We rely on power so much in our daily lives and because of that maintaining or restorating power during emergency situations as quickly as possible is important to the community. Restoration levels after an emergency situation will vary depending how many power companies are operating in the area and the level of service provided. Since power is such a integral part of emergency response it is important that emergency management offices work in conjunction with local power companies when establishing an mitigation plan so when an emergency takes place power can be restored in a responsible amount of time. It is also important that power companies work with local jurisdictions to make sure they are prepared for all emergencies that may arise without previous warnings. In 2012 when the Derecho came through the region without prior warning, the storm cut out power to half a million people across the area for more than a week during the sweltering summer month. This unexpected and quick moving storm exposed that power companies were not as prepared as they should have been for unexpected emergencies. The power companies that service the District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia are Alleghany Power, Dominion, Baltimore General Electric (BGE), Southern Maryland Electric Cooperative (SMECO) and Pepco the biggest and main server of power for the area. On their website, Pepco, states that they have almost 800,000 employees dedicated to serving the area of Maryland, Virginia and the District of Columbia. (PEPCO.COM) Before the Derecho, Pepco would always state their preparedness for weather predicated storms before they would approach. There have been plenty of storms prior to the 2012 Derecho that Pepco and all the other utility... ... middle of paper ... ...A. C., & Mary Pat Flaherty. (2012, July 30). Pepco defends its response to derecho storm, saying it ‘mobilized quickly’. Retrieved from http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/pepco-defends-its-response-to-derecho-storm-saying-it-mobilized-quickly/2012/07/30/gJQAmxuVLX_story.html Derecho Storm Response. (Ned). Retrieved from http://www.pepco.com/home/emergency/junestorm.aspx Infrastructure Security and Energy Restoration Office of Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability U. (2012, August). A Review of Power Outages and Restoration Following the June 2012 Derecho. Retrieved from http://energy.gov/sites/prod/files/Derecho%202012_%20Review_0.pdf Victor Zapana. (2012, July 19). Pepco takes heat for storm recovery in Montgomery. Retrieved from http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/md-politics/pepco-takes-heat-for-storm-recovery-in-montgomery/2012/07/19/gJQArKPlwW_story.html
Welch, William, and Leslie Phillips. "No Hesitancy This Time; FEMA Jumps into Action: FINAL Edition."USA TODAY (Pre-1997 Fulltext), (1994): 06.A-06.5.
Borne upon its own winds, the hurricane whirled westward at speeds between 12 and 15 miles per hour (Longshore). It was like a newborn foal discovering its legs for the first time and thus altogether too eager to move of its own volition. A sense of wanderlust for the world infused the entity’s essence. Curiosity and inquisitiveness emanated from the developing tempest.... ... middle of paper ...
In July, 2004 Doyle had called for a legislation to prevent massive power blackouts like the one that hit the northeast this past year. In August 14, 2003, a massive power outage affected more than 50 million people in eight different stats, Ontario, and Quebec in Canada. Many households were without power for several days. This blackout began in Ohio, where three transmission lines short-circuited. An investigation found that the energy company that owned those power lines was in violation of at least four North Electric Reliability Council operating standards. Doyle introduced almost a year ago a legislation that would establish a national Electric Reliability Organization to enforce power reliability standards across the country. If an organization was to be established it
Perks, Alan R. "The New Orleans Hurricane Protection System: What Went Wrong and Why." Canadian Consulting Engineer, 48.6 (2007): 10.
...clearly communicate with one another in the periods before, during and after the storm combined with confusing organizational jurisdictions and bad policy severely hindered the federal government’s response to Katrina. In order to prevent a repeat of those mistakes, the federal government needs to put into place new procedures for disaster response and recovery. These procedures must be clear and concise with minimal bureaucracy so that response time will be maximized and leaders will know exactly what authority they have. Federal, state and local governments need to increase preparation and prevention measures while gaining a better understanding of the relationship between physical geography and city planning. This combined with improvements in resource management and communication, will go to show that the government has truly learned from the lessons of Katrina.
