Assignment: Disaster Case Study

There is one required paper in this course. It will be evaluated in terms of organization, clarity of presentation (including spelling and grammar), and thoroughness. Each student is required to identify a disaster of interest, conduct online research about the event (do not cite Wikipedia as a source), write a short case study, and discuss the case in class.

The report (which should be between three and five typed, double-spaced pages) must answer the following questions:

(1) What was the event, when and where did it occur, and what were its major impacts?

(2) How prepared was the community for the event?

(3) What agencies or organizations were involved in responding to the event, and what are some of the challenges they faced?

(4) What actions has the community taken to better prepare itself for future disasters?

The case studies are due in class at the beginning of the class period (you can only submit over email if you have previously discussed it with me and have a legitimate excuse) on December 6. In addition, you will have to turn in an electronic copy through blackboard for a plagiarism check before the beginning of the class period on December 6. Each student will prepare to discuss their topics on December 6, this is not a presentation (I will explain further in class).

The following disasters cannot be used as a topic for your case studies:
Hurricane Katrina                          Hurricane/Superstorm Sandy
Hurricane Matthew                        West, Texas Fertilizer Explosion
9/11                                           Oklahoma City Bombing
Moore Tornado                             Haiti Earthquake
Indian Ocean Tsunami                   Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, or Maria
2011 Japan Earthquake/Tsunami/Radiological event

You paper must following the following parameters:

• 12- point font (Arial or Times New Roman)
• 1 inch margins
• You need at least 4 sources cited in your paper
• APA citation style
• Use in-text citations and a bibliography at the end of your paper (bibliography is not included in your overall page limit)
• Purdue Owl is a good resource for APA citation style

This is an academic paper. While you are certainly allowed to include some first-hand knowledge if you experienced the event, make sure that you are citing sources when you answer the questions for the assignment.