Date of Award

5-2007

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Disaster Science

Department

Disaster Science

First Advisor

Dr. Walter G. Green, III

Second Advisor

Dr. Koko Warner

Third Advisor

Dr. David Kitchen

Abstract

When disasters occur affecting multiple communities differently, can a determination be made as to which community is in need of financial or humanitarian aid the most? This study proposes a universal disaster impact scale that will allow the impacts of a large variety of disasters, including natural and human systems failures, to be measured against one another. The Universal Disaster Impact Scale includes both quantitative and qualitative disaster impact measurements combined with an economic factor for the affected country in an equation which provides a numeric rating for the disaster. The rating is used to measure the level of need existing within the affected countries in a post-disaster environment. Utilizing a macro level analysis, the Universal Disaster Impact Scale successfully provides a means through which the level of humanitarian need can be prioritized.

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