toledoblade.com --

DENVER - If the script for a terrorist attack plays true, there will be none of the mass panic shown in disaster films, with people stampeding hysterically and trampling their own mothers, an expert said here yesterday.

More than 50 years of research on human behavior in disasters contradict "the panic myth," Dr. Lee Clarke of Rutgers University said in an interview. He is an international authority on community response to disasters and civil-defense preparations.

Research shows that people behave in catastrophes much like they do in ordinary life - helping those nearby first before they help themselves, Dr. Clarke said. The empathy continues in the aftermath, with people connecting with one another to cooperate in rebuilding and recovering emotionally.

"We have five decades of research on all kinds of disasters: earthquakes, tornadoes, and airplane crashes, " he said. "People rarely lose control," he added, noting that human nature tends to shine brightest at such times."

Dr. Clarke spoke at the annual national meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, being held here.

Founded in 1848, AAAS is the world's largest general scientific organization with 134,000 members and affiliated groups representing 10 million scientists.

Thousands have gathered for the meeting, which will include hundreds of reports on new developments in fields of science ranging from astronomy to zoology.

Dr. Clarke was among a panel of scientists considering what steps the government should take to plan for mass evacuations in case of an imminent asteroid impact.

Science advisers from the 30-member nations of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development are considering contingency plans for an impact.

Among them are evacuations of shoreline areas, because a water impact could cause a huge tidal wave.

Dr. Clarke said evidence against the panic myth includes observations of how people behaved in the World Trade Center attack, the atomic bombing of Japanese cities in World War II, nightclub fires, and other incidents.

People escaping the World Trade Center disaster, for instance, did not become hysterical or disregard the needs of others. They evacuated in an orderly fashion and often aided each other.

Dr. Clarke cautioned, however, that response to future catastrophes would depend on individual circumstances, including how politicians, building managers, and other officials handle the situation.

The public usually responds to bad news very well, so long as they regard authorities as trustworthy, he said.

Dr. Clarke said federal officials generally are doing a good job in handling public alerts about possible terrorist attacks.

He did suggest that more money and resources be made available to local emergency personnel, especially police and fire departments, which would have initial responsibility for responding to attacks.

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