The Impact of Hazard Occurrence on Community Response - Term Paper Example

 The Impact of Hazard Occurrence on Community Response Introduction Hazard occurrence can be defined as an accident or any situation that involves hazards to the health and safety of the public (Edmondson, 2004). A hazard impacts negatively on the society, and therefore, it is important for a community to be prepared in order to respond and ensure recovery. Hazard impacts differ based on the cause and the damage caused; for instance, a tornado impact differs from that of a fire. As a result, effective measures must be put in place in order to respond effectively and reduce further damage. According to HCO (2010), it is important to take notice of all types of hazards that are likely to occur in a specific location, and thereafter determining the vulnerability of the community. In addition, the response system should be assessed to determine its ability to respond effectively to the hazards. National response framework (2008 p4), explains that it is important for the community, state and government to understand their roles and assist each other incase of a disaster. Therefore, a community must be well equipped to handle any incident; this includes having quality resources and planning prior to the hazard occurrence. This paper will discuss the impact of tornado as a hazard occurrence, mitigation measures, and a community’s response to this hazard. Impact of hazard occurrence - Tornado A disaster occurs when an event exceeds the community’s ability to cope with it; according to Stafford (2007, p.2), a tornado is a disaster that causes loss, damage, and suffering. Nevertheless, it is essential to understand the impact of a disaster in order to allow for effective emergency preparation and management. Our community (Nebraska) recently experienced a tornado that took out a path 1/2 mile wide and 3 miles long, which disrupted power and displaced approximately 200 homes. There were two fatalities and power was out for 1 week. Tornadoes are violent storms that arise from strong thunderstorms, causing serious damage to a region; “they normally appear as rotating funnel –shaped cloud which extends from a thunderstorm to the ground with whirling winds that can reach 300 miles per hour” (federal emergency management, 2008, p.1). These severe thunderstorms yield damaging winds. Surprisingly, tornadoes strike fast with minimal or no warning. This was the exact situation in our community; within a blink of an eye, 200 homes were no more, and power was off. In addition, two lives were lost, property worth millions was lost, and learning was interrupted in the area. As a result, students in this area are likely to rag behind academically due to time lost as a result of the tornado. Such hazard occurrence leaves irreparable damage and the affected individuals are forced to wait for months before their homes are built once again. A tornado destroys land, making it impossible for its restoration, especially for the fertile land used for farming. The topsoil is often destroyed, and as a result, soil’s fertility is lost hence compromising the income earned from farming and forcing the affected families to invest more money on their farming land in order to revive it once more. Apart from property damage, loss of lives and injuries are common; the victims suffer psychologically as a result of the disaster effects, which leads to stress. According to Urson & McCaughey (1995, p.222), the affected families suffer from relocation stress; in this case, 200 homes have been destroyed, meaning that the families have to relocate for a while before they are compensated. The tornado also affects negatively on the environment as well, it destructive nature leaves minimal time to make life or death decisions before its occurrence. Therefore, timely precautions can save lives and reduce damage, whilst advance planning and effective responses are the main determinants of ensuring survivors in a tornado. Mitigation measures prior to a tornado occurrence Milone & MacBroom Inc (2007, p.1) explain that the main aim of pre-hazard mitigation plan is to identify common hazards, and as a result, implementing measures that will assist in reducing damage and deaths. According to the United States Search and Rescue Task Force (N.d), it is important for the public to emphasize on tornado watches, which are issued by the national weather service when the possibility of a tornado in an area has been noted; as a result, a tornado warning is normally issued. In the event of a tornado warning, shelter should be taken in a strong foundation building. Below are the danger signs of a tornado that should act as a warning. A debris cloud marks the location of a tornado, and before the occurrence of a tornado, the wind becomes silent and the air still. As a result, an effective plan is a necessary tool for saving lives; first, the family must be updated on tornado news from the national weather service. Prior to