Mud and tears: the human face of disaster – a case study of the Queensland floods, January 2011

Charminec E.J. Härtel, Greg M. Latemore

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleResearchpeer-review

8 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

January 2011 visited on Queensland Australia floods of proportions many thought could not have occurred again, following disaster management planning taken after the historic floods of the 1800s and 1974. This paper presents some reflections on this natural disaster, which affected many members of the ANZAM community and left a permanent mark on those directly affected and those who watched as the waters washed away lives, memories and many of the things that give people a sense of place. Amongst tragedy came stories of generosity of human spirit as well as the occasional case of greed and callousness. When all was over, however, there was no doubt about the human side of disaster management. Through two case studies of a family-owned business and a large organization impacted by the flood in Brisbane, we highlight some lessons for disaster management and propose some strategies for building social capital in times of disaster.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)864-872
Number of pages9
JournalJournal of Management and Organization
Volume17
Issue number6
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Nov 2011
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • disaster epidemiology
  • disaster management
  • organizational resilience
  • Queensland floods
  • social capital

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