AWWA ACE58221

Utilities have learned much from disaster experiences, but they must remain vigilant before new threats and they need comprehensive protective programs that include both engineering and management measures. These conclusions emerged from AWWA Research Foundation's project and workshop on "Surviving Disasters: Learning from Experience." The paper reviews a range of natural hazards and offers a classification system for human-caused hazards, including terrorism. It describes a top-down and bottom-up approach to disaster preparedness that is based on utility reports of their experiences and knowledge about surviving actual disasters, including recent major earthquakes and floods. New security requirements brought on by terrorist threats are discussed in the light of the post- September 11 security environment, and the paper concludes with a set of lessons learned and review of best practices for surviving disasters. Includes 21 references, tables.