Analysis of Measures after Natural Disasters - Essay Example

? Disaster Aids Disaster Aids A disaster is capable of disrupting people’s lives with a short notice or none. As historical hazardous events have demonstrated, citizens must prepare themselves for virtually every type of a disaster. This is because when a disaster strikes and citizens get caught unprepared, they may be incapacitated, hence, unable to protect themselves, the loved ones as well as their property. This brief report begins by describing a disaster that has occurred in the recent past, how a federal agency responded and factors that could have been accounted for to increase the effectiveness of the response. Additionally, the paper describes other disaster scenarios, their possible impacts, and actions that government with the help of other agencies could adopt to respond to diverse disasters, thus, helping affected communities to recover from the resultant damage. The report also gives a deep insight into the steps that citizens or entire communities can take in order to lessen disasters’ impact on homes as well as businesses (FEMA, 2003). The most recent disaster to strike America was super storm Sandy, with New York and its surrounding territories suffering the storm’s impact hardest. When the storm waters gradually rose inland, power lines got exposed causing the city to suffer from widespread blackouts, which were accompanied by massive looting of valuables. Buildings were structurally damaged, hence floating debris presented significant safety hazards. Principal transportation routes, particularly the subway, were also adversely affected, thus, inhibiting the movement of residents from one place to another. The most significant damage was, however, of houses and business structures. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) came to help the residents by providing housing finances. By the end of 2012, this aid had amounted to $664 million (FEMA, 2003). While the latter is a substantial amount, there are numerous complaints from residents about the rejection of housing help applications, despite the sufficient proof that they had suffered the immense damage to the extent of being homeless. Rather than reviewing compensation cases via application letters only, FEMA should have sent agents to assess the damage incurred by applicants, thus ensuring that they got sufficient recompense and that critical cases were prioritized. Other than storms or hurricanes, there are several disasters that may have a huge impact on the society. These include floods, fires, severe disease outbreaks, leakage of hazardous materials, and terrorist attacks among others. The first response to such incidents would be from relevant local government agencies such as the local fire department, hazardous materials (HAZMAT) teams, and organized teams of paramedics or medical personnel among others. The other category of responders comes from the state or federal level and includes agencies like FEMA. Finally, non-governmental agencies like Red Cross, World Vision, and the Salvation Army may offer their aid to the affected (FEMA, 2003). Even though the federal government plays a significant role in ensuring that disaster victims cope effectively with their affliction, there are numerous myths associated with the federal assistance. For instance, some people assume that the federal government is entirely responsible for the recovery from disasters, yet local government agencies should primarily help the affected to recover. Others uphold the misconception that assistance provided by the federal government is meant to fix all the things. It is imperative to note that the financial aid provided is exclusively to the stipulated purpose. For instance, if money is given for housing then it must be explicitly utilized to repair house damages or acquire an alternative accommodation. Another common misconception is that each person affected by the disaster must receive the federal aid, whereas the truth is that only the most affected get assistance based on findings of the legibility analysis. For me as a citizen, most of this information is new, especially the one regarding the federal assistance, people that have an access to it, and ways it must be utilized (FEMA, 2003). Mitigation is generally the effort of reducing a loss of property as well as life by lessening the disaster impact. In my opinion, it is taking an action presently in order to reduce financial and human consequences when the disaster strikes. This can be achieved by analyzing the risk and also advising the citizens to reduce risk by applying for insurance. This is why everybody should comprehend the local risks by addressing the tough choices and also investing in long lasting solutions for the good of the community. This will, therefore, provide effective mitigation because without these actions, there is an option of jeopardizing the safety of the citizens. This is because a disaster can occur any time, and people need to feel safe physically and financially. By the enhancement of efficient mitigation efforts, it is possible to break the disaster cycle damage, repeated damages as well as reconstruction (FEMA, 2003). Generators are crucial for the provision of power during disasters. However, there is a problem with their efficiency which further brings out the issue of reliance when using generators after a disaster. It is ironical that a generator can have disadvantages. In many cases, after a disaster like a hurricane, generators run out of gas and leave people with no electric power. This is because people already have bought everything from the stores and also there is no electricity to run the pumps. This means that the few stores that have power are the only ones that can get oil. The stores may be inaccessible which makes it impossible to have power. Therefore, there is a big disadvantage of having a generator after a disaster. The best form of energy would be solar energy for emergency backup power (FEMA, 2003). There are some local responses as well as recovery activities. The first thing is an alarm that notifies people of the disaster in order to make necessary plans like strengthening the building structures and roofs. Agencies that deal with mitigation of such disasters should also advise people on the way forward. After the disaster, there are recovery activities that can be used. For instance, people can be grouped differently in order to assist people who might be trapped or need medical attention. People can also be organized to build shelters for the people who might be misplaced by the floods or any disaster. Some of the short term recovery activities would be assessing the damage, food restoration, repairing houses and other structures that assist people to live better before one looks for a long lasting solution. However, there are long lasting solutions that can be implemented. For instance, people should be encouraged to take insurance covers and also save money for such occurrences. Nevertheless, there is some assistance that one can expect to get from the state. For instance, it is the responsibility of the state to evacuate people in case a disaster is anticipated. Additionally, the state should provide personnel and equipment that will help in monitoring and inspection to make sure that people are safe (FEMA, 2003). Therefore, there are local plans that need to be included in the local planning to assist with mitigating such disasters. For example, response and recovery plans, risk mitigation plans as well as the plans that should be played by different organizations in case there is a disaster. The local government should also assist in formulating mitigation actions like the installation of flood guards and the provision of education to the locals on how they are supposed to act during such occurrences. It is also the responsibility of an individual to know safety drills like fast aid. A person can also make sure that they have insurance which will help them in the recovery period. Reference Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) (2003). A citizen’s guide to disaster assistance. Emergency Management Institute, 7(9), 1-138. Read More