the occurrence of a tornado, it is vital to pick a safe place for the family such as underground basement or low floors. Therefore, safe places need to be built prior to disaster occurrence as hazard mitigation. Vulnerability to tornado hazard is determined by a) The population in an area b) The public understanding and awareness of the hazard c) Existence of warning systems d) Existence of emergency buildings (Nelson, 2011). Developing countries are more vulnerable compared to developed countries; this is because there is high level of awareness and effective mitigation measures in the developed nations, which leads to saving more lives and property. HCO (2010) explains that, mitigation involves planning and implementing measures necessary in preventing the occurrence of a hazard, and as a result, minimizing the risks should the hazard occur. In the case of an expected tornado occurrence, safe underground premises should be constructed, back-up electricity should be in place, communication systems should also be protected, and emergency services should be in place. Chapter 2 (N.d, p.30) states that, advance weather predictions and awareness have reduced deaths and injuries associated with tornadoes in the United States; therefore, mitigation measures are the key tools in reducing risks of tornado impact. Tornadoes are common in my community (Nebraska), and therefore, mitigation funding is provided as a form of emergency of management. In addition, the government provides planning for funds required for mitigation plans (The Beacon, 2011, p5). Community Response to Tornado Occurrence In this case, a tornado disaster has already occurred in Nebraska community, which has left 200 homes destroyed, disrupted power for one week, and caused two deaths. We assume that mitigation measures was been put in place before the incident occurred, and as a result, there were only two live lost. The Nebraska community must find ways to respond to the tornado disaster; first, for a response to be effective there has to be a plan before hand, effective preparedness is necessary at this level. According to HCO (2010), there has to be a structure for emergency response, with each individual assigned a role during the response. Destruction is evident as a result of tornado occurrence, and therefore, response actions are aimed at addressing the impact of the hazard. The main goals of response actions include limiting the extent of a hazard impact on the affected, ensuring that the affected population has resistance to the hazard, for instance through vaccinating them, and finally, promoting recovery of the injured and the rest of the population from the impact of the hazard. This can be done via providing rehabilitation services and mental health services as well (HCO, 2010). Nevertheless, response actions can be delayed in cases where the community has limited information about the disaster at hand. Therefore, engaging in post-disaster activities that foster healing is necessary, such as teaching the affected population on how to cope with disaster-related stresses. The community can involve a door-to-door engagement, which can assist in family placements by securing homes, especially for the uninsured families. A community can be affected psychologically and sociologically; these effects can be long-term. Children may have witnessed dead bodies and injured individuals, images that are horrific and disturbing, and act as a traumatic reminder (chapter 2, N.d, p.31). In addition, some individuals respond positively to the situation and engage in life-saving activities within the affected community. Community residents should be in the frontline of disaster response. Generally, the awakening of a disaster does not leave room to seek help, mainly because tornados interrupt power and communication channels. Therefore, a community takes up the responsibility of meeting the emergency needs of its residents. In the United States, there is a community emergency response team program, which trains residents of a community on how to take responsibilities for emergencies, should a disaster occur (Brennan, 2009). Involving all the residents is a plus in emergency cases; these residents may have professional skills, experience, and capabilities necessary for successful response to disasters. Effective community response to tornado disaster saves many lives due to different incorporation of skills, which enable successful disaster management. In case of tornado disaster, community involvement in the impact of tornado will hasten the recovery efforts. Moreover, individual alliances assist in planning for response actions after the disaster (Brennan, 2009). The community involvement fosters cooperation in meeting common needs of the affected victims. In case of a tornado occurrence, the community can respond through coordinating successful evacuation or transportation services. The community can also ensure order and calm in order to account for all the victims in terms