R1-1
Provide a substantive response
You are also required to respond to at least two colleagues –. Consider the following when you reply:•Is the reply mechanically clear enough for readers to understand the points?•Does the tone of the reply demonstrate respect towards the author of the original post?•Does the reply inspire further discussion among the class?
Write a 150 word response to Liosdan
Liosdan,
South Florida Threats and Hazard Vulnerability Risk assessment
In recent history the south Florida region has seen its fair share of threats and hazards including Natural, Technological, and Human-caused. One of the most important tools emergency managers can utilize to perform a risk assessment is Data from previous disasters that may have occurred in the region. Previous disasters can give feedback on how well a community has prepared and show its failures and strength that can ultimately strengthen their emergency plan and community resilience.
Due to the geographical location of South Florida, there is a very high chance of Natural Hazards such as Tropical Storms and Hurricanes. A potential threat exists from any Hurricanes category 1 to 5 to our region. Hurricanes can occur anywhere from June 1st through November 30th. Storm surge and large waves produced by hurricanes pose the greatest threat to life and property along the coast. Past data shows the highest probability to our region is in the moths of august and September. Core Capability for tropical storms and hurricanes to south Florida would include Mass search and rescue operations along with survey of essential infrastructure. Due to the predictability of such hazards local communities can utilize the whole community approach to prepare and limit the impact. The state may also request federal government to have aid standing by to provide a fast response and recovery.
Another natural hazards that can occur anywhere is a Pandemic/Epidemic as we are currently experiencing with Covid-19. Pandemics and epidemics are a natural hazard that can affect our community. A pandemic / epidemic can occur at any unprecedented time with little to no warnings. Pandemics are large-scale outbreaks of infectious disease that can greatly increase morbidity and mortality over a wide geographic area and cause significant economic, social, and political disruption. The pandemic can affect the young, elderly and individuals with underlying medical conditions. Core Capability for these types of hazard would be to Determine how the outbreak is spreading and its origin, prepare field hospitals, and implement plans to prevent further infections and spread.
Active Shooter or Mass shooting has become one of the most common Human Caused hazards communities across the world face. Mass shooting can occur with little to no warnings or signs. Mass shooting are likely to occur at large scale events in our community like educational, sporting events, concerts and festivals. Mass shooting are also likely to occur during the holiday seasons to bring fear to the consumers causing people to lose their lives and well as economic impact to local businesses. Core Capabilities include Dispatching of first responders such as police, tactical teams and EMS. Locate and neutralize the shooter, initiated mass triage, treat and transport the injured. After the initial 24 hours determine motive and start the restoration process as well as psychological treatment for those involved.
South Florida is surrounded by water making Flooding and Sea Level Rises a Hazard and threat. These types of threats are likely to increase as the years progress due to climate change and global warming. “Along much of the Florida coast, the sea level already has risen seven to nine inches per century” (Miami-Dade County, Florida Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan Volume 1, 2017 P.43). These types of hazards may also cause a higher storm surge with greater impacts to structures and infrastructure. In order to prepare for this at the local level coastal communities will have to build a higher sea wall. This type of hazard is predictable and will likely cause damages to later generations.
Finally, Technological Hazards are common to all communities in the 21st century due to is dependent in technology. Some technological Hazards that can affect my local community are Coastal Oil Spill, electric Utility Failure, Hazardous Materials Release, Nuclear Power Plan Release, Structural fire, Transportation Incident and Water /Wastewater incidents. These Technological incidents can occur in my communities due to the busy Miami Ports where many hazardous materials pass through daily. Miami-Dade Fire department has prepared for these types of incidents by having specialist teams strategically paced on site at the port of Miami and international airport.
Write a 150 word response to Robert post.
Robert,
would like to preface my answer to this week’s discussion with a bit of recent history. Not even a month has passed since one of the coldest and worst winter storms passed over nearly the entire US. Throughout my studies to earn my degree one common topic that always comes up is a discussion of critical infrastructure. The winter storm and ensuing after-effects show just how neglected our nation’s infrastructure really is.
Beginning on February 10th what would be known as Winter Storm Uri began pounding the US with record low temperatures, ice storms, and massive snowfall. Most of the nation was not prepared but. Some parts did fare better than others. Texas however fell flat on its face when the storm hit, resulting in a state of emergency being declared by the governor. The biggest issue was power or lack thereof really.
Texas intentionally isolated its power grid from the major national grids. This was done so private businesses would not be subject to federal oversight and regulations. It was also done to create a wholesale market for power. Residents thought their variable price electric bills were great until the power company raised the per kW hour price during the storm to $9000 per kWh. Yes, some residents were faced with power bills exceeding $10,000 for only 4 days of power. So much for deregulation.
Here’s the worst part Texas was warned nearly ten years ago this would happen and if faced with cold weather the grid would fail and nothing was done to fix the problem. At the height of the storm over 5 million people were without power during record low temps in Texas alone. Damaged buildings, burst pipes, frozen fire hydrants, and with no power there were no pumps to pressurize the natural gas lines to supply natural gas power stations with fuel to make electricity so the system was stressed even more because fossil fuel generation failed. The governor tried to blame the incident on renewable power supply systems like turbines and the cause of the power loss when in reality all systems had failed. The renewable systems failed due to poor maintenance.
