Based on a popular course for the FEMA Higher Education project, this volume provides important insight into plans to mitigate and respond to the devastation caused by large-scale catastrophic events. Written by top disaster scholars and practitioners, the book defines what constitutes a catastrophic event, outlining both the factors that can lead to catastrophes and the unique logistical, planning, and response challenges posed by them. It explores how catastrophes can dramatically affect populations and addresses new, innovative, and fundamentally unique strategies communities can institute to better prepare populations for catastrophic events and their aftermath.