Discussion 4 – Hazard Identification
Top Three Hazards / Threats to my Community
While there are numerous threats and hazards to my community, the three most common
hazards are hurricanes, instability of the Texas power grid and severe thunderstorms. On the Gulf
Coast of Texas, hurricanes pose a significant threat to my community. In the last two decades, the
Houston area where I live have been directly impacted by hurricanes. Tropical storm Allison in
200, hurricane Rita in 2005, Ike in 2008, Harvey 2017 caused widespread flooding and property
damage. “The TSR (Tropical Storm Risk) April forecast update for North Atlantic hurricane
activity in 2022 anticipates a season with above-norm activity but at levels lower than in 2020
and 2021” (Saunders et al., 2022, p. 1).
Another hazard that currently exists is the instability of the Texas power grid. “While
summer peak loads have been a central planning concern on the Texas grid in the past, it is likely
that winter peak loads will become a greater concern in the coming decades” (Ofori-Boateng et
al., p. 5). Energy providers are advising residents to adjust thermostat temperatures to 78 degrees
during peak summer days to protect the grid, which is indicative of a serious problem. The loss
of power for a large portion of the state is a safety hazard as many residents rely upon power to
operate essential life safety equipment.
Severe thunderstorms are quite common for most of the year in Texas and the Houston
area is susceptible to the hazards associated flash flooding and damaging winds. Like