ICM 501

Safety net for our poor citizens

2005-11-17T19:57:00.000-05:00

Hurricane Katrina discussion raises more questions than answers on race, class
Why does the United States provide such a small safety net for its poor and needy citizens relative to almost all other industrialized nations?
Why didn't anyone learn the lessons of so many past floods and curb development in marshlands and flood plains before Hurricane Katrina hit?
Should Americans expect their government to take care of them in times of disaster, or are they better off depending on the charity of individuals? Is there even such a thing as genuine charity, or are all acts of altruism inspired by more selfish motives?
FOR THE COMPLETE STORY PLEASE VISIT:
http://news-service.stanford.edu/news/2005/november16/katrina-111605.html

Disaster Preparedness Techniques: Riding out Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina may be old news to most of the world, but it is still very much a reality for residents of New Orleans and others along the Gulf Coast as hundreds of thousands of residents and businesses rebuild their lives and work. Ultimately there were four key technologies.that people wish they had in place before the disaster occurred. 1. Voice communication systems other than cell phones. The storm was so destructive that cellular telephone systems, essentially, were shut down. Cellular towers were destroyed, and those that weren’t destroyed were crippled by extensive power outages. Since most of us had cell phones with the same local area code, we were unable to use our phones immediately after the hurricane, and even today, we continue to have cellular telephone issues seven weeks after the storm! As a result, we now will consider purchasing a few cell phones from an outside area code to be distributed to key staff. As an aside, quite a few of our staff evacuated to Houston and purchased Houston cell phones to alleviate the bottleneck experienced by our 504 area code phones. However, three weeks later, Hurricane Rita hit near the Houston area and those newly purchased cell phones became just as useless as the ones with the New Orleans area code. I think a Wisconsin area code would be wiser! 2. Laptops for everyone. Our staff who normally used desktop computers did not have laptops when they evacuated; as a result, they had difficulties getting firm information that was presented on our external bulletin board system. If everyone had a laptop, acquiring firm information would have been more easily accomplished. 3. Scan historical documents. When we implemented our Digital Office, we decided to not scan historical documents. Although this has not been an issue because we were, and still are, able to retrieve files and paper documents from our Metairie office, it would have made for smoother remote operations if the data were digital rather than on paper. 4. Current listings of personal e-mail addresses. Our e-mail server was not operating, cell phones were essentially useless and staff had evacuated to destinations across several states. The Internet became our primary means of communication, and the most effective way of communicating with members and staff. Having a listing of everyone’s personal e-mails would have expedited that process.
FOR THE COMPLETE STORY PLEASE VISIT:
http://www.accountingsoftware411.com/AcctSoftware.nsf/00/TIS112005E3F

Diseases and Red Tape

2005-11-03T19:24:00.000-05:00

Red flags and red tape

FACING widespread criticism and playing a complex blame game following the devastation of Hurricane Katrina, the Federal Emergency Management Agency was forced to reevaluate its disaster response system, and, to be sure, made a great deal of progress before having to cope with Hurricanes Rita and Wilma. Despite these advancements in response method, however, the problem at the heart of FEMA has yet to be addressed: the tangled web of bureaucracy that makes it ineffective at its objectives.
FEMA's purpose is, according to its Web site, "to lead the effort to prepare the nation for all hazards and effectively manage federal response and recovery efforts following any national incident." The agency unites organizations such as the American Red Cross, the U.S. Coast Guard and the National Guard to coordinate the overall relief effort and optimize the performance of each individual organization. Yet, as many seeking aid following Katrina saw, oftentimes FEMA prevented the smaller groups from doing their jobs. The cause of this hindering was undoubtedly the layers of bureaucracy through which smaller organizations had to wade before accomplishing their goals.
FOR THE COMPLETE STORY PLEASE VISIT:
http://www.cavalierdaily.com/CVArticle.asp?ID=25014&pid=1360