So with that being said, my number one hazard of concern is the loss of power due to a grid failure caused by poor infrastructure maintenance. If extremely cold weather can cause a strain on the system then why couldn’t extremely hot weather also be of the same concern? The problem is being exacerbated by the record population growth in the area as major corporations set up headquarters in the area and people flock to the plethora of jobs in DFW.
The second issue in my area is concern over clean water. What I mean is the population of the Dallas, Ft. Worth Metroplex (DFW) is exploding exponentially. With more people comes more strain on resources. In this case, water or how to properly treat wastewater from more and more suburbia build up and industrial expansion. Getting water is an issue in itself but after you have acquired the water and used it the wastewater must be treated in order to be reused. This usually involves chemicals like chlorine, or ozone, or even usage of bacteria to breakdown solids in wastewater. Where do all the byproducts go? A sustainable and eco-friendly method of water purification needs to be explored in order to support the population boom in the area. No Texas communities have an unlimited water supply, and few have water treatment and distribution systems adequate to meet future growth. Still, fewer are the number of residents that are totally confident that their water supplies are protected from pollution.
The third consideration would be severe weather. North Texas has its share of major severe weather. From hail damage to buildings and automobiles, fires from lightning storms, and the outright devastation of tornadoes. How well is DFW prepared for severe weather? I was witness to a major tornado outbreak last year in the area. I have to say the local emergency managers were really spot on with the response after the event but, could there have been anything better done in the mitigation and preparedness areas upfront to make the communities more fortified against something that is regularly occurring in this area of the country?
A fourth hazard to consider that isn’t unique to Texas alone, but the risk is far greater in Texas is a fuel pipeline accident. Texas has more miles of pipeline than any other state and there have been several severe leaks, contaminations, explosions, and outright natural disasters associated with the pipelines even in recent years. There are three major pipelines to the south of Irving and two to the north of the city. All are owned by Atmos Energy. There was a house explosion in 2019 in Irving related to improperly installed line couplings. As developments encroach even closer to the pipeline easements this could become an even bigger problem.
The fifth hazard for consideration is earthquakes. I actually did not know that the city of Irving actually has earthquakes. According to the Irving emergency management website the city has quakes ranging from 2.1 to 3.6. While considered minor, it is still something to be concerned about. The US Geological Survey website shows that there have been 55 earthquakes of 2.5 magnitudes or higher in the past 30 days in Texas and Oklahoma. While these quakes are small and should have no real danger there is one issue that makes these smaller quakes something to raise an eyebrow at. The massive population growth in Texas means that even the smaller quakes can cause more damage than in the past because now people are moving into quake areas formerly unoccupied and bigger quakes have occurred but, no one was around.
Preparedness
Hazard #1- Poor power grid
The federal government may have to step in on this one but, the Texas power grid needs to be integrated and regulated with the rest of the nation. Older sections need to be upgraded to handle the ever-increasing power loads. Oncor, the company responsible for power distribution in North Texas needs to be fined for the power outages that caused at least 30 deaths last month. I would give Texas a one year time frame to fix the major issues and come up with a plan to fix the lesser issues, and come up with an expansion plan for future power consumption problems.
Hazard #2- Poor water conditions due to massive population expansion
New developments are going up every day in Dallas and Tarrant counties. The water issue needs to be addressed now. I would give the two counties 6 months to come up with an emergency plan and a year to come up with a permanent plan and no more than 18 months to implement that plan.
Hazard #3- Severe weather
Part of the problem with severe weather is the runoff from large amounts of rain. In some areas, there are not enough drainage ditches or the roads are in such bad repair they no longer help drain the water off anymore. This has led to flooding throughout the city. The current drainage ditched could be widened or deepened to accommodate more water. There are local parks with small lakes or ponds used to hold runoff. These lakes could be made deeper. Funding is always an issue but, after that, it shouldn’t take more than 6 months to adjust the ditches and ponds. This is only an initial fix as the issue needs to be looked into further. This initial fix would just buy a little more time.
Hazard #4- Fuel pipeline accident
A home exploded in 2019 due to a gas leak from a main underground pipeline, acres of land were ruined when oil spilled from a ruptured pipe in Greenville. This infrastructure needs to be evaluated and repairs made ASAP. The Railroad Commission is responsible for the regulation of the Texas pipeline system while Atmos is responsible for repairs and spills. An inspection of the entire pipeline system is needed however, this is a tall order considering the sheer number of miles of pipe in the state of Texas. Irving having segments of five different types of pipes running north and south of the city center. One year to inspect, come up with an annual inspection plan, and disaster plan, and implement those plans.
Hazard #5- Earthquakes
In 2008 the City of Irving and researchers at Southern Methodist University started monitoring quakes in the area. Of concern was that quakes might damage the above-mentioned gas pipelines, electrical systems, and water lines in the city. Twenty-two seismographs are installed in the Dallas and Irving area and a plan is already in the works. Researchers say it may take years to get a full picture of just how bad a quake could get in the area. But this issue is already being tackled head-on with help from the university.