of resources. The community can also respond to the disaster by were left homeless. In addition, residents can co-operate and ensure that isolation and abandonment is reduced in the affected area (Brennan, 2009). Therefore, it is very important for a community to have prepared in advance for disaster management; as a result, community response becomes successful. Citizens are the first at sight in case of disasters; therefore, they have a chance of saving lives and supporting victims of disasters. Therefore, it is very important to involve the community in disaster management by offering training to residents on ways to handle disaster emergencies. Tornado disaster Recovery When the disaster impact has stabilized, disaster recovery must commence; this may include damage assessment, reconstruction of buildings and infrastructure, which was greatly affected by the tornado. The restoration and improvement of facilities and living conditions of the affected population hastens recovery of the victims, both psychologically and emotionally through creation of hope. Recovery programmes may include creating awareness of the tornados disasters, encouraging participation in the recovery process, and developing and implementing disaster risk reduction measures. Recovery efforts are applicable once the pressing needs are addressed; they give the victims a second chance such as re-employment and better building facilities, which will reduce disaster risks. Generally, the affected families suffer financially due to loss of property and so does the government, as it faces financial costs that are accompanied by electric power and communication systems damage among others. At this level, community involvement is also essential, as it assists in rebuilding and re-investing, hence speeding up the recovery efforts. Nevertheless, the quality of the community response determines the capability of minimizing disaster effects, maintaining order, and hastening recovery efforts. Conclusion Tornadoes cause serious damage to the affected community; however, the presence of vulnerable buildings poses threats on human life, and may cause deaths and serious injuries. In addition, the victims suffer psychologically, for instance from relocation stress that is as a result of disasters, which destroy homes. Economic impacts are also evident as a result of loss of properties and assets following a disaster. Therefore, creation of a good plan is a remedy for saving lives and the misery that is associated with the disaster. It is vital for public awareness to be enhanced in order to assist the community to take preventive measures prior to a disaster. In addition, public awareness assists the public in knowing how to respond when a disaster strikes. Needless to say, a community response to a tornado disaster is important, as it saves lives before the emergency teams arrive at the scene. Moreover, countries should introduce training programmes that train residents to attend to emergency cases in case of a disaster. As a result, community response diminishes excessive suffering and loss that occur from disasters. References Brennan, M. (2009). Effective community response to disaster: exploring the role of community emergency response teams. Retrieved from http://www.ufl.edu/ Chapter 2. (N.d). Natural and human generated disasters. Retrieved from http://www.deep.med.miami.edu/DOCUMENTS/CSTD%20CH%202%20%28997KB%29.PDF. Federal Emergency Management Agency. (2008). Hazard description. Retrieved from http://www.co.sangamon.il.us/NHMP/PDF/Tornados-draft.pdf HCO Emergency Management Program. (2010). Public health emergency. Retrieved from http://www.phe.gov/Preparedness/planning/mscc/handbook/chapter2/Pages/hcoemerg.aspx. Milone & MacBroom Inc. (2007). Town of Nantucket pre-disaster hazard mitigation plan. Retrieved from http://amc.learntoday.info/AngelUploads/Content/SPR12_1_FRS_351_01/_assoc/site/media/week2_Mitigation_Plan_Nantucket_2007.pdf National response framework. (2008). Homeland security. Retrieved from http://amc.learntoday.info/AngelUploads/Content/SPR12_1_FRS_351_01/_assoc/site/media/week1_nrf_core.pdf Stafford, R. (2007). Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act, as amended and Related Authorities. FEMA 592. Retrieved from http://amc.learntoday.info/AngelUploads/Content/SPR12_1_FRS_351_01/_assoc/site/media/week1_stafford_act_fema_592_june_2007.pdf The beacon. (2011). Nebraska emergency management agency. Retrieved from http://www.nema.ne.gov/pdf/beacon/2011-dec-beacon.pdf United States Search and Rescue Task Force. (N.d). Tornadoes. Retrieved from http://www.ussartf.org/tornadoes.htm. Urson, R. & McCaughey, B. (1995). Individual and community responses to trauma and disaster: the structure of human chaos. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press Publisher. Warren Edmondson. (2004). Hazardous Occurrence Investigations, Canada Labor Code, Part II. Retrieved from http://www.hrsdc.gc.ca/eng/lp/lo/opd-ipg/opd/935-1.shtml. Read More