Author Archives: recoverydiva

Emergency/Disaster Management – the politics

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Given the intensity of the pre-election political debate as well as the near-term arrival of Hurricane Sandy in the nation’s capital this is the time, several critical political issues probably will get some visibility (if not solutions) in the near term. Once the storm clears, there will be intense scrutiny of FEMA and the availability of federal funds and assistance to state and local governments for response and recovery activities.  More specifically,

(1) We can expect some debate about supplemental appropriations by Congress to pay for the expected tens of billions of dollars of damage likely from the catastrophic storm events.

(2) A review and discussion of the form and functions of FEMA.

(3) Effects of sequestration on FEMA.

Re (1) above, here are some details from Roll Call today; essentially saying that funds are available at FEMA presently to assist states with disaster response. Same topic as explained in the Wall St. Journal today.

Re (2) quite a bit a discussion ensued today:

In a  recent ( but pre-Sandy) interview, Romney indicated he wants to abolish FEMA and make the states assume responsibility for disaster relief and assistance.  There might also be a  privatizing effort in there too.

Today, CNN picked up this topic and the Romney spokesperson quoted this morning is sticking to the story.

By afternoon today, Romney is quote as saying he would not abolish FEMA, but gave no details about the agency would do if the states had the main role and functions.

Also this afternoon, a writer with Salon.com weighed in, saying abolishing FEMA was a terrible idea.

My opinion:  I fully expect that his position will change when his Republican colleagues who hold congressional offices in some of the 10 or more states affected by  H. Sandy want their share of federal money for response and recovery, under the current national emergency management system.

Oct.30- hate to say I told you so, but Romney has a”clarified” his stance on FEMA and federal aid about 24 hours after I wrote this posting.  See this report. It would be political suicide to do otherwise.

Re (3) Here is what Ezra Klein has to say in his blog re how costly cuts to FEMA will result from sequestration in 2013.

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Hurricane Sandy – October 29

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From the CNN report this morning, here is a great quote:

“The last time we saw anything like this was never,” Connecticut Gov. Dannell Malloy said Sunday. “I don’t know how to say it any clear than that is the largest threat to human life our state has experienced in anyone’s lifetime.”

Thus far, I am very impressed with the weather science that is being used and shared.  I have been checking on several websites and the details are amazing. Great job on the part of the meteorologists.

In the ” deja vu” department. Here is a quote from the President.  We all know that the Stafford Act has a lot of rules and regulations, regardless of what presidents say.

He promised the government would “respond big and respond fast” after the storm hits. “My message to the governors as well as to the mayors is anything they need, we will be there, and we will cut through red tape,” Obama said. “We are not going to get bogged down with a lot of rules.”

 

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Hurricane Sandy- October 28

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As a resident of the metro Washington, DC area, the Diva is in the direct path of this unusual and scary hurricane. If we lose power, I will not be able to post new material in the next few days.

On October 27, Reuters reported on some of the rare factors that make H. Sandy so unusual and probably historic.

Social media usage is getting underway. See Kim Stephen’s latest posting in her iDisaster blog. And I have just downloaded two new apps for my smartphone – the Red Cross Hurricane app and the FEMA app.  I have not yet had the chance to check out all of their features, but a quick look shows some good advice, including some items that do not readily come to mind that are worth noting

Politics: This is always a factor, but one week prior to a national election, politics is a big factor.  Here are a few articles:  (1) the politics of emergency management, as noted on October 28 in the LA Times: (2)  NY Magazine., and Fox News, all on October 28.

From those of us who take the long view, and think about the historic significance of these large-to-catastrophic disaster events, it looks like H. Sandy will be included in any future  editions of Emergency Management; The American Experience.

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Entrepreneurial Approach to Japan’s Disaster Recovery

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From HS Newswire, October 24, an interesting account of how Japan uses business people to facilitate disaster recovery. Their approach does share some similarities with the U.S. use of reservists and FEMA Corps, but emphasizes business and entrepreneurial skills. Some excerpts:

The 9.0 magnitude earthquake hit off the east coast of Japan in March 2011 killed more than 12,000 people, sent tsunami waves six miles inland, and damaged or completely flattened more than a million buildings; combined with the tsunami and the nuclear meltdown at Fukushima, it was the most economically damaging disaster in world history, costing Japan an estimated $235 billion, according to the World Bank; a Japanese organizations tries a new approach to disaster recovery: entrepreneurship

The 2011 Tōhoku earthquake, tsunami, and reactor meltdown spread havoc and destruction on the east coast of Japan, and more than a year later some areas are still recovering. A major contribution to the recovery has been the Tokyo-based Entrepreneur group called ETIC. Unlike more traditional recovery efforts, the group emphasizes an entrepreneurial approach to recovery.

ETIC was created in 1993 with the entrepreneur internship program. The program has placed 2,000 interns at startup companies and social enterprises in Japan.

Triplepundit reports that ETIC has created the Disaster Recovery Leadership Development Project. The biggest corporations in Japan have combined to send about 200 fellows to the recovery region for from three months to one year in order to help run temporary housing units, rebuild transportation systems,and help companies affected by the disaster recover and start-up again.

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Disaster Aftermath – changes in personal behavior, more “short fuses”

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This article about Christchurch, NZ highlights some of the results of stress and anxiety from a major destructive earthquake and thousands of aftershocks. As you might expect, those conditions do affect people’s behavior.

And if you read some of the descriptive information, or see some of the post-quake videos, you will understand why people are so stressed. [Some of these articles are listed on the NZ page of this blog.]

See: Christchurch Fuses Shorter in Wake of Quakes. October 13.

Aftermath of September 4th Earthquake in Chris...

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Five-Fold Rise in Weather Disasters in Last 30 Years.

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From Bloomberg News, Oct. 17. North America Has Biggest Rise in Weather Catastrophes

Climate change contributed to a fivefold increase weather-related natural disasters in North America over the past three decades, according to Munich Re, the world’s biggest reinsurer.

“Nowhere in the world is the rising number of natural catastrophes more evident than in North America,” Peter Hoeppe, head of Munich Re’s Geo Risks Research unit, told reporters in Munich today. There was a four-fold gain in disasters in Asia, while the number doubled in Europe, the reinsurer said.

In a related article, insurance and reinsurance are  likely to cost more.

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Some personal comments on the FEMA workforce issue

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Initially, I created the posting on the FEMA workforce to highlight some of the problems that graduates of Higher Education programs have in trying to obtain appropriate full-time emergency management positions.  To my surprise, that was not the audience most interested in the postings that began on Sept. 14th. Most of the comments, concerns, and frustration expressed came from current and former reservists.

My second surprise was the depth and breadth of the problems with the FEMA workforce. The number of hits over the past 3 days was extraordinary for this blog; the hits exceed any other posting for the past 3 years. And the passion for emergency management work is quite obvious.  I know that some FEMA officials are aware of the postings. Let’s hope some corrective actions are taken.

Third, I  think that reservists should have their own blog or other outlet for their issues, since the issues need more attention.  This blog mainly deals with recovery matters and only tangentially with workforce issues. (I would be glad to give some guidance on using WordPress.)