The true numbers of those killed by Hurricane Maria came out earlier this week, revealing that far from the initial report of 64 dead, the storm had killed 2,975.
Instead of waiting for yet another disaster and a similarly botched response, the United States needs to take planning for natural disasters seriously, now. Here are four key ways that the U.S. could improve its response to disasters saving lives, resources and money.
[Also read: Hurricane Lane has already dropped 30 inches of rain on Hawaii]
State and local response. Disasters are local events. States and municipalities need to be prepared ahead of time with an initial plan that can be coordinated with state and national responses. Local leaders are more likely to know what parts of their communities will have what needs, where residents are likely to face danger and how resources can best be distributed. To make these determinations, states and cities need to have a clear and workable plan to make an accurate assessment of on the ground needs and then communicate that information to ask for assistance. When local government itself is overwhelmed by a disaster, the federal government also must have a plan to reinforce efforts of local officials and provide assistance in assessing need.
Ability to respond to multiple disasters. By the time Hurricane Maria tore through Puerto Rico, the Federal Emergency Management Agency had already dealt with both Hurricane Irma in Florida and Hurricane Harvey in Texas in the same season, leaving it in understaffed and unprepared for a third major disaster. Without developing a strategy to deal with multiple, large scale disasters simultaneously and within the same season, FEMA is likely to be in this position again potentially resulting in similarly devastating death tolls.
Coordinated response with the private sector. The private sector is often better equipped to move supplies to disaster areas than the public response. Hospitals, for example, often lack critical supplies and medications after hurricanes. Suppliers are often willing and able resupply them but face barriers, including regulations that prevent private sector access to disaster areas and uncoordinated responses with federal responders. Incorporating the private sector into disaster response efforts will not only make the process more efficient but also facilitate quicker responses. In addition, the federal government should mandate that private health care providers are fully prepared for disasters and can be easily integrated into federal responses.
Smarter Development. Planning for disasters means not just working out an efficient and effective response, but also ensuring that communities are resilient. Resilient communities mean sustainable and well thought out infrastructure. For example, in areas prone to ice storms, power lines should be buried. In areas prone to flooding, powerlines should be above ground. On a larger scale, development needs to take into account natural disasters. Paving over wetlands that once absorbed water resulted in widespread flooding in Houston. In California, new homes have been built where forests previously stood. That means that those still wooded areas, now interspersed with homes, can never have a controlled burn to maintain healthy forests and clean out flammable underbrush.
Natural disasters are going to continue to pose a threat to communities across the country. There’s no reason any of them should result in so many deaths in an advanced country like ours. In order to prepare for these events, government at all levels needs to take planning seriously and act now, rather than waiting for another devastating event.
