With the devastation from Hurricane Ian still on the news daily, it’s a reminder that things could have been even worse, had local, state, and federal governments not learned from previous natural disasters. Across the US, many regions have taken the lessons from hurricane aftermaths and attempted to use them to help build better responses for the future, according to NewsNation.
Beginning with better building codes, driven in Houston by 2017’s Hurricane Harvey and in Florida by 1992’s Hurricane Andrew, resiliency has been increasingly built into new structures. Additionally, earlier this year, FEMA launched an initiative to improve building codes across the nation.
Similarly, improvements in communication have helped to greatly reduce the risk of death and improve awareness and preparation, with language used to broadcast warnings being simplified. At the same time, improvements in storm tracking technologies have made it easier for officials to target their messaging to specific cities or towns, rather than wider areas which may fall outside the storm’s range.
Most significantly, cities and states are better understanding the importance of long-term planning for disaster response, including both the initial response, and the recovery, according to NewsNation. More and more, they’re establishing fully staffed offices, with roles for resiliency officers, emergency managers, and recovery coordinators.
Source:
https://www.newsnationnow.com/weather/lessons-past-hurricanes-have-taught-us-about-how-to-respond/