Infectious Disease and Dermatologic Conditions in Evacuees and Rescue Workers After Hurricane Katrina

On August 29, 2005, Hurricane Katrina struck states along the Gulf Coast of the United States. In the days after the hurricane struck, approximately 750 evacuation centers were established in at least 18 states to accommodate more than 200,000 evacuees.1 State and local health departments, with assistance from CDC, initiated enhanced infectious disease surveillance and outbreak response activities, implemented by teams of public health and rescue workers, including military personnel. Outbreak monitoring included direct reporting of conditions of public health significance to public health agencies; daily contact between CDC and local public health officials; canvassing of reports from CDC, public health departments, and news media for potential infectious disease outbreaks; and investigation of reports of infectious disease with outbreak potential. This report summarizes infectious disease and dermatologic conditions reported during the first 3 weeks after the hurricane, before effective local surveillance was fully implemented. One outbreak of norovirus was reported among evacuees in Texas; no other outbreaks requiring unusual mobilization of public health resources were reported among evacuees or rescue workers.
FOR THE COMPLETE STORY PLEASE VISIT:
http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/full/294/17/2158

People helping people

2005-11-02T12:43:00.000-05:00

Life will return to normal

Over 12,000 homes were flooded and an additional 18,000 damaged, Davis said. Approximately 104,000 St. Tammany citizens have registered for FEMA relief. Of those, he said 45,000 families could receive temporary housing. Davis said eight weeks ago he requested delivery of 23,000 mobile housing units, of which only 732 have been delivered and placed.
"I won't rest until every citizen in need has some sort of temporary housing," he said.
"When we began our assessment, 100 percent of the utilities were down, all sewer and water stations were down, 100 percent of our roads were blocked and all lines of communication were down," Davis said.
Once the assessment of the damage was complete, Davis said his objectives involved clearing roads to hospitals, acquiring fuel for the generators running the shelters, securing badly needed pharmaceuticals and distributing food and water.
Within three days of the storm, he said, all shelters were operational and 90 percent of the roads were passable.
FOR THE COMPLETE STORY PLEASE VISIT:
http://www.slidellsentry.com/articles/2005/11/01/news/news02.txt

Reviewing Louisiana Animal Evacuation And Rescue

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) hosted a gathering at the Joint Field Office Tuesday, Oct. 25, 2005 to discuss the evacuation, sheltering, and rescue aspects of protecting Louisiana’s pets and livestock during and after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.
Many representatives of animal rescue and voluntary groups responded to the invitation, along with several state and parish officials directly involved with these activities. Federal, state, and parish officials provided informational briefings on the existing state- and parish-level plans for evacuating animals during hurricanes and discussed the importance of the human-animal bond. With 1.2 million dogs and nearly one million cats in the state of Louisiana, officials and rescue groups agreed local officials and residents should know who to contact locally for aid and instruction in a crisis. Other important topics included the need for improving communication and ensuring local animal-control officials are familiar with the parish and state incident command structure.
FOR THE COMPLETE STORY PLEASE VISIT:
http://communitydispatch.com/artman/publish/article_2673.shtml

51 Fired from New Orleans Police Force

2005-10-31T14:43:00.000-05:00

New Orleans Police Fire 51 for Abandoning Their Posts Before or After Hurricane Katrina

Amid the chaos that ensued as Hurricane Katrina struck the city, dozens of police officers and civilian employees left their posts unexpectedly and were not heard from again. On Friday, the New Orleans Police Department fired 51 of them 45 officers and six civilian workers for abandonment.
"They either left before the hurricane or 10 to 12 days after the storm and we have never heard from them," acting police superintendent Warren Riley said.
Police were unable to account for 240 officers on the 1,450-member force following Katrina. The force has been investigating them to see if they left their posts during the storm.
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The mass firing was the first action taken against any of the missing officers. Another 15 officers resigned when placed under investigation for abandonment.
FOR THE COMPLETE STORY PLEASE VISIT:
http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory?id=1261829

