Lessons learned from Hurricane Irma

2021 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
pp. 101-109
Author(s):  
Mallory M. Nicholls, MSEng
Keyword(s):  
Natural Disasters ◽  
High Impact ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Power Outages ◽  
Emergency Operations ◽  
Emergency Managers ◽  
Debris Removal ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Hurricane Irma

In the aftermath of Hurricane Irma, Emergency Managers looked at the challenges faced during the storm and found areas for improvement. Some of those challenges included evacuation procedures, staffing at the Emergency Operations Centers, slow debris removal times, and prolonged power outages. This research considers various counties impacted directly and indirectly by Hurricane Irma. The After-Action Reports of several counties have been summarized, including not only the problems, but recommendations for improving or preventing those problems from occurring again. The lessons learned from Hurricane Irma could lessen the impact of future storms, not only for those who dealt with Irma, but for all communities that can face high impact natural disasters.

scholarly journals The Impact of the Storm Prediction Center's Convective Outlooks and Watches on Emergency Management Operational Planning

2021 ◽  
pp. 36-46
Author(s):  
Heather A. Cross ◽  
Dennis Cavanaugh ◽  
Christopher C. Buonanno ◽  
Amy Hyman
Keyword(s):  
Emergency Management ◽  
Severe Weather ◽  
Emergency Operations ◽  
Risk Levels ◽  
Severe Thunderstorms ◽  
Emergency Managers ◽  
Weather Events ◽  
Storm Prediction ◽  
Near Term ◽  
The Impact

For many emergency managers (EMs) and National Weather Service (NWS) forecasters, Convective Outlooks issued by the Storm Prediction Center (SPC) influence the preparation for near-term severe weather events. However, research into how and when EMs utilize that information, and how it influences their emergency operations plan, is limited. Therefore, to better understand how SPC Convective Outlooks are used for severe weather planning, a survey was conducted of NWS core partners in the emergency management sector. The results show EMs prefer to wait until an Enhanced Risk for severe thunderstorms is issued to prepare for severe weather. In addition, the Day 2 Convective Outlook serves as the threshold for higher, value-based decision making. The survey was also used to analyze how the issuance of different risk levels in SPC Convective Outlooks impact emergency management preparedness compared to preparations conducted when a Convective Watch is issued.

The Library as Lifeboat

2016 ◽  
pp. 494-515 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael R. Mabe
Keyword(s):  
Emergency Management ◽  
Natural Disasters ◽  
Hurricane Katrina ◽  
Disaster Relief ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Hurricane Irene ◽  
Management Professionals ◽  
Chesterfield County ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Effective Reaction

According to Hurricane Katrina: Lessons Learned (2006), emergency management professionals realized first-hand that preplanning and coordination is essential when mounting an effective reaction to natural disasters. This chapter describes how leaders in Chesterfield County, VA learned similar lessons in 2001 during Hurricane Irene. In comparison to Katrina the amount of damage caused by Irene was minimal but the impact on county leaders was severe. Based on lessons learned during Irene and an unexpected wind storm nine months later, Chesterfield County leaders now include the Chesterfield County Public (CCPL) in their official disaster relief plans. When activated, CCPL will serve as an information hub, double as a daytime relief shelter and participate in mass feeding if necessary. Selected library branches are available to be used as overnight relief shelters for mass care when the activation of a standard sized shelter facility is not warranted. These changes have made a notable difference.

scholarly journals (P1-4) Building Resilient Extended-Care Facilities during Natural Disasters – Lessons Learned From the 2007 Tulsa, Oklahoma Ice Storm

2011 ◽  
Vol 26 (S1) ◽  
pp. s100-s100
Author(s):  
C.E. Stewart ◽  
J. Gulden
Keyword(s):  
Natural Disasters ◽  
Healthcare Systems ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Ice Storm ◽  
Power Outages ◽  
Public Health Response ◽  
System Failures ◽  
South Central ◽  
Extended Care ◽  
Care Facilities

Building Resilient Extended-Care Facilities During Natural Disasters – Lessons Learned from the 2007 Tulsa, Oklahoma Ice Storm. In the last decade, increasing importance has been placed on building resiliency into critical healthcare systems. This has meant shifting the paradigm from focusing on response to one of preparedness. In 2007, an ice storm as part of a series of winter storms occurred in the south central United States causing extensive power outages, in Tulsa, Oklahoma, for a period of up to 3 weeks. Five of the six tertiary care hospitals in Tulsa suffered power outages, phone system failures or oxygen and/or suctioning system failures. Local water treatment plants were without power for 48 hours. During this time, multiple extended-care (nursing home) patients were discharged to homes or transferred to hospitals because the nursing homes were not prepared to cope with an extended power outage. This paper is a retrospective analysis and discussion of lessons learned with respect to the vulnerability of these extended-care healthcare systems and the public health response during natural disasters.

