This book presents interdisciplinary perspectives on emergency management policy, economic development, and the various factors that affect the recovery process after natural disasters strike urban areas. Given global climate change, rising sea levels, and the increasing impact of disasters, there is a real urgency to rethink how locales?particularly densely populated urban areas?should deal with logistic and preparedness issues in the wake of large-scale disasters. A look at recent catastrophes provides real-world case studies that emphasize the diverse challenges.