Disasterology

Part activist memoir, part climate change primer, Disasterology is a passionate and personal analysis of a country in crisis--one unprepared to deal with the disasters of today and those looming in our future. With inhabitable spaces growing, temperatures rising, and the risk of man-made disasters increasing, our world is more vulnerable to disasters than ever before. Most people see disasters as freak, natural events that are unpredictable and unpreventable. But that simply isn't the case--most disasters are indeed preventable, and when they do strike, there are strategic ways to lessen the impact. In Disasterology, Dr. Montano brings readers on an eye-opening journey studying some of our worst disasters, helping readers make sense of what really happened. She explains why some disaster survivors receive support and others don't, the critical role the media plays in recovery, the history of FEMA, and how the recovery system was designed to serve some communities while ignoring marginalized ones. Climate change is one of the biggest causes of worsening disasters, having already disrupted ecosystems. Dr. Montano offers a preview of what our outlook will be if we don't take aggressive, immediate action to reduce our carbon emissions. She also explores the COVID pandemic, what might become our generation's most deadly disaster and the many decisions made behind closed doors that failed to protect Americans. A deeply moving and timely narrative that draws on Dr. Montano's firsthand experience in disaster management, Disasterology is essential reading for anyone who wants to understand how our country handles disasters, and how to be better prepared as an individual and a society.