Examination of Emergency/Disaster Response and Recovery Operation Event Critique

Disaster Response and Recovery Event Critique Name Institution Course and Code Professor Date Disaster Response and Recovery Event Critique Introduction Natural disasters are inevitable and proper emergency management response must be emphasized to overcome them. Notably, disaster management includes four phases, namely mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery. Hurricane Katrina started as a tropical depression along the southeastern Bahamas. As the storm moved west, it intensified attaining a category 5 status and wind speed of around 175 mph when it was moving across south Florida and the Gulf of Mexico (Weather.gov, 2022). This paper focuses on Hurricane Katrina and gives a comprehensive critique regarding the response and recovery stages. Type of Hazard Faced The type of hazard discussed in this paper is Hurricane Katrina. In particular, Hurricane Katrina began on 23rd August 2005 and lasted until 30th August 2005, meaning it lasted for seven days. The disaster caused the death of over 1,800 people, displaced millions of individuals in New Orleans, Mississippi, Florida, and Louisiana, and damaged properties of over $150 billion (Weather.gov, 2022).   Response Overview Although the response to Hurricane Katrina has been criticized for being ineffective and slow, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and other agencies, such as the American Red Cross (ARC) responded to help the victims. Different teams, such as the Active Duty Military and the National Guard were dispatched for search and rescue operations (NIMS, n.d.). They formed relief camps where injured people were taken to be given first aid as the rescue operation continued. In addition, affected individuals were provided with necessities and temporary shelter. Responders and Stakeholders During Hurricane Katrina, the responders and stakeholders included the National Guard, FEMA, the United States Coast Guard (USCG), local and state agencies, private individuals, businesses, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Others were the Active Duty Military, charity organizations, and non-governmental organizations, such as the ARC (Moynihan, 2018). Despite numerous respondents and stakeholders, Hurricane Katrina killed many individuals, left millions homeless, and destroyed properties worth billions of dollars. Human Behavior During a disaster, fear and emotion are the two primary things that influence human behaviors. In particular, communication problems, looting, emotional connection, and prosocial behavior affected how people behaved (Schneider, 2004). For example, many individuals were cooperative and provided the needed help to the victims of Hurricane Katrina. Those not affected welcomed the victims to stay in their houses during evacuation. Overall, people portrayed supportive behaviors during this natural disaster. Response Measures The primary response measures during Hurricane Katrina were evacuation by government and non-government agencies, distribution of necessities, medical assistance, and the provision of temporary relief camps (NRF, n.d.). For instance, the United States Army Corps of Engineers spent around $14.5 billion to reduce floods, protect properties, and improve infrastructure. Additionally, the Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) offered food packages to the affected families. Rescue-Care/Triage During Hurricane Katrina, different teams were deployed to offer medical assistance to the victims who sustained injuries. Although setting up medical assistance centers was challenging since a large area was flooded and nearby hospitals were not operating, responders and stakeholders tried to offer proper healthcare services. However, it was problematic to assess who should or should not receive treatment based on their injuries. Public Information Sharing Public information sharing was problematic during Hurricane Katrina due to the destruction of the communication infrastructure. Cell towers and phone lines were damaged, making it hard for rescue operations and communicating with the public. In addition, the lack of a centralized communication center contributed to numerous sources of information, which was misleading to the public (Comfort & Haase, 2006). For instance, there were different statistics for fatalities and the available communication services were overwhelmed with calls. Notably, the public did not cooperate in response operations, due to poor public information sharing. Handling Donations & Volunteers Donations were handled well during Hurricane Katrina since it was channeled to the ARC disaster relief program. Hotline numbers were given via the ARC website. Various organizations and individuals volunteered, including faith-based institutions, the United Nations, and the National Guard. For instance, over 6,000 church volunteers and state conventions operated mobile clinics and kitchens to ensure that the victims of Hurricane Katrina and responders got enough food and first aid (Michel, 2007). Moreover, the National Guard moved about 88,000 individuals to safety and approximately 18,000 tons of relief food supplies. Stress Management The victims and responders of Hurricane Katrina were helped to manage their stresses by volunteer health professionals. They were encouraged to share their traumatic experi...