Evaluating Coastal Resilience and Disaster Response: The Case of Galveston and Texas Gulf Counties following Hurricane Ike

This article investigates principles of social and ecological resilience to natural disasters considering areas of Texas affected by Hurricane Ike. In an effort to address the challenges and opportunities faced by coastal communities in response to natural hazards, a case study approach (incorporating primary and secondary data) following Beatley's (2009) best practices in planning for coastal resiliency was employed. Based on the case analysis and principled outlined, disaster-prone coastal communities need to implement new social and environmental planning strategies to potentially mitigate negative effects of natural disasters that incorporate long-term planning and implementation, coastal management, land use, and structural and non-structural designs.