Backpack generates its own electricity

New design may offer way for relief workers to power crucial equipment.
In the days immediately following Hurricane Katrina, radio and phone communication suffered, in part, when rechargeable batteries died and could not be recharged due to widespread power outages. A new backpack design may offer a way for first responders and disaster relief workers to generate their own electricity for communications devices, night vision goggles, water purifiers or other crucial, portable electronics.
All the person wearing the backpack has to do is walk — the backpack does the rest. The backpack captures energy from the up-and-down movements of its heavy contents and converts this energy to electricity.
FOR THE COMPLETE STORY PLEASE VISIT:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9245155/

Gaps remain in government strategy for handling natural disasters

Despite the billions of taxpayer dollars spent every year on emergency preparedness and disaster cleanup, the United States lacks an overall strategy for reducing the number of lives lost and the amount of property destroyed when Mother Nature unleashes a wildfire, earthquake, flood, hurricane, tsunami, or other calamity.
FOR THE COMPLETE STORY PLEASE VISIT:
http://www.govexec.com/story_page.cfm?articleid=32687&dcn=todaysnews

Black and White

2005-10-26T21:02:00.000-04:00

Hurricane's human disaster

The stories victims of Hurricane Katrina tell are all right there in black and white. Literally, say two CU researchers.CU PhD candidates Michelle Miles of media studies and Duke Austin of sociology left nearly a month ago for a trip to areas affected by Hurricane Katrina to study the effects of race, class, and gender differences following a natural disaster.They've been back for but two weeks and are already presenting their preliminary findings.Miles and Austin spoke Monday at CU's School of Journalism and Mass Communication and described conditions they encountered visiting New Orleans and Fort Chaffee, Ark. - a staging area for Katrina victims - and explained their methodology in conducting personal interviews with Katrina's black and white victims.
Miles and Austin said they found that the people they interviewed were most interested in talking about race.“We see a divergence in the construction of reality between whites and blacks,” said Austin.As a bi-racial team, the two researchers had an advantage, said Austin, who is white. He said he believes white people told him things they wouldn't have told a non-white, and black people said things to Miles, who is African American, that they probably wouldn't have been comfortable telling a non-black person.“Once we got to New Orleans, it was much more relaxed,” said Miles. “New Orleans was more comfortable for me.”One of the racial differences that Miles observed was the concept of “family.” She said that African-American communities tend to define family as something other than just blood relatives, which presented a problem for National Guard troops running shelters like the one at Fort Chaffee, who defined family only as blood relatives or relatives by marriage.
FOR THE COMPLETE STORY PLEASE VISIT:
http://www.coloradodaily.com/articles/2005/10/24/news/c_u_and_boulder/news4.txt

In the future....

2005-10-24T20:58:00.000-04:00

Civil Air Patrol Members Respond To 2005 Hurricane Disasters
One of the basic principles of disaster preparedness is planning for the worst and hoping for the best. When the triple whammy of hurricanes Katrina and Rita -- two of the most powerful storms on record -- and Ophelia slammed into this country's Gulf Coast and Atlantic seaboard respectively within a mere four weeks of each other, that principle was put to the ultimate test when the Civil Air Patrol, along with other federal, state and local disaster-response agencies, responded in the wake of these devastating storms.
Prior to the arrival of these storms, CAP units began re-positioning aircraft and assets to safe areas as far away from the projected storm track as possible in order to be ready for immediate post-storm assistance. Members of the CAP, the all-volunteer civilian auxiliary of the U.S. Air Force, found itself playing a key role in the aftermath of both storms. Tasked by the Air Force's 1st Air Force, which is positioned at Tyndall Air Force Base, FL, CAP aircraft, aircrews and ground teams from 14 states -- responding as a total team -- began operations shortly after each hurricane blew ashore.
FOR THE COMPLETE STORY PLEASE VISIT:
http://www.aero-news.net/index.cfm?ContentBlockID=1c1aa946-4a4b-4d2a-977b-7f3045ac8953

