Lessons from Katrina

Lessons from Katrina

            From time to time, the United States has experienced hard-hitting natural disasters that have had an adverse social and economic impact.  Ranging from wildfires to earthquakes and hurricanes, each of the catastrophes has differed in the magnitude of effects and, thus, provided different lessons for disaster management and prevention agencies. The U.S government mandates the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to ensure the safety of its citizens that may be endangered by incidences such as terrorism, cyber-attacks, and natural disasters. If an earthquake occurred, there are various lessons in disaster preparedness, response, and recovery from Hurricane Katrina that can be used by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to ensure the safety of U.S citizens.

FEMA, one of the agencies that work under the Department of Homeland Security, would play a primary role in responding to an earthquake disaster on U.S soil. An earthquake disaster occurs when the earth shakes due to seismic waves moving below the surface of the earth. The magnitude of earthquakes varies depending on the location of settlements, population size, building and construction practices, and building occupancy. Upon occurrence, earthquakes may result in deaths and injuries, either from the collapse of buildings or from their secondary effects such as fires and landslides. The U.S government created FEMA in 1979 under Executive Order 12127. The agency’s primary goal is coordinating federal efforts in the preparation, prevention, mitigation, and response to disasters, with the mission of “helping people before, during, and after disasters” (FEMA, 2019). Therefore, in response to an earthquake, FEMA would seek to minimize the risk caused to people in the affected areas through having effective preparedness, response, and recovery from the disaster.

The catastrophic damage of Hurricane Katrina of 2005 carries numerous lessons that FEMA would use if an earthquake occurred in the United States. The first lesson is the importance of preparedness in effectively responding to a disaster when it strikes. Before the occurrence of the hurricane, numerous warning signs indicated the likelihood of its incidence. Thus, both government and non-government officials warned the public about the risk of the storm and the devastation it would cause (Filisko, 2011). While preparing to respond to an earthquake disaster, there are three ways FEMA can ensure that they prepare themselves and the public adequately. One, FEMA may conduct proper training of its staff about an earthquake disaster and assign clear role sets to each of its team members. Two, FEMA may enhance public awareness by providing information and resources such as temporary settlements that would help them stay away from hazardous locations. Lastly, FEMA should purchase proper infrastructure and equipment that would be required by victims of an earthquake, such as ambulances, to drive them to nearby hospitals. Staying prepared is the first step towards mitigating the risks associated with disasters.

The second lesson from Hurricane Katrina that could be useful to FEMA is the importance of promptness and interagency cooperation in response. As communicated by the Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council (2018), the most significant challenges experienced during Hurricane Katrina were the inoperability of computer systems, unreliable transportation, and communication outages. These challenges caused unnecessary delay in responding to the disaster. In the future, FEMA should ensure proper infrastructure and adequate supplies as its teams respond to emergencies to enhance promptness and timeliness. Also, its team members should be well-versed with collaborative skills to work effectively with professionals from other task forces in a bid to attain the shared goal of mitigating the impact of the disaster. Proper response strategies are crucial to maximizing the number of lives saved during disasters.

The third lesson from Hurricane Katrina that FEMA could use is the importance of proper and comprehensive recovery strategies. After Hurricane Katrina, most institutions acknowledged that the magnitude and damage of the disaster had exceeded their expectations, and thus they experienced difficulty in implementing adequate recovery strategies (FFIEC, 2018). In essence, the institutions lacked sufficient recovery resources and strategies that would help them restore the ordinary lives of the affected community members. In the future, FEMA should acknowledge that recovery from disasters is a lengthy process and one that requires the assistance of non-governmental organizations and the public at large. For instance, after the hurricane, private companies such as Walmart and McDonald’s came together to provide supplies to affected community members. It is through collaboration that communities can recover back to normalcy after a disaster.

Hurricane Katrina was a natural disaster whose impact was worsened by human failings in preparedness, response, and recovery. In the future, FEMA can carry these lessons to ensure better outcomes in case an earthquake occurs. Disasters may be unavoidable; however, their consequences are not always inevitable.