Very interesting reactions to
disasters. Some come before the fact (hurricane and typhoon forecasts) while
others come after the fact: tornadoes, floods, high wind spikes, forest fires. Also
earthquakes are real time and aftermath coded.
Mankind is odd. It acts as if the
disasters are natural and survivable as long as it doesn’t directly affect
them! If it does smack them in the head, then it’s all hands on deck to help
them! Like ‘wha’ happened?’ Look at me! This is terrible! Why haven’t you
helped us yet?
Memory is faulty in these matters.
Hurricane Katrina was an enormous disaster by nature’s measure, but also by
man’s measure. Nature dealt the blow, but man’s inattention for decades made
the disaster ten times worse:
-Over
population of neighborhoods without proper infrastructure
-Water
and sewer systems barely adequate, but old and leaky
-Storm-water drainage systems inadequate and falling apart, even while
more population was crammed into the same
areas
-Below
sea-level storm-water protection systems under constant
Engineering and upgrading but
federal funds misspent on other local
Political priorities, not storm-water
management issues
-Inadequate
training of first responders (police, medical teams, fire, local
FEMA support teams); they collapsed and
scattered to save their own
Lives
-Inadequate
FEMA/Federal response: late, slow and horribly unorganized
For basic logistics
The list goes on. The city of New Orleans ordered
evacuations. People didn't respond. Buses were available for mass relocation of entire neighborhoods but no one organized this function and the buses were
submerged by the hundreds unused and useless forevermore.
Yet the victims of the storm – yes,
partially responsible for their own victimhood – still claimed no-fault and
righteously demanded national attention.
This same victimhood infection
spread to New Jersey and New York in the aftermath of Hurricane
Sandy. Told to evacuate, they remained in place. Told of the probable damage
and long-lasting recovery, the victims adamantly demanded help and attention
from the nation. They who helped create the problem, and remained to be the
problem, demanded everyone’s loyalty. Reminds me of the kids who murdered their
parents yet asked the court for leniency because they were orphans!
Hmmmm. Yes local government is
responsible for disaster preparedness. Yes regional government is responsible
for supporting local disaster recovery and response. Yes Federal disaster
preparedness, response and recovery are needed to bolster the other government
levels and coordination/collaboration to lessen human suffering and cost of
disaster recovery. It is in all of our interests that these things be done
right, planned right, and be planned for well in advance.
But it also takes cooperation at
all levels to make it happen. The buck stops at your front door! Be prepared.
And if not, follow instructions to save your life and your family. Then be
prepared for the long recovery. It will take time.
Interesting that the failed head of
FEMA under the Bush Administration, faulted Obama’s early action on Hurricane
Sandy. Sandy and Katrina were well forecasted. There was something to respond
to and be prepared for. Brownie didn't do it. Obama did. There’s the difference
in leadership between the two administrations.
And recovery? Katrina efforts took
months. Sandy ’s
took less than two days before power, fuel and street routes were under
recovery. Food, clothing, shelter and water nearly immediate. And all done in
an area over-populated and with crumbling infrastructure.
That’s another key issue for us to
consider at a time like this. Infrastructure. It is provided by governments at
all levels. We rely on it daily. We do not think about it until it gives us a
problem. Sewer, water, storm-water management, highways, bridges, electric
grids, natural gas supply line grid, transportation systems, etc. This list is
enormous. Mostly of underground utilities, or items that should be underground.
In natural disasters we think
mainly of first responders: police, fire and emergency medical personnel. But
they rely on streets, power lines, communication networks, water, fuel, sewer
and sanitation support systems. Those items are infrastructure. They are not
provided by private resources in the main. They are made possible by government
action, coordination, standards, funding, and regulation to ensure safeguards
and reliability. Our tax structure makes this all possible. Not corporations or
individuals. Government. Units of government we take for granted. Government we
rely on and with high confidence most of the time.
Why then do we deny funding for
these? Why do we refuse to think upon these items as primary investment items
our society needs to make? Why do we distrust the government spokesmen who
request this support? Why do we denigrate their efforts as ‘politics’ and tax
fraud?
It isn’t you know. Nearly all of
these items are honestly managed and engineered with the public’s need in mind.
The public servants toiling in these areas are honest and professional in the
main. But they get lumped in with the other political wheeze bags who mess up
the government landscape, hurting everyone else.
Hold on! Don’t get comfortable and
think this is your excuse to ignore the problem. This is where you have to
stand up as a citizen and insist on good government. You can do it. We can all
do it. And we need to do it.
Government is not the problem. An
ignorant and lazy electorate is the problem. We get the government we allow to
happen by not paying attention.
So get with it. Learn the issues
and help our citizen servants do the very best job for us so we can rely on it
when needed the most.
Even if we don’t listen to
evacuation orders!
November 5, 2012
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