Groove P2P System Assists Hurricane Relief
The havoc that Hurricane Katrina wreaked on the Gulf Coast this summer brought national attention to the myriad challenges of coordinating local, state, federal, nonprofit and private disaster recovery efforts. Florida, the state that has known more hurricanes on a first-name basis than all other states combined, is all too familiar with the challenges these disasters present. Consider last year's devastating hurricane season, in which Florida was battered by four major hurricanes within a six-week period.
FOR THE COMPLETE STORY PLEASE VISIT:
http://www.eweek.com/article2/0,1895,1872483,00.asp

Local effect of Katrina

2005-10-23T19:46:00.000-04:00

National Disasters Focus State And Local Officials On Planning
A Category 3 hurricane that hit the Connecticut shoreline could wipe out power for more than 3 million residents for up to a month, said Paul Gibb, a state emergency management supervisor specializing in natural disasters. Government could easily be “paralyzed” for three days, he said.
With disaster on their minds and $1.4 million in federal homeland security money available, state officials in three departments — public safety, transportation, and emergency management and homeland security — are revising plans for the state's five designated emergency zones.
If a hurricane hit tomorrow, those plans, supplemented by specific local arrangements, would determine how people are notified and, if necessary, how and where they would evacuate.
But plans continue to develop. Following a directive from Gov. M. Jodi Rell, state officials are working on a plan that local emergency experts could use as a basis for more detailed arrangements in each zone.
FOR THE COMPLETE ARTICLE PLEASE VISIT:
http://www.theday.com/eng/web/news/re.aspx?re=985921C5-1BB4-4811-AEC8-40D05295D852

Katrina Cleanup

2005-10-22T20:08:00.000-04:00

Chuck Bankhead's big adventure following Hurricane Katrina
Alligators in the streets, hungry people, the stench of mold, mosquito madness and 100 degree heat. Sounds like a third-world nightmare? Well, it's actually right here in the United States and our very own Western District Associate Commissioner Chuck Bankhead just returned from it. Bankhead said he was disappointed in the lack of communication between agencies dealing with the disaster. He said the problems started when the Emergency Operations Center in New Orleans was flooded and had to be moved to several separate buildings.
FOR THE COMPLETE STORY PLEASE VISIT:
http://www.moberlymonitor.com/articles/2005/10/22/news/news4.txt

Chertoff outlines plans to strengthen FEMA
Post-Katrina improvements to the Federal Emergency Management Agency will aim to fix shortcomings in four critical areas: logistics systems, communications, business processes and procurement, Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff said in testimony to Congress this week. Testifying before the House Select Committee on Hurricane Katrina, Chertoff outlined plans to boost the capabilities at FEMA in the short term in four specific areas. Those enhancements will require IT as well as personnel, Chertoff said, but he did not provide budget figures. In its response to Katrina, FEMA’s logistics systems proved to be inadequate, according to Chertoff. Those are the IT systems that manage the acquisition, storage and delivery of emergency food, water, medical and other supplies and personnel to disaster-affected areas. Many parts of the logistics system are “antiquated and inefficient,” he said.
FOR THE COMPLETE STORY PLEASE VISIT:
http://www.washingtontechnology.com/news/1_1/daily_news/27233-1.html

Sharing The Airwaves
Radio frequencies were jammed. Cell phone towers were wiped out. Government officials had to resort to sending runners back and forth in order to share information.
These are just a few of the communication failures that left police and first responders throughout the Gulf Coast deaf, dumb and blind in those critical hours and days following Hurricane Katrina. And the blame for the communication breakdowns rests squarely at the feet of our legislators in Congress, who have capitulated to the broadcast industry on spectrum issues for far too long.
So what do television broadcasters have to do with emergency communication? They both use the airwaves—also known as spectrum—to operate. Those airwaves are public property just like our national parks and forests. Congress originally gave TV broadcasters licenses to use the best airwaves: what former Federal Communications Chairman Reed Hundt called the “beachfront property on the Cyber Sea.”
FOR THE COMPLETE STORY PLEASE VISIT:
http://www.tompaine.com/articles/20051019/sharing_the_airwaves.php

