Disasters and the Law

The 2004 tsunami in Indonesia, Hurricane Katrina in 2005, and the earthquake in China’s Sichuan Province and the cyclone in Myanmar in May of this year have focused the world’s attention on natural disasters. Closer to home, a recent study by seismologists at Columbia University determined that the chance of an earthquake in NYC is greater than once thought. How our legal system responds to such disasters is critical, and the law related to disasters covers a broad spectrum of legal topics.

UC Berkeley School of Law’s Disasters and the Law database brings together a vast amount of information on the legal issues surrounding natural disasters and other catastrophic events. It provides links to articles, books, government documents, student papers, and other web resources related to various sub-topics such as federalism, prevention and mitigation, compensation and risk-spreading, emergency response, social justice and human rights, and rebuilding. Abstracts and/or summaries of key documents are also provided.

The library also has a number of works on disasters and the law. Some deal with the topic in the context of specific cases, legislation, and administrative actions, while others delve into public policy issues and non-legal aspects. They include the following titles:

• When Nature Strikes: Weather Disasters and the Law by Marsha L. Baum (2007)
• Disasters and the Law: Katrina and Beyond by Daniel A. Farber and Jim Chen (2006)
• On Risk and Disaster: Lessons from Hurricane Katrina ed. by Ronald J. Daniels et al (2006)
• Catastrophe: Risk and Response by Richard A. Posner (2004)
• Acts of God: The Unnatural History of Natural Disasters in America by Ted Steinberg (2000)
• Crucibles of Hazard: Mega-Cities and Disasters in Transition ed. by James K. Mitchell (1999)

• It’s a Disaster: The Money and Politics That Follow Earthquakes, Hurricanes and Other Catastrophic Losses by David T. Russell (1999)

J. Fusaris