Jacqueline Morris wrote: >In 1993, I worked for a consulting company that sent a proposal to >FEMA for a disaster plan - a lot of the issues that are arising now >would have been mitigated if that proposal or something like it had >been implemented. It included having a load of stuff including >generators, portable radio towers, satellite phones, etc stored in >pods around the country that could be transported into the areas by >helicopter, boat, truck, etc and set up very very quickly to have a >communications infrastructure in place to be able to coordinate relief >efforts. > >Right now they are talking about reconnecting electricity. I wouldn't >want to be in a flooded area if they turn back on that electricity! To >me, they had better plan on running solar and diesel generators for >quite a while. But where are those? Where are those big army >helicopters that can transport loads of people? Where are the Navy >ships to run communications? (Or help house ppl) > > Actually, a nuclear plant on board one of those ships could power New Orleans. But it's really a matter of infrastructure.
>After Hurricane Ivan destroyed 90% of Grenada last year, the first >things in were soldiers, tents,water, food, generators and backhoes. >Power restoration was not one of the first things on their minds at >all. They got the refugee camps up and running, and then started doing >the clearing and reconstruction. > > Actually, in the context of Grenada, one of the main problems of communication was the lack of power, and was one of the things I classify as a mistake. I also classify the fact that ships were not already in the water when it was *apparent* that there would be damage to Grenada as a mistake. The airfield should have been the first thing cleared, and communications equipment should have been one of the first things over. Ships? The first things in should have been propeller planes/helicopters. And THAT could have been done even as the tail of the storm was leaving. It took 3 days for the Prime Minister of Grenada to communicate effectively. That is a disaster in itself. 72 hours is what you have to respond to an emergency - the golden 72 hours. It's a well known fact. And the clock starts when the disaster *hits*, not when people wake up and have the chance to talk on TV for a while. :-) >I think the shock of what happened took too long to get over, and now >the rescue and relief are playing catch up. For the sake of the people >who stayed to "ride out" the storm, lets hope that they manage to get >going very very soon. > > With this particular disaster - and, with Ivan - there was apparent danger and more could have been done to assure more lives were saved... but that's something that should be noted for the next disaster. Of course, it was noted after previous disasters, and nothing of substance has evolved yet. -- Taran Rampersad Presently in: Georgetown, Guyana [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.knowprose.com http://www.easylum.net http://www.digitaldivide.net/profile/Taran "Criticize by creating." — Michelangelo _______________________________________________ DIGITALDIVIDE mailing list DIGITALDIVIDE@mailman.edc.org http://mailman.edc.org/mailman/listinfo/digitaldivide To unsubscribe, send a message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the word UNSUBSCRIBE in the body of the message.