Hurricane Katrina Debris Removal Makes Great Strides
The task is enormous. Debris consists of construction materials, damaged buildings, sediments, green waste, and personal property. The debris disabled electrical power and communication systems, obstructed roads and presented state and local governments with a huge challenge to collect, remove and dispose of the unwanted windfall.State and Federal Emergency Management Agency ( FEMA ) specialists began assessing the situation in the 22 disaster-declared counties almost immediately after the August 29 th landfall. They estimated the storm-tossed waste totaled over 4.1 million cubic yards; in every day terms a debris field equivalent to 60 football fields stacked 100 feet high.FEMA debris specialists also began working with local and state officials providing removal expertise, monitor training and technical assistance. To date, the local governments have removed approximately 65% of the debris.Senior Deputy Federal Coordinating Officer, Michael Bolch said, "Removing debris quickly during recovery is a clear priority. If not, it becomes a safety concern for the local communities. Clearing the roads and public areas minimize the risk of having a greater harm within a disaster."The FEMA Public Assistance ( PA ) program reimburses 100% of debris cleanup in public places such as roadways for 60 days from the date of declaration which will end on Oct 27 th . After which FEMA will reimburse 75% of the cost while state/local governments share the remaining 25%. Some 245 applicants, including state, local governments, certain private-non-profit groups have applied for PA reimbursement in Alabama .
FOR THE COMPLETE STORY PLEASE VISIT:
http://presszoom.com/story_112860.html

Preparation is the Key

2005-10-16T21:05:00.000-04:00

Is Connecticut prepared for disaster?

Although Kent responded to the needs of others with its characteristic generosity and willingness to help following Hurricane Katrina, the questions left in many people's minds are, "What if it happens to us? Are we prepared?" The good news is that the town has a plan, worked out and coordinated with the state Office of Emergency Management. It allows Kent access to emergency personnel all the way up to the National Guard. The bad news is that the town currently lacks enough volunteers to fill all the positions needed in case a disaster should hit.
FOR THE COMPLETE ARTICLE VISIT:
http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=15389361&BRD=1657&PAG=461&dept_id=13476&rfi=6

Southington Town Hall loses contact

Does the lack of a phone system at Town Hall create a safety problem? Health Director Charles Motes Jr., who is stationed in Town Hall, said there are a series of backup communication systems in place to ensure smooth operations between first-responders."If there were a public health emergency, we all have cell phones and all cell-phone numbers of the department heads are published in a directory," Motes said. "If the chief of police needs to get to me, he can get to me."There’s also a third backup system in place at the health department: a VHF high-band radio system. The system, paid for by federal bioterrorism preparedness funds, would allow the health department to reach police dispatch over the airwaves."You’re playing ‘what if,’" Motes said. "What if the phone lines went out? What if the cell-phone towers were down?"The repeater system to broadcast the radio signals has an emergency backup system provided by the water department in the case the electricity goes down. In a major disaster, Motes said, ham radio operators would be assigned to shadow town officials in order to broadcast crucial messages.With more than 7,000 ham operators in Connecticut, he said, officials are always prepared to provide communication service in case of disaster. Motes said some of his friends who are ham operators are currently in the South helping out with the Hurricane Katrina relief effort.
FOR THE COMPLETE ARTICLE VISIT:
http://www.bristolpress.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=15386300&BRD=1643&PAG=461&dept_id=10486&rfi=6

