administration, along with students in a variety of professional and academic programs.

Brian Houston, PhD, is a Professor in the Department of Communication, and Director for the Disaster and Community Crisis Center (DCC) at the University of Missouri. His research focuses on communication at all phases of disasters and on the mental health effects and political consequences of community crises. Dr. Houston's work has been supported by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) and other organizations.