Florida- Hurricanes and Safety.
Posted: Sunday, March 05, 2006
by straight talk
Well by now we are all versed with the Gulf Coast disaster and Hurricane Katrina. We saw the result of inadequate response and we see the aftermath every evening on television. Well, regretfully, or unfortunately, the new buzz words of this century, what are you going to do if we experience a level 4 or 5 storm here in the “Sunshine State"? Assuming you survive, will you have a home after the storm? Will you have a job? Will your insurance cover you? What will your creditors do?
These are just a few questions one has to answer. First, let’s assume you are going to “ride out the storm". OK, you have water, food, flashlights, some medical items and maybe even a generator. Now we have a few other simple questions. Can your house withstand 150 plus MPH winds? Oh, you think so because it is cement block construction? Well think again. There are few homes being built in Florida, or for that matter other places, that can handle that magnitude of natures force. Do you live by water and what might that mean? What do you think you will have to contend with? Second question is, lets assume your house makes it. How long do you think you can last if other support entities are “out of service". What do I mean by this question? Well what about power, fuel, food, doctors, hospitals, even police, fire and emergency services. These are manned by people just like you and me who have families. How many of these do you think will be available and when? Are you just assuming they will be because it is their job? You must keep in mind they face the same hazards and obsticles you do. Then again, what about work and income immediately after the storm? You see what the government is doing in the Gulf States and our problem will be much greater in magnitude.
So where does this leave us? It speaks to evacuation if you can get out soon enough, but to where? Did we not forget Katrina raised havoc right up the Eastern Seaboard? So if evacuation is not the answer, then what is?
In my many years at looking at Contingency Disaster Planning" I have found most people, business and the government just don’t want to consider having to much less spend the right amount of money on possibilities. They would rather avoid the thought and hope it all passes or damage is limited. That is where the problem lies and that is the fatal blow to any plan.
We must look out of the box- first safety, then contingency. Contingency meaning, just what happens before and most importantly after the storm? AS mentioned, evacuation by highway poses great peril for the masses that would truly have to move. The list of possibilities is gigantic. So just what can we do?
First, to address safety I propose a multiple conceptual approach. We must develop industries to enhance the strength of existing housing. I believe this can be done within today’s technical expertise and cost effectively in relationship to replacement and repair costs. This will also provide a new industry and jobs growth and place Florida on the leading edge of addressing this major problem. This will eliminate the need, except where flooding or other natural impacts require such, to evacuate. This will limit the movement of people from the safety of their own homes. It will bring comfort in an exceedingly stressful situation. Secondly, for those who must evacuate and cannot strengthen their housing successfully, we need to consider just why we can put up to one hundred thousand in an arena for a sporting event but can’t mandate these facilities be built to upscale specifications, especially when tax dollars support the building of such. Where needed, we can develop a system of buildings strategically located, much like we have now, which are built, or reinforced to withstand these storms and support people for longer terms. Sure the cost will be significant but what is the result of non action? These buildings do not need to serve only one purpose. We need to take advantage of existing buildings, build new ones and provide the support elements for sanitation and health. This will limit the movement of population over long distances, which stress the governments ability to respond. This will also provide safety for police, fire and related support staffs families to allow them to do their vital role.
Next we need to look at stockpiling resources to insure movement, cleanup sanitation and basic necessities. We can store documents safely for legal purposes in secure buildings but we spend little on food and necessities needed to sustain life. We should look at surplus military equipment. Instead of selling it off to third world countries it should be stockpiled [ much like after the second world war when victory ships lined the Hudson River in New York]. We need to look at emergency funding to get people back to work. We should consider concepts like the C.C. C. of old, which gave people hope and the ability to go on. Do you say the cost would be significant? Well I ask the business leaders and government what the impact would be for doing little to nothing or more of the same.
Quite frankly, I have just broached the very surface of this gigantic problem. But as surely as the Sun keeps rising, one day we may be faced with this situation. Will we be prepared? I am sure there are many out there who can bring ideas and creativity to the problem. What it needs is strong leadership and people who are committed. I believe we have all that and more at our fingertips if we just open our eyes and think - as they say- sometimes problems need different thinking -out of the box, maybe this is the time?
Copyright ©2006 Robert Melaccio Copyright 2006
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