“On June 11,2015 the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) took a large step forward in its own open data efforts by releasing a new data visualization tool. The tool has graphs and charts demonstrating financial costs associated with the events, along with links to FEMA resources that encourage disaster preparation. (Wood, 2015). These tools are expected to give residents the information they need to effectively plan for future disasters within the community.
“Socially vulnerable population segments emerge because our psychological, demographic, economic, and political processes tend to produce them” (FEMA, 2018) Scientist also research evidence that shows climate change is expected to make hurricanes stronger and more destructive. If people continue to underestimate the damage a hurricane can cause, we will continue to see a major loss in life and property.
The unpredictability of nature can have a tremendous effect on individuals and the way they prepare for a disaster within their community. The data visualization tool offers incredible information on the topography of communities. This information can alleviate damage to life and property if emergency personnel can effectively disseminate the information to the public.
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As in the case of hurricane Katrina, many were warned that the levees could gave way and cause a disastrous flood, but many did not take it seriously. Governmental officials relied on inconsistent research to make decisions about the lives of others. They believed that since the levees was strong enough for past hurricanes, it would hold steadfast for Katrina.
Societies can adapt to the prevailing environmental conditions at any given location around the United States of America with the data visualization tool. If this tool was available prior to hurricane Katrina, I believe many lives would have been saved and there would have been tremendously less property damage.
Governmental officials would have heeded the warning by emergency personnel about the levees being unable to hold. The military could have been called on an emergency basis to revamp the levees to standards that can withheld the force of Katrina and many lives and property would have been saved.
Socio-economic factors have a significant impact on disaster preparedness and response. Many people fail to effectively prepare for disasters based on their status in society. The wealthier in society will have the money to do the necessary repairs to mitigate damage, in contrast to the poor who must look to the government for help.
We need to create legislation that will make it easier for the poor to receive grants to improve their infrastructure thus alleviating the damage to life and property. Our communities need to invest in structural controls and make sure they are building codes in place that prevent people from building unsafe homes in zones where hurricane is prevalent.
Human beings are stubborn in that they believe that they can adapt to certain environments without the help of others. It is the interactive theory of nature and society that makes disasters become more formidable. As in the case of hurricane Katrina, many choose to stay in their homes instead of seeking shelter. This created a wave of rescue efforts that took up much needed time and resources that could have been diverted elsewhere.
Many communities failed to adequately prepare for Katrina because the dissemination of warning was not taken seriously. Trust is very important when disseminating information to the public, hence law enforcement and other emergency personnel should implement measures that make it easier for the message to reach poorer population.
The mass media is an important source of information on hazards for societies. Many people learn what they know about disasters from the mass media. “These include, educating the public about hazard, disseminating disaster warnings, reporting on disasters and their impact, providing information on available sources of disaster assistance” (Tierney, p.136) I believe further research is needed in ways to disseminate the message to various cultures, so they will be fewer delays in understanding the message. This will eventually lead to more proactive action from the entire community.
When Hurricane Katrina hit landfall, many did not know what to expect. They know it was a powerful storm but was oblivious to the damage it would eventually cost. The building codes were not up to standard which led to homes being easily damaged. These codes would have been updated years ago if the government had a data visualization tool readily available to emergency personnel and the public.
Many would have understood the geography and topography of their communities and changed the way they prepared for the hurricane. They would have knowledge of the type of hurricane that usually hit the city and make better psychological decisions concerning safety. Many lives could have been saved if people understood the reason to evacuate or move to nearby shelters.
They believed that their homes were strong enough to withstand hurricane Katrina destruction and thus failed to implement the necessary precautions to alleviate the destruction.” But now that the tool is public, the agency hopes that when people see that disasters happen where they live and everywhere else, it will spur them to action.” (Wood, 2015) Citizens involvement in creating resilient communities is vital for the success of emergency preparedness and response. They need to be more aware of the challenges facing their community and adapt to environmental conditions.
The environment humans occupy consists of natural and technological components, each of which contains elements that pose a variety of risks to the human occupants and their property. (FEMA, 2018) The culture created by the occupants needs to be one in which everyone feels a sense of inclusion. Regularly attending community meetings and emergency preparedness seminars should be a focal point in discussions. Emergency managers should make sure that their staff is well trained about the hazards that affect the community. The data visualization tool created by FEMA should be studied by emergency personnel along with other technological advancement that will help in disaster preparedness and response.
Research should also be done to understand patterns in which hurricane strike. Findings should be thoroughly investigated by emergency managers and shared with the public. It is important to understand that people play an important role in hazard reduction. The more people are educated about the risks associated with living in a community prone to hurricane, the better prepared they will be when it strikes.
FEMA collaboration with other local, state and federal agencies is detrimental in building a resilient community. Many lessons were learned from Katrina but the one that stood out was the lack of coordination amongst senior officials. The bureaucracy within the government created internal confusion amongst various agencies. This eventually led to a delay in getting the necessary personnel and resources to the affected area. Racism was in the discussion because of the large number of African American and minorities that was affected by the hurricane. However, the government argued that they were more predisposed to the effects of Katrina because of where they lived.
“FEMA’s Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRM) are determined by mapping the topography of the city as well as the types of storm strengths that have historically hit the community” (FEMA, 2018) These maps along with the data utilization tool can give emergency personnel a thorough understanding of the areas that will be vulnerable to damage. Doing this will enable them to create a plan of action to reduce causality in the face of disaster.
They will be able to place resources close to these areas so that they can swiftly respond to local emergencies. FEMA also need to be able to collaborate swiftly with local authorities an get emergency personnel in place for immediate search and rescue. This was one of the shortcomings during hurricane Katrina that lead to major criticism of the agency lack of response. An emergency plan to shelter those that were most vulnerable to the hurricane due to their proximity from the shoreline should have been implemented
The data visualization tool is important because it allows emergency personnel to implement the necessary measures to alleviate the destruction on life and property. If this tool was open to the public before Katrina, I am sure many officials would have fought for more grants to rebuild the levees and infrastructure within the city. They would have a better understanding as to what to expect from such a major hurricane.