Military Sees Limits to Role in U.S. Disasters

WASHINGTON — The Pentagon is planning to take a larger role in responding to "catastrophic" events within the United States such as natural disasters and terrorist attacks and is developing plans to use active-duty troops to respond to an avian flu pandemic, the Defense Department's top domestic security official said Wednesday. The lessons from Hurricane Katrina require that the military assume a greater role during major disasters, said Assistant Secretary of Defense for Homeland Defense Paul McHale.
FOR THE COMPLETE ARTICLE VISIT:
http://www.newsday.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-military13oct13,0,2031966.story?coll=ny-leadnationalnews-headlines

Emergency Plan

2005-10-12T16:32:00.000-04:00

Hope for the Best ... Prepare for the Worst

We've seen the news reports of the devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina; it is overwhelming. For many of us, our first reaction was sympathy and compassion for those in its path. We probably thanked whatever higher power we believe in for sparing us a direct hit from such a catastrophe. As you watched the coverage you probably thought, "What would I do if I had to flee my home? What would I take with me? What would I do if communication lines were down? How would I survive without transportation?"
If you are a business owner, you have even more questions: "What would I do with my business in that situation? How would my livelihood survive? How would I communicate with my clients? How would I find my employees? What would happen to my documents, contracts and files? Could I still support myself?"
As every American knows by now, being prepared for a catastrophe might save lives, as well as valuable time and resources. Not being prepared might cost lives and cause even greater anguish. What are you doing to prepare for a disaster, natural or otherwise? When was the last time you reviewed your disaster recovery plan? Is everyone who might be affected aware of the plan? Do you even have a plan?
FOR THE COMPLETE ARTICLE VISIT:
http://www.greensheet.com/PriorIssues-/050902-/19.htm

KATRINA FALLOUT

2005-10-10T13:21:00.000-04:00

Lessons from Katrina being tested

Emergency management officials say lessons learned during Hurricane Katrina are being used in the evacuation for Hurricane Rita.
Lessons such as:
>> The need to respond quicker with shelter, water, food and medical supplies for evacuees.
>> The need for backup first-responders who may be unavailable to help in case of a subsequent emergency as in the case of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.
>> The need for better communications between emergency management personnel and responding agencies.
That information now is being used to help evacuees temporarily residing in Odessa and other cities as they flee Hurricane Rita.
FOR THE COMPLETE ARTICLE PLEASE VISIT:
http://www.oaoa.com/news/nw092505c.htm

Keeping Lines of Communication Open During a Disaster

Recent events such as Hurricane Katrina illustrate the importance of being able to effectively communicate with key audiences during crisis situations. While the trigger event may vary, ranging from a power outage or natural disaster to a terrorist attack, the need for effective crisis communications remains constant. A key to the communications strategy is the ability to activate messages over a variety of devices — landline and cell phone, satellite phone, mobile device and pager. To be effective, organizations need to implement comprehensive crisis communication.
FOR THE COMPLETE ARTICLE PLEASE VISIT:
http://www.itbusinessedge.com/content/3Q/3qpub1-20050928.aspx

Katrina a media wake-up call

The fallout of the Katrina disaster as a wake-up call for the media, hinting that news agencies had been lax following Sept. 11, rallying around the president and restraining from asking hard questions for fear of being seen as unpatriotic.
"There was very limited information," said Shuster, adding that what makes Katrina so significant is that for the first time since before Sept. 11, news agencies didn't have to rely on officials or experts to tell them what was going on in New Orleans.
FOR THE COMPLETE ARTICLE PLEASE VISIT:
http://www.idsnews.com/subsite/story.php?id=31628&adid=campus

Senators seek answers to post-Katrina problems

Some Louisiana senators are forming a joint committee to help with disaster planning and crisis management, and they held their first meeting at the Capitol building today. The meeting was intended to solicit ideas and suggestions from local leaders who might provide a clearer understanding of exactly what took place in the days following Katrina and what might have been done differently.
FOR THE COMPLETE ARTICLE PLEASE VISIT:
http://www.2theadvocate.com/stories/100405/new_senators001.shtml

Are you ready?

