DISASTERS AND UNPLANNED EVENTS

Natural disasters. Riots. Invasions. Plague. These are the events that test a city and its citizens to their limits. Possible repercussions include all those discussed for planned events, plus mass evacuations, citizens being drafted into city or military service, widespread death and destruction, quarantine, martial law, and even the overthrow of the government. Even if one does not appear to cause drastic changes at fi rst, a disaster can have long-term economic impact as markets are disrupted or governments raise taxes to pay for repairs.

In many cultures these disasters are viewed not as random chance but as signs of the gods’ displeasure. In the face of a particularly large disaster, this belief often turns either to despair, or to violence against one more groups of people whom the citizens believe have offended the gods. Some governments and churches deliberately point angry citizens toward scapegoats in order to take the pressure off their organizations.