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Disaster planning |
| I try to avoid discussing overtly political issues on this site. |
However, a recent article found on an online insurance trade magazine was just too rich to pass up, given the recent disaster along our Gulf Coast. To me, the existence of this article (note the June 2004 publication date) online is important not only because of its content, but also because it shows how the web allows public access to primary records. The self-congratulatory article details a Baton Rouge consulting firm's contract to create a "catastrophic hurricane disaster plan for Southeast Louisiana and the City of New Orleans." Thanks to the web, now anyone can easily access information indicating what plans and estimates did (or did not) exist prior to the tragedy in order to make their own judgments. The article begs the question: if we spent $500K federal dollars to have consultants prepare a disaster preparedness estimate and relief plan, then why was that plan not implemented? Geez, even this fluffy press release was able to identify that given New Orleans' "...vulnerability, unique geographic location and elevation, and troubled escape routes, a plan that facilitates a rapid and effective hurricane response and recovery is critical." Also available online is the City of New Orleans Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan, Annex I Hurricanes (caution: long). OK, enough conspiracy theory and Wired-style self-importance. |
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Cookie Sims | 09.13.2005 16:49 | ||
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More web info on preparedness (pre-Katrina):
Jan 2000 http://www.ohsep.louisiana.gov/plans/EOPSupplement1a.pdf “In the event of a catastrophic hurricane, however, the evacuation of over a million people from the Southeast Region could overwhelm normally available shelter resources.” June 2002 – http://www.nola.com/hurricane/?/washingaway/ July 2004 – http://www.fema.gov/news/newsrelease.fema?id=13051 July 2004 – http://www.ohsep.louisiana.gov/newsrelated/incaseofemrgencyexercise.htm Post-Katrina IEM, FEMA, and Hurricane Pam: I was there (9/9/2005)http://www.dailykos.com/story/2005/9/9/192848/9052 Sept 11 2005 – http://www.newhousenews.com/archive/mcquaid091005.html http://www.globalsecurity.org/security/ops/hurricane-pam.htm |
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Cookie Sims | 09.13.2005 11:44 | ||
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The preparedness-plan mentioned above that was put together by contractors in 2004 might be part of what we now know as "Hurricane Pam" - a fictional computer-simulated storm that was conceptualized to provide gov’t agencies (and eventually the public) with info to prepare for a real disaster. Ivor van Heerden, director of LSU’s Center for the Study of Public Health Impacts of Hurricanes, (and others) presented the finalized report of the Hurricane Pam exercise to FEMA and Corps of Engineers employees in 2004. From van Heerden: the gov’t response to the report (amid laughing) was “Americans don't live in tents.”
Me: (I bet the people stranded on a flooded interstate overpass with a trillion mosquitos and deathly sun would’ve loved a tent.) The 2004 report was apparently very thorough – predicting in detail the horrible events that unfolded with Katrina: • cause flooding that would leave 300,000 people trapped in New Orleans, many of whom would not have private transportation for evacuation; • send evacuees to 1,000 shelters, which would likely remain open for 100 days; • require the transfer of patients from hospitals in harm’s way to hospitals in other parts of the state; • trigger outbreaks of tetanus, influenza, and other diseases likely to be present after a storm; • create 30 million cubic yards of debris and 237,000 cubic yards of household hazardous waste. Ref: http://www.lsu.edu/highlights/052/pam.html http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9178501/ The results of the Hurricane Pam exercise were scheduled to be presented to the public this month. Many of the people who helped write and present the finalized report (including van Heerden) – have been recently interviewed, and are horrified (bot not surprised) the predictions came true. |
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Bob Sims | 09.13.2005 14:20 | ||
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Cookie,
Thanks much for the detailed response! I guess the issue which I find so interesting about the Katrina disaster is that so many of the primary sources about the planning and preparation are open-source and readily available on the Internet -- perhaps more so than any other major event in recent history. The documents relating to the 9/11 attackers were largely classified, so it took a Congressional commission to study those. However, anyone can go online and find many primary sources that are highly relevant to hurricane planning. Many (most?) of the sources have been available online since well before the storm. Thanks again. Bob |
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