Extreme Event and History: for a better consideration of natural hazards
Abstract
This chapter aims to remind us of the fundamental importance, for our modern but fragile societies, of the difficult study of historical data on natural hazards. Forgetting is a regular feature of our decisions, and the preservation of the memory of natural disasters depends heavily on our ability to quantify their effects. The author, a climate historian, recalls here some fundamental aspects of this discipline and its necessary connection to statistical approaches to risk analysis.