Explain why human error allowed natural disasters to destroy some early cities. compare modern-day methods for dealing with natural disasters with those used in ancient cities. how have things improved? how have they remained similar?

Responses may vary but should include some or all of the following information:

Natural disasters often occur suddenly and are highly destructive. However, people in some early cities failed to pay attention to signs that a particular location was not safe. In addition, people in many early cities failed to prepare for disasters. Because they were poor planned and designed, these cities provided few strategies for escaping to safety. There were few systems of warning in early cities, and many settlements had few planned escape routes in the event of a natural disaster. Cities were often overpopulated, with people packed tightly together, making mass destruction all too likely in the event of a natural disaster.  

In today’s cities, we have organized safety systems, such as trained fire departments, strategically located throughout a city; warning signals, such as hurricane warning alarms, that rush people to safety; and the Emergency Broadcast System, which uses technology to alert people of dangers and provide safety information. However, while we have improved significantly in our technology and understanding of weather patterns that indicate dangerous storms, many modern cities still are located in dangerous areas. Much like early cities, modern cities are densely populated and may not have adequate escape plans or escape routes in place.