Emergency preparedness experts recommend citizens begin by taking care of themselves and their own families, then, for those who wish to do more, begin learning ways to help your neighbors and others following a disaster.
Having supplies at home, in your car and at work is a must since no one knows where they'll be in an emergency. CERT trainers recommend having three-day kits that include:
* Bottled water
* Non-perishable food such as energy bars
* Medications
* Personal hygiene items
* First aid kit
* Portable radio
* Flashlight/extra batteries
* Matches
* Camping stove
* Blankets
* Cash (small bills as this may be all stores are accepting)
* Comfort items, especially if you have children, such as teddy bears, favorite snacks or food, family photographs and card games.
FOR THE COMPLETE ARTICLE PLEASE VISIT:
http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?BRD=1024&dept_id=231484&newsid=15303414&PAG=461&rfi=9

Katrina Relief Efforts Begin

2005-09-19T19:33:00.000-04:00

Communications industry finds lessons in Katrina disaster
The Gulf Coast communications havoc caused by Hurricane Katrina highlighted potential vulnerabilities in the nation's phone and data networks and has government officials and industry experts considering new ways to prepare for natural disasters and terrorist attacks. FOR THE COMPLETE ARTICLE PLEASE VISIT:
http://www.oxfordpress.com/news/content/shared/news/nation/stories/09/10VULNERABLE_TELECOM10_COX.html

Bush: New Orleans will rise again

Four years after Sept. 11 attacks, Bush said, "Americans have every right to expect a more effective response in a time of emergency."
"When the federal government fails to meet such an obligation, I as president am responsible for the problem, and for the solution," he said. Bush also promised to cooperate with a congressional investigation into the emergency response. Democrats have refused to participate in the probe, demanding instead an independent commission review. FOR THE COMPLETE ARTICLE PLEASE VISIT:
http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/N15713623.htm

Race, class and a hurricane

-67% of the New Orleans population was black/non-Hispanic (compared to 43% in Philadelphia, 37% in Chicago, and 27% in New York).- Half of the population was under the age of 33.- Half of all households earned incomes of less than $27,133 annually- 28% of individuals lived below the poverty level.
FOR THE COMPLETE ARTICLE PLEASE VISIT:
http://www.waltonian.com/media/paper752/news/2005/09/15/Opinion/Race-Class.And.A.Hurricane-985007.shtml

FEMA begins internal cleanup

The head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Michael D. Brown, resigned on Monday following the widespread criticism of the agency's response to Hurricane Katrina. His resignation came just three days after Brown was removed from his job of overseeing the relief effort. The White House quickly moved to name a temporary replacement, R. David Paulison, the director of FEMA's Preparedness Division and administrator of the United States Fire Administration. Just a week ago, President George W. Bush had praised Brown for doing a "heck of a job" in responding to the disaster that destroyed most of New Orleans and ravaged the Gulf Coast region. Yet Brown incurred criticism after appearing to be ignorant of the extent and the degree of the hurricane's damage in the days after it hit. FOR THE COMPLETE ARTICLE PLEASE VISIT:

http://www.thecowl.com/media/paper493/news/2005/09/15/World/Fema-Begins.Internal.Cleanup-986962.shtml

How to survive the first 100 hours of a major disaster

If disaster does strike, chances are you'll be stranded in your home without any electricity, heat or running water, so your household emergency kit will need a flashlight so you can see and a battery-operated radio tuned to a local station for updates from emergency officials.
If your home phone or cell still work -- or if you can reach an operating pay phone -- you should make one call: to an out-of-province friend or relative who your family has agreed to call as soon as they can after a disaster. Having that contact is crucial because a family could be separated -- the parents may work downtown while the children are in school in the suburbs -- and it could be days before they are reunited. FOR THE COMPLETE ARTICLE PLEASE VISIT:
http://www.canada.com/vancouver/vancouversun/news/observer/story.html?id=67e4a295-2fc8-42f4-b0a5-3a90a44fd984

Non-Disaster Groups Use Internet For Real-Time Katrina Response

Hurricane Katrina provides a big reminder of the vital role nonprofits play in today’s society. In these early days of the response, forward thinking organizations -- of all sizes and with varying missions -- have proactively used the Internet to raise awareness of their work and how important it is to raise funds for helping people and communities recover in coming months and even years. FOR THE COMPLETE ARTICLE PLEASE VISIT:
http://www.pnnonline.org/article.php?sid=6212&mode=thread&order=0

Communication following the Katrina Disaster

2005-09-13T15:21:00.000-04:00

We are not safe…..

It was frighteningly too easy to witness the post-disaster disaster in New Orleans and realize that the authorities—the local, state and federal governments—cannot effectively handle any of the nightmare scenarios that have seeped into our post-9/11 collective consciousness.
FOR THE COMPLETE ARTICLE PLEASE VISIT:
http://www.tompaine.com/articles/20050913/what_went_wrong.php

National Notification Network announces creation of Mass Notification Strategy…..

3n (National Notification Network) today announced that it is launching a Webinar training series beginning with "Five Steps to Creating a Mass Notification Strategy." 3n's online series will give business continuity and disaster recovery planners insight into integrating mass notification technology into a business's processes to ensure an efficient and effective emergency communication plan before, during, and following a crisis, such as Hurricane Katrina.
FOR THE COMPLETE ARTICLE PLEASE VISIT:
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/050912/lam092.html?.v=20

“Unacceptable”: The Federal Response to Katrina: A Recent History Lesson

In late afternoon, Tuesday, Aug. 23, 2005, the National Weather Service began tracking a tropical depression in the Atlantic about 175 miles southeast of the Bahamas. Moving quickly, it turned west and crossed into southern Florida two days later as a Category 1 hurricane, bringing with it almost a foot of rain. Now known as Katrina, it entered the Gulf of Mexico, where it quickly picked up speed and intensity from the warmer water. By Saturday evening, it was a Category 3 hurricane, and there was no doubt it would inflict significant damage when it hit the Gulf Coast. By mid-morning, Sunday, Aug. 28, with winds of 175 miles per hour, about 250 miles from the Mississippi River, it became a Category 5 hurricane, the most intense on the Saffir–Simpson scale. In more than a century of recording hurricanes, Katrina was only the fourth with that much force to be so close to the American shore. No longer was it a question of whether or not it would hit the Gulf Coast, it was with how much intensity. The target was New Orleans.
FOR THE COMPLETE ARTICLE PLEASE VISIT:
http://www.dissidentvoice.org/Sept05/Brasch0912.htm

Communicaitons industry finds lessons in Katrina disaster

The Gulf Coast communications havoc caused by Hurricane Katrina highlighted potential vulnerabilities in the nation's phone and data networks and has government officials and industry experts considering new ways to prepare for natural disasters and terrorist attacks.
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http://www.oxfordpress.com/news/content/shared/news/nation/stories/09/10VULNERABLE_TELECOM10_COX.html

Effect of Hurricane Katrina on New Orleans

The effect of Hurricane Katrina on New Orleans was extremely severe, resulting from one of the most deadly natural disasters in U.S. history. By August 30, 2005, one day after the Category 4 storm made landfall, 80 percent of the city of New Orleans, was flooded, with some parts of the city under 20 feet (6 m) of water. The flood was caused by several levee breaches due to a combination of a powerful storm surge, strong winds and excess water in the bodies of water surrounding the city. The event continues to have major implications for a large segment of the population as well as for the economy of and politics in the entire United States.
FOR THE COMPLETE ARTICLE PLEASE VISIT:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Effect_of_Hurricane_Katrina_on_New_Orleans