World Disaster Reduction Day --
October 9, 2002

Statement by USGS Director Chip Groat

The Earth is both a life-giving and a lethally dangerous planet. In the
past few months, wildfires have ravaged millions of acres in the West. We
have seen floods in Texas and Louisiana and drought in Eastern and Western
States. Earthquakes in California and Alaska happen almost daily, but in
2002 they struck Indiana and New York State as well. West Nile Virus
continues its inexorable spread across the Nation, affecting both animals
and people.

We live in a world full of dangers, known and unknown, seen and unseen, but
there is much we can do to reduce the threat they present to all of us.
World Disaster Reduction Day, October 9, is an opportunity to recognize our
shared vulnerability -- and by sharing what we know, we can help reduce our
vulnerability. We have learned from the past that the more we understand
about how our world works, the better we can protect the things we truly
care about: our families, our friends, our communities.

The beginning of the 20th century brought two of the deadliest disasters
our Nation has experienced. In 1900, a hurricane struck Galveston, Texas,
without warning, causing more than 6,000 deaths. The 1906 San Francisco
earthquake killed hundreds to thousands of people, as a result of the
earthquake itself and the fires that broke out afterwards.

Progress in scientific understanding and in monitoring and warning systems
throughout the century has helped to reduce the death toll from natural
disasters -- at least in parts of the world. Recent earthquakes and
hurricanes in the United States have caused economic loss and disruption of
communities, but relatively few lives have been lost. Our challenge now is
to improve not only our understanding of natural processes that create
hazards but also our ability to share knowledge around the world.

When disasters strike, people from across the globe respond. Every day,
many nations work together to understand these hazards and reduce
humanity's suffering in the future. As Director of the U.S. Geological
Survey, I am proud to lead an organization of scientists whose research on
and response to earthquakes, volcanoes, floods, wildlife diseases, and
other hazards help build a safer world. Focusing on the challenges posed by
nature will not solve all the world's ills, but their dedication to this
effort will continue to help reduce the toll of human suffering.

What will the world of our grandchildren be like? Much will be different
from the world of today, but some things will not have changed. Tectonic
plates will still grind past each other, causing earthquakes and volcanic
eruptions; rain will still fall in torrents, flooding rivers and streams;
winds will still spiral into destructive hurricanes and tornadoes.
Improvements in scientific understanding have already led to remarkable
successes in reducing the loss of life from natural disasters. With future
efforts, I am confident that we can improve our ability to forecast the
occurrence of extreme events and thereby improve our ability to live safely
on this restless and dangerous planet.