In recent years, extreme shocks (such as natural disasters) have increased in both frequency and intensity. Consequently, many cities have experienced significant economic losses. Quantifying the economic cost to local businesses after extreme shocks is important for postdisaster assessment and...

This analysis shows that the intergovernmental response to Hurricane Katrina collapsed because those involved in the process did not have a clear understanding of their own roles and responsibilities or how the entire governmental response system should operate. New data are presented which...