Natural disasters that reveal cracks in our social foundation

The recent deaths of more than 13, 000 French elderly in the European heat wave of 2003 revealed cracks in the social foundation of urban communities, here and abroad. The breakdown occurred in community services, neighborhood networks, and governmental agencies that were responsible for warning of impending dangers to at-risk elderly. This paper provides a profile of the at-risk elderly, the means to reach them, and a plan to match needs to resources.