Long considered ground zero for global climate change in the United States, Florida presents the perfect case study for disaster risk and prevention. Building on the idea that disasters are produced by historical and contemporary social processes as well as natural phenomena, Amanda D. Concha-Holmes and Anthony Oliver-Smith present a collection of ethnographic case studies that examine the social and environmental effects of Floridas public and private sector development policies. Contributors toDisasters in Paradise explore how these practices have increased the vulnerability of Floridians to hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, droughts, frosts, and forest fires.

Amanda Concha-Holmesis courtesy faculty in anthropology and Latin American studies at the University of Florida and co-founder and co-director of the Innovative Research and Intercultural Education (I.R.I.E.) Center.

Anthony Oliver Smith is professor emeritus of anthropology at the University of Florida.

Chapter 1: Natural Hazards, Social Vulnerability and Development in FloridaChapter 2: Eye on The Storm: Development& Disaster in The Sunshine State. Hurricane Opal. A Case StudyChapter 3: Twisted State: Patterns of Resilience and Vulnerability in the Osceola County, Florida 1998 TornadoesChapter 4: Disaster in Apalachicola: Storms, the Oyster Industry and Development DecisionsChapter 5: Drought, Unsustainable Water Practices and the Social Construction of Risk in Glades CountyChapter 6: Needed and Feared: The Unavoidable Vulnerability to Forest Fires in FloridaChapter 7: humaNature, Citrus and Disaster in North Central Florida: Frost in the Sunshine State.Chapter 8: Climate Change, Disasters and Development in Florida