Bissell, R. (2010). Catastrophic Readiness and Response Course, Session 6 – Social and Economic Issues. Accessed at http://training.fema.gov/EMIWeb/edu/crr.asp
In response to the damage caused by Hurricane Isabel, Virginia Governor Mark Warner described it as, “Probably the worst storm in a generation” (Washington Post, Ambrose). This was certainly not an overstatement as the National Weather Service reported that Isabel created 925 million dollars of damage in the state of Virginia alone (Johnson). While Isabel was not the most intense storm once it reached the United States, the size of this storm and the population of the area it impacted was why it caused so much damage (Johnson). This paper will discuss the science behind the creation of this storm, the impact of the storm in Richmond, Virginia and its surrounding areas, and the efforts to decrease the effects of the storm along with what could have further prevented any damages.
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.
On September 8, 1900, the United States experienced the most devastating natural disaster in history, the 1900 storm. Originating as a tropical storm off the coast of Cuba, the 1900 storm didn’t reach hurricane status until passing Key West, Florida. While in the eastern part of the Gulf of Mexico, the storm took an unexpected turn heading towards the Texas coast. Because of the lack of technology during this era, the people were warned that a storm of moderate intensity was headed toward them. Unaware that the storm was forcefully gaining speed, the Galvestonians were in no way prepared for the extraordinary weather which was quietly approaching. Suddenly, the ruthless hurricane struck the shores of Galveston, Texas, one of the wealthiest cities in the United States, famous for its shipping port. The brutal winds of the storm shocked the city, as they desperately sought shelter.
On August 14th, 2003, a major blackout swept across portions of the northeastern United States and Canada. It was reported that a series of equipment outages in the Midwest led to uncontrolled cascading outages of power transmission lines and generators serving parts of the Northeast, Midwest and Canada. Automatic protective systems operated to open circuits and shut down power plants to prevent further spread of the outages. This is very similar to what happened in The Great Northeast Blackout of 1965. In both situations, the “grid system” shut down one generator in line at a time to protect a surge from the station before it.
"Hurricane Sandy: One Year Later | FEMA.gov." Hurricane Sandy: One Year Later | FEMA.gov. N.p., 28 Oct. 2013. Web. 04 Dec. 2013. .
The government response was lackluster at best. The scenarios the government war gamed in order to prepare for mass destruction and disaster was not adequate enough to contain the unanticipated damage caused by Hurricane Katrina and failing levees. Once breached, the rescue and response to the...
...cane, the point of concern was how to rescue the lives of people and property. How was the impact to be handled and how long it would take to rebuild that which the hurricane destroyed.
Some theorists believe that ‘power is everywhere: not because it embraces everything, but because it comes from everywhere… power is not an institution, nor a structure, nor possession. It is the name we give to a complex strategic situation in a particular society. (Foucault, 1990: 93) This is because power is present in each individual and in every relationship. It is defined as the ability of a group to get another group to take some form of desired action, usually by consensual power and sometimes by force. (Holmes, Hughes &Julian, 2007) There have been a number of differing views on ‘power over’ the many years in which it has been studied. Theorist such as Anthony Gidden in his works on structuration theory attempts to integrate basic structural analyses and agency-centred traditions. According to this, people are free to act, but they must also use and replicate fundamental structures of power by and through their own actions. Power is wielded and maintained by how one ‘makes a difference’ and based on their decisions and actions, if one fails to exercise power, that is to ‘make a difference’ then power is lost. (Giddens: 1984: 14) However, more recent theorists have revisited older conceptions including the power one has over another and within the decision-making processes, and power, as the ability to set specific, wanted agendas. To put it simply, power is the ability to get others to do something they wouldn’t otherwise do. In the political arena, therefore, power is the ability to make or influence decisions that other people are bound by.
in any group of people, and there will be struggle to achieve it--be it a