FEMA Prep Talk, “Why People Underprepare for Disasters”

FEMA has released the PrepTalk “Human Biases: Why People Underprepare for Disasters” by Dr. Howard Kunreuther. Dr. Kunreuther is the co-director of University of Pennsylvania Wharton Risk Management Center and the co-director of James G. Dinan Professor Emeritus of Operations, Information and Decisions. Dr. Kunreuther explores why disaster damages and fatalities from disasters increased globally through the early twenty-first century despite advances in forecasting and warnings. He identifies six human biases behind the underinvestment in protection against disasters and explains that understanding these biases can help us design strategies to improve preparedness. Access the PrepTalk at FEMA.