Major Storms and Community Resilience

Lisa Doner, Lorraine Motola, Patricia Stapleton, Science Education Research Center at Carleton College

This is Unit 1 of a larger module and centers on the fundamental concepts of major storms and community resilience. In this unit, students acquire a vocabulary related to storm systems and risk, engage in practical exercises on event probability and frequency, and complete written activities and oral presentations that reinforce these concepts, using two case studies as examples.

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Teaching tips and suggested resources for more information are provided throughout unit. The instructor should test all links and request limited-access materials well in advance of teaching this unit, as there may be a time-lag in receiving those materials. The instructor can modify the activities for use in a variety of courses.
This unit is designed to help students calculate frequency and probability of natural hazards using data from the New Hampshire Multi-Hazard Mitigation Plan (2013) as a case study. It also helps students analyze risk associated with natural hazards using a Hazards Vulnerability Analysis (HVA), and then critique a Hazard Mitigation Plan (HMP) using New Orleans as a case study. There is opportunity for the instructor to bring in local data instead of using the prescribed case studies. Passed initial science review - expert science review pending.
The unit provides clear learning goals, materials to achieve those goals, and assessments to evaluate if the learning goals were met. Both required and supplemental readings (e.g., government reports) are provided to support the learning activities. The materials and activities can be adapted and modified as necessary for geoscience courses, as well as use in non-science courses such as emergency management or urban planning. Students without background knowledge or familiarity with the relevant vocabulary, HVAs, and HMPs would benefit from additional instruction to introduce these concepts. Instructors should be familiar with systems thinking and using concept maps. Additional resources for these topics are suggested.