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Context for Transportation Infrastructure Damage in Japan
Highway systems are always vulnerable to large disasters such as earthquakes, volcanoes, floods, hurricanes, and tsunamis. Resulting consequences include bridge damage, roadway structure failure, and landslides. To help provide context for the massive amounts of roadway infrastructure damage caused in Japan, here are some historic examples of disasters and the impacts to transportation routes: At […]
Nuclear Terminology: Getting It Right, Part II
This morning on National Public Radio, I heard reports of the third reactor fire in Japan, and a fire now in a storage area. They are reporting an hourly release of radiation into the environment. To follow up on Gary Scronce’s previous blog post (Nuclear Terminology: Getting it Right), I wanted to discuss radiation measurement. […]
Nuclear Terminology: Getting it Right
On Sunday morning, March 13, 2011, I was reading an AP story entitled “Japan fights nuclear threat” by Eric Talmadge and Yuri Kageyama that really pounded home for me again the need to educate the press and public at large prior to potential disasters, particularly ones involving radiation and nuclear plants. In talking about the […]
Economic Losses From New Zealand’s Recent Earthquake Could Reach $5–6 Billion US
In the early morning of September 4, 2010, a 7.1 magnitude earthquake struck the South Island of New Zealand. Widespread damage resulted, primarily centered on Christchurch, the largest city on the South Island with a population of approximately 372,000. This earthquake is the worst in the country’s history. IEM estimates total damage costs (insured losses […]
Does Trust Matter in Managing Emergencies?
When emergencies occur — hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes, floods, wildfires, winter storms, pandemics, terrorism, hazmat spills, radiation leaks, and more – people expect government to act. Emergency managers at all levels must move quickly and effectively to protect life and property. And to do so, they need something that is increasingly scarce: the public’s trust. Many […]
The New Orleans City Assisted Evacuation Plan (CAEP) and how it can be improved
I recently indicated in a previous posting that the New Orleans City Assisted Evacuation Plan (CAEP) was very useful in helping some of the City’s residents (approximately 20,000) in evacuating for Hurricane Gustav. But, like any good plan, as effective as the CAEP has become, it should be updated to reflect any changes or problems […]
The Perfect Storm: 2010 Hurricane Season, the worst yet?
Hurricane Katrina was thought to be the perfect storm. It punched Louisiana and Mississippi, causing horrific loss of life, tremendous damage to homes, businesses, and infrastructure for miles, and a bruised national psyche. But, Katrina may not be the perfect storm. The perfect storm may be coming to the Gulf of Mexico this hurricane season. […]
A Lesson Learned from Katrina? The New Orleans City Assisted Evacuation Plan
A few years ago, I witnessed and lived through the before and after of Hurricane Katrina’s wrath. I saw the problems in evacuating from New Orleans. I was greatly relieved when the City of New Orleans released the City Assisted Evacuation Plan. These are my observations and recommendations about their plan. As frightful and nerve […]
BP Oil Spill, Hurricane Katrina, 9/11—Will We Learn From History?
A Message from IEM President and CEO, Madhu Beriwal Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it. As we approach the fifth anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, I am reminded again of the lessons that Katrina taught. These lessons are especially important now, as a new monster lurks in the Gulf. This time […]
Nurses as Emergency Managers Prepping for Any Disaster
There are a lot of views on how to begin the preparedness process. There are even more on how to do a “proper” risk assessment. People go through multiple years of post graduate training and can receive a PhD in risk management and assessment. So, how can a nurse in the field possibly use risk […]