Collective Thinking Keeps Us Safe: Lessons from Hurricanes Katrina, Rita and Ike.

Modifications to emergency management plans after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita reveal important lessons; the main one being that in order to effectively respond to emergencies, resources must be thought of in broader, more collective terms, rather than in the highly individualistic ones that characterize our day-to-day lives. Using Walker County, Texas as a case study, we focus primarily on the effects to the region as a result of Hurricane Rita. Drawing on Perelman's (2005) critique of individualism, we highlight the risks of applying an individualistic approach to disaster mitigation and management. Although not explicitly framed in these ways, a comparison of pre and post 2005 hurricane season emergency management plans reveals an awareness of the need to think about resources more broadly. Creative blending public and private spheres in order to mitigate against the disastrous consequences of events that had previously been too narrowly defined is illustrated by recent modifications to emergency management plans. In our view, this lesson applies not only to emergency scenarios but to the field of environmental management more generally. The main conclusion is that collective thinking helps keep us safer from environmental threats as well as natural and man-made disasters. ..PAT.-Unpublished Manuscript [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]