scholarly journals The impact of climate change and natural disasters on food security in Indonesia: lessons learned on preserving forests sustainability

2021 ◽  
Vol 886 (1) ◽  
pp. 012090
Author(s):  
L R E Malau ◽  
A T Darhyati ◽  
Suharno
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Food Security ◽  
Natural Disasters ◽  
Food Prices ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Food Distribution ◽  
Forest Conversion ◽  
Impact Of Climate Change ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Impacts Of Climate Change

Abstract Food security is one of the main goals in achieving the Sustainable Development Goal’s (SDG’s). Food security, natural disasters, and climate change are thought to be interrelated. Climate change contributes to natural disasters such as floods, landslides, drought, land and forest fires, resulting in reduced food production, increased food prices, and disrupted access to food distribution. Ultimately, the impacts of climate change and natural disasters are one of the main causes of hunger and affect all dimensions of food security. This study aimed to analyze the impact of climate change, natural disasters, and other determinants on food security in Indonesia using the Tobit regression. The data used was from 33 provinces in 2010-2018. Climate change was proxied by rainfall, while natural disasters were proxied by the frequency of natural disasters and facility damage due to disasters. The results showed that food crop production, GRDP per capita, and the average years of schooling had a significant effect on increasing food security. Meanwhile, rainfall and deforestation had a significant effect on reducing food security. On the other hand, although not significant, the frequency and damage to facilities due to natural disasters harms food security. The results of this study confirmed the importance of preserving forest biodiversity as an effort to achieve food security as seen from the negative effects of rainfall and deforestation on food security. In this case, deforestation was one of the contributors to climate change which in turn had an impact on the intensity of natural disasters. To achieve food security for the achievement of the SDGs, policies to reduce deforestation or forest conversion need attention as one of the efforts to mitigate the impacts of climate change and natural disasters.

The Library as Lifeboat

2019 ◽  
pp. 1513-1535
Author(s):  
Michael R. Mabe
Keyword(s):  
Emergency Management ◽  
Natural Disasters ◽  
Hurricane Katrina ◽  
Disaster Relief ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Hurricane Irene ◽  
Management Professionals ◽  
Chesterfield County ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Effective Reaction

According to Hurricane Katrina: Lessons Learned (2006), emergency management professionals realized first-hand that preplanning and coordination is essential when mounting an effective reaction to natural disasters. This chapter describes how leaders in Chesterfield County, VA learned similar lessons in 2001 during Hurricane Irene. In comparison to Katrina the amount of damage caused by Irene was minimal but the impact on county leaders was severe. Based on lessons learned during Irene and an unexpected wind storm nine months later, Chesterfield County leaders now include the Chesterfield County Public (CCPL) in their official disaster relief plans. When activated, CCPL will serve as an information hub, double as a daytime relief shelter and participate in mass feeding if necessary. Selected library branches are available to be used as overnight relief shelters for mass care when the activation of a standard sized shelter facility is not warranted. These changes have made a notable difference.

The impact of Fukushima on global health: lessons learned from man-made and natural disasters

2014 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 177-203
Author(s):  
Luis Kun ◽  
K. Hirose ◽  
B. Katsumi ◽  
M. Albin ◽  
K. Prendergast ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Global Health ◽  
Natural Disasters ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
The Impact

scholarly journals Lessons learned from the prenatal microbiome controversy

Microbiome ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Martin J. Blaser ◽  
Suzanne Devkota ◽  
Kathy D. McCoy ◽  
David A. Relman ◽  
Moran Yassour ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
High Impact ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
The Public ◽  
Germ Free ◽  
Funding Agencies ◽  
Academic Controversy ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Substantial Interest ◽  
Microbiome Assembly ◽  
Generation Sequencing

AbstractFor more than a century, the prenatal environment was considered sterile. Over the last few years, findings obtained with next-generation sequencing approaches from samples of the placenta, the amniotic fluid, meconium, and even fetal tissues have challenged the dogma of a sterile womb, and additional reports have emerged that used culture, microscopy, and quantitative PCR to support the presence of a low-biomass microbial community at prenatal sites. Given the substantial implications of prenatal exposure to microbes for the development and health of the host, the findings have gathered substantial interest from academics, high impact journals, the public press, and funding agencies. However, an increasing number of studies have challenged the prenatal microbiome identifying contamination as a major issue, and scientists that remained skeptical have pointed to inconsistencies with in utero colonization, the impact of c-sections on early microbiome assembly, and the ability to generate germ-free mammals. A lively academic controversy has emerged on the existence of the wider importance of prenatal microbial communities. Microbiome has asked experts to discuss these issues and provide their thoughts on the implications. To allow for a broader perspective of this discussion, we have specifically selected scientists, who have a long-standing expertise in microbiome sciences but who have not directly been involved in the debate so far.

Best Practices and Lessons Learned from Community Engagement and Data Collection Strategies in Post-Hurricane Maria Puerto Rico

2021 ◽  
Vol 0 (0) ◽  
Author(s):  
Lisa Saum-Manning
Keyword(s):  
Puerto Rico ◽  
Data Collection ◽  
Community Engagement ◽  
Emergency Preparedness ◽  
Disaster Preparedness ◽  
Vital Role ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Emergency Managers ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Collection Strategies

Abstract Communities have a vital role to play in managing the risks associated with natural disasters. As such, their strengths, weaknesses, and priority concerns must be factored into policy decisions to ensure local recovery efforts reflect community needs. Regular engagement with community members provides opportunities for emergency managers and first responders to tap into a reservoir of local knowledge to build a shared understanding of how to foster local preparedness and help communities reduce the impact of a disaster. Not all communities are alike; needs can differ for a variety of reasons and can help determine the best ways to galvanize an appropriate response. The methods of engagement should also be tailored to ensure communities are willing and able to participate in the types of interactions emergency managers wish to initiate. In this paper, we used a mixed method approach to examine several different community engagement and data collection strategies conducted, observed or examined by our research team during six months of post-Hurricane Maria recovery efforts in Puerto Rico from February to July 2018. The aim of this study is to assess whether different outreach approaches used illuminated different perceptions about disaster preparedness and recovery and to identify what works and what does not work when engaging communities in emergency preparedness and recovery activities.

scholarly journals Experiences of Assisted Living Communities Affected by Hurricane Irma: Leadership, Lessons Learned

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 734-735
Author(s):  
Kathryn Hyer ◽  
Lindsay Peterson ◽  
David Dosa ◽  
Joseph June ◽  
Debra Dobbs
Keyword(s):  
Assisted Living ◽  
Functional Limitations ◽  
Qualitative Interviews ◽  
Electrical Power ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Administrative Staff ◽  
Team Members ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Leadership Lessons ◽  
Hurricane Irma

Abstract Little is known about the effects of disasters on assisted living community (ALC) residents. This is a concern given the growth of the AL industry and the increasing numbers of AL residents with functional limitations and chronic health conditions. This research examined the experiences of AL administrative staff to better understand the impact of Hurricane Irma. Qualitative interviews were conducted with representatives of ALCs across Florida (N=70), and transcripts were analyzed using Atlas.ti version 8. Research team members met regularly to reach consensus on codes, identifying five major themes across the interviews, 1) planning and preparation, 2) leadership, including plan execution and managing the unexpected, 3) effects/consequences of the storm, including effect on residents and staff, 4) lessons learned, and 5) electrical power. Results provide a broad view of ALC preparedness, how it varies across different types of ALCs and implications for resident wellbeing and future emergency planning.

Carbon Monoxide Poisoning in Miami-Dade County Following Hurricane Irma in 2017

2018 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 94-96 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alyssa M Falise ◽  
Isabel Griffin ◽  
Danielle Fernandez ◽  
Xeniamaria Rodriguez ◽  
Emily Moore ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Carbon Monoxide ◽  
Natural Disasters ◽  
Carbon Monoxide Poisoning ◽  
Case Definition ◽  
Dade County ◽  
Co Poisoning ◽  
Department Of Health ◽  
Florida Department ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Hurricane Irma

AbstractObjectiveThe Florida Department of Health in Miami-Dade County (DOH-Miami-Dade) investigated 106 reported carbon monoxide (CO) exposures over a 9-day timeframe after Hurricane Irma. This report evaluates risk factors for CO poisoning and the importance of heightened surveillance following natural disasters.MethodsData on CO poisoning cases from September 9 to 18, 2017 were extracted from Merlin, the Florida Department of Health Surveillance System. Medical records were obtained and follow-up interviews were conducted to collect data on the confirmed CO poisoning cases. Data were analyzed using SAS v9.4.ResultsNinety-one of the 106 people exposed to CO met the case definition for CO poisoning: 64 confirmed, 7 probable, and 20 suspect cases. Eighty-eight percent of the affected individuals were evaluated in emergency departments and 11.7% received hyperbaric oxygen treatment. The most frequently reported symptoms included headache (53.3%), dizziness (50.7%), and nausea (46.7%). Three patients expired due to their exposure to CO.ConclusionsPost Hurricane Irma, the DOH-Miami-Dade investigated numerous cases for CO exposure. By understanding who is most likely to be impacted by CO and the impact of generators’ location on people’s health, education efforts can be tailored to the population most at risk and further CO exposures and related mortalities following natural disasters can be reduced. (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2019;13:94–96)

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