Explains how public health surveillance, rapid assessments, and other epidemiologic studies can be conducted in the post-disaster setting to prevent injury, illness, or death; provide accurate and timely information for decisions makers; and improve prevention and mitigation strategies for future disasters. These methods can also be applied to other types of public health emergencies, such as infectious outbreaks, emerging and re-emerging diseases, and refugee health.

History of disaster epidemiology -- Methods: surveillance -- Veterans health affairs, veterans, and disasters -- Applications: using information systems to improve surveillance during disasters -- Applications: shelter surveillance -- Applications: disaster-related mortality surveillance: challenges and considerations for local and state health departments -- Methods: study designs in disaster epidemiology -- Applications: community assessment for public health emergency response -- Applications: assessment of chemical exposures: epidemiologic investigations after large-scale chemical releases -- Methods: questionnaire development and interviewing techniques -- Applications: social vulnerability to disaster (Hampton and Hertford counties -- Isabel) -- Applications: emergency responder health monitoring and surveillance: successful applications -- Methods: data analysis for disaster epidemiology -- Applications: biosurveillance, biodefense, and biotechnology -- Applications: disaster communication and community engagement -- What can disaster epidemiology contribute to building resilient communities?.