Mother Nature is a fickle, overbearing dame. Preventing her natural disasters is improbable, but managing her damage is possible — especially when leaders, organizations and individuals all pitch in.
That’s not to say it isn’t a daunting task. In 2012, Hurricane Sandy devastated Cuba, Jamaica and the northeastern United States. After viciously hitting the New Jersey and New York coastlines, Sandy’s effects caused more than 200 deaths and $71 billion of damage.
So, how do you go about preparing for another Hurricane Sandy? Cities and counties that are susceptible to these tropical storms should review the most innovate, cost-effective systems available — systems of storm-surge barriers, levees and dikes that protect coastal cities during disaster, but also support economic realities throughout the year.
For businesses — especially ones with large groups of employees and routine heavy foot traffic — a comprehensive disaster communication plan is imperative. Certain failures during Hurricane Sandy underscored the importance of internal and external communication during a large-scale natural disaster.
Emergency preparedness among families is a rather sobering topic; no one wants to think about their spouse and children suffering or being put at risk. You can prevent some of the problems that many Hurricane Sandy victims experienced by learning from their unfortunate mistakes.
Right before Sandy ravaged the East Coast, regional residents were being advised to take standard precautions such as shoring up potential home hazards and turning off gas and water supplies before evacuating.
Still, that’s reactive preparedness. Proactive measures make a bigger difference in your family’s well-being. Prudent food and water storage is one of many steps that can put you in the best situation possible, in case a disaster such as Hurricane Sandy strikes.
So if Mother Nature decides to get temperamental and volatile once again, whether it be in the form of Hurricane Sebastien, Sally or Sam, the principle of “always be prepared” rings true, as does the need for a rock-solid evacuation plan.
Categories: Preparedness Basics, Emergency Resource Guide, Preparing for a Natural Disaster
Tags: hurricane, emergency preparedness, standard precautions, reactive preparedness, natural disaster
FB/G+: Since Hurricane Sandy was so devastating, the name has been officially retired from the list of hurricane names. Yet, this doesn’t mean that there won’t be another “Sandy.” Learn how to prepare.
Twitter: Preparing for Another #HurricaneSandy (link) #emergencypreparation
