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A crisis is defined as “any event that threatens to, or actually does, inflict damage to property or people.” (IS -1, n.d.). Crises can be small or large in scale. In large-scale crises, there usually is a significant probability of extreme danger and highly unpredictable outcomes (Leadership in Crisis, 2010). Small- or large-scale crises can occur at any time, and the consequences can be enormous. At the height of the H1N1 influenza outbreak between 2009 and 2010, 61 million people became infected with this virus. In addition, H1N1 caused approximately 274,000 hospitalizations and 12,500 deaths (CDC, n.d.). In 2004, the Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami affected approximately 5 million people in Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India, and the surrounding areas. Over 280,000 people died, and more than 1 million people were displaced (World Health Organization, n.d.). In the US, Hurricane Katrina was one of the most expensive and devastating natural disasters in American history (Rabkin, 2005). Over half a million people were affected by the hurricane, and the US energy infrastructure was severely damaged (Rabkin, 2005). In 2012, Hurricane Sandy swept through the Northeastern United States. Seventy-two people died and 8.5 million people lost power. More than 650,000 houses were damaged or destroyed (Blake et al., 2013). Hurricanes Katrina, Sandy and other crises clearly show the importance of disaster preparedness. Indeed, much can be improved, especially with respect to training and collaboration among federal, state, and local governments (Agrait et al., 2004; Auf der Heide, 1989; Dorasamy & Raman, 2011; Holguín-Veras et al., 2007; Rabkin, 2005; Waugh & Streib, 2006). Specifically, one area that can be improved is the design of crisis information management systems (CIMS) (Catarci et al., 2011; Grant, 2008; Gryszkiewicz, 2012; Gryszkiewicz & Chen, 2012; Onorati et al., 2011; Turoff et al., 2004).
The remainder of this paper is structured as follows. We begin by discussing differences between CIMS and general information systems. Next, we discuss how CIMS has grown with technology and co-evolved with the web. Following this, we review current theory on the design of crisis information management systems. After that we present our recommendations for CIMS. Finally, we conclude with implications and future directions of CIMS.