Planet Earth is a miracle, an anomaly within our universe that allows for the growth of diverse natural organisms and beautiful scenery. However, with this great beauty comes natural hazards that can be detrimental to the continued survival of the organisms that inhabit the surface and oceans alike. These disasters can arrive with little warning and completely disrupt the operation of society. The need to plan for potential complex emergencies will continue to rise as long as natural hazards continue to occur along with the human population increasing and seasonal weather intensifying with climate change.
The use of geographic information systems are quickly becoming the most powerful processing tools for spatial and many other types of quantitative data about our world. It has proven to professionals that it can help save time and lives by managing efficient information about natural hazards and the human populations affected by them. However, it’s up to humanity to respond to these disasters and be as prepared as possible. This report and analysis will seek to explore efficient route analysis for emergency vehicles and the public affected by a flooding disaster in a small geographic area. The background of GIS’s integration into the decision support structure, the current and evolving methods for managing data associated with emergency response, and the current modeling of natural hazards and response efforts will also be explored through previous accomplishments.
The definition of disaster has historically been perceived as random acts of nature, symbolized by extremes in physical processes (Zerger, 2002). While that is a broad definition, it is a fact that natural disasters have caused untold amounts of damage to the economi...
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Both man-made and natural disasters are often devastating, resource draining and disruptive. Having a basic plan ready for these types of disaster events is key to the success of executing and implementing, as well as assessing the aftermath. There are many different ways to create an emergency operations plan (EOP) to encompass a natural and/or man-made disaster, including following the six stage planning process, collection of information, and identification of threats and hazards. The most important aspect of the US emergency management system in preparing for, mitigating, and responding to man-made and natural disasters is the creation, implementation and assessment of a community’s EOP.
The Web. The Web. 12 Feb. 2014. http://searchhealthit.techtarget.com/FAQ-Disaster-recovery-planning-for-health-care-data>. 4.
Massumi, Brian. "The half-life of Disaster." The Garudian 15 4 2011. online. The New York Times . 25 April 2014.
Hazards pose risk to everyone. Our acceptance of the risks associated with hazards dictates where and how we live. As humans, we accept a certain amount of risk when choosing to live our daily lives. From time to time, a hazard becomes an emergent situation. Tornadoes in the Midwest, hurricanes along the Gulf Coast or earthquakes in California are all hazards that residents in those regions accept and live with. This paper will examine one hazard that caused a disaster requiring a response from emergency management personnel. Specifically, the hazard more closely examined here is an earthquake. With the recent twenty year anniversary covered by many media outlets, the January 17, 1994, Northridge, California earthquake to date is the most expensive earthquake in American history.
Perry, R. W., & Lindell, M. K. (2007). Disaster Response. In W. L. Waugh, & K. Tiernery, Emergency Management: Principles and Practice for Local Government (pp. 162-163). Washington D.C.: International City/County Management Association.
Natural disasters are scary and cause some serious problems. Those problems may be short-term, such as small flood meaning new crops need to be planted. However, the same disaster can also bring some long-term problems too. A long-term problem cause by a flood could be needing to get out of debt because paying for somewhere to stay until repairs are done costs money, then paying for the repairs such as water damage and damaged furniture also costs money. There are also so many different natural disasters that can cause life-changing problems. Some natural disasters that cause horrifying damage are volcanoes, hurricane, tornadoes, tsunamis, floods and so many more. After reading the articles “Memories of the Flood” and “Hurricane Mitch” I
The department of transportation will offer assistance to provide emergency evacuation routes to 85% of the population by December 1st, 2017.
s, Louisiana. Works Cited Haddow, G. D., Bullock, J. A., & Coppola, D. P. (2010).Introduction to emergency management. (4th ed. , pp. 1-26).
For the purpose of this paper, we will discuss a weather event that few think of regarding natural disasters; winter storms. Winter storms are different from a snowy day in that a winter storm can include heavy snow, damage-causing ice, high winds, dangerously low temperatures, low visibility, or any combination thereof (America’s PrepareAthon, 2015) and makes travel extremely hazardous. A winter storm can affect an entire region and victims may experience loss of utility services, limited mobility, among various personal crises (illnesses, accidents, or death). For example, between November 17 and November 20, 2014 Buffalo, New York was buried under 7 feet of snow causing thirteen fatalities, hundreds of roof collapses/structural failures, thousands of stranded motorists, downed trees, and power outages in addition to food and gas shortages (National Weather Service, n.d.). In the most severe winter storms, snow plows, and emergency services personnel often have a difficult time keeping up with the needs of the region; therefore, it may be hours, days or even weeks until conditions are safe and services are
Technology such as computers and robots are being designed to handle specific tasks. According to the US Department of Defense, a robotics challenge is seeking to develop newer robots and can help people respond in times of disaster (US). Local Authorities, such as police and firefighters, will be able to give commands by voice to the robots in disaster situations. This allows for the building of more successful response teams. Currently, a successful disaster response operation depends on surge capacity, which is having enough resources, transportation and trained responders (LA). In addition, the main challenge is being able to manage these resources swiftly and being coordinated and used effectively at their destination. This is where disaster management becomes an issue. In order for an effective communicative system to be established between communities at risk or affected by the disaster and emergency institutions, information needs to be relayed in both ways: in and out. Different types of technology such as mobile technology, space-based technology, and many more allow for faster response and preparedness.
All over the world hundreds of disasters happen every year, no matter how big or how small they are, they can effect a community somewhere and can cause mutilation. A disaster is defined as “a natural event such as a flood, earthquake, or hurricane that causes great damage or loss of life” (“Disaster”, n.d) and from these disasters we get many risks. Risks are what come from a natural disaster, for instance a hurricane. A hurricane is “a rotating low-pressure weather system that has organized thunderstorms but no fronts” (“Canadian Hurricane Centre”, 2013). A hurricane can cause serious danger, harm and loss of either personal belongings or life. Hurricane Hazel, a storm that hit the Toronto are, was a huge storm for Canada which many Canadians
The intensity and complexity of managing incidents always has, and will continue to be, in a constant state of change and this change must be accounted for. For decades, emergency responders and preparedness planners struggled with a growing need to involve multiple agencies in responding to disasters/incidents. The need for a single standard incident management system became necessary to ensure all parties involved were able to understand the situation and each other, no matter what agency or region they are from.
Tulsa, Oklahoma: Fire Engineering Books. Oliver, C. (2010). The 'Standard'. Catastrophic Disaster Planning and Response. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press.
Understanding the types of disasters for which the community is susceptible is essential for emergency preparedness (Nies & McEwen, 2011). All communities are susceptible to man-made disasters; terrorism, fires, and mass transit accidents; and emergency preparedness is essential. The Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency (PEMA) is responsible for disaster planning. Assessment, Predictability and Prevention For the purpose of this paper, the surrounding communities of Central Pennsylvania will be assessed.... ...
Johns Hopkins University. (2009, March). In disaster-prone areas, construction needs a new approach. Retrieved from http://phys.org/news157051992.html