Hazard and Vulnerability Analysis - Essay Example

After any terrorist attack, one often may question what important events led up to the moment the actual attack occurred. Many past events may have led to the attack on the World Trade Center on September 11th. The location of World Trade Center was located in an urban city that has a large population. The population of the city and the amount of people inside the building at a given time determines how at-risk a location may be. A terrorist wanting to target a populated area where the biggest effects could take place would choose and have chosen a largely populated area like the World Trade Center.

The targets chosen by the terrorist on September 11th were vulnerable targets. Profile sectors in the community contributed to its vulnerability. The location was on the east coast and easy for those coming from the Middle East to access. The city is near water and there were only a few ways to get in and out of the city. In the midst of a panic, this would make it difficult for emergency crews to get it and help. The height of the building makes it impossible to evacuate everyone in a quick and timely matter. All of these events, after being profiled are a perfect fit for a terrorist attack.

The severity level was catastrophic on September 11th. Many lives were taken and the building was completely destroyed. There is no way around it; the World Trade Center was too vulnerable to an attack. There needs to be higher awareness of other areas that can have catastrophic losses from a terrorist attack.  Terrorist is smart and often plan very carefully before a huge attack like September 11th. The terrorist may have been targeting D.C. as their main target. September 11th could have been used as a distraction while the other planes went to Washington D.C. This is why it is very important to make sure that even after one event occurs, no one is safe. The enemy may also have plans in force to target another area.

1. What factors, if changed, may have pre-empted the disaster?

There were factors that could have lessened the severity of the loss that occurred on September 11th. The building was easily accessible by many, it was located along the coastline, and there are few ways to get to and from the building. Circumstances like this create too much vulnerability. Vulnerability is what makes an area a target for terrorist attacks.

The building's location should send a flag up that the area is a highly targeted area. Being on the coastline allows the building to be accessed by anyone in the world. Because of this, the plane was able to come right off of the coast and straight into the building. When a building is that vulnerable a border patrol type security needs to be set up and able to monitor flights coming in and going out. If some sort of security was able to stop the plane first, the effects could have been lessened.

Having an effective evacuation plan could have pre-empted the disaster. Buildings that are vulnerable need to make sure that there is a way to get as many people out of the building as possible. These evacuation plans need to apply to everyone in the building and be enforced. Not only is an evacuation plan important, but it is also important for emergency response vehicles to get to and from the disaster. If a plan was in force and New York was prepared, the severity would have been lessened.

It is all about being prepared. Being prepared may not be able to stop the attack from happening, but it can lessen the severity. It is never too late to be prepared for a disaster. Many vulnerable areas can learn a lesson from what happened and learn to prepare their selves if a similar incident happens.

2. Is there any indication that New York or Washington D.C. utilized a hazard and/or vulnerability analysis in their planning for this type of disaster?

There wasn’t a strong indication that New York or Washington D.C. had a hazard analysis planned for a disaster like September 11th. If there were some type of way of knowing what was going to happen or a way to prevent it, the areas would have been evacuated and the planes could have been shot down before any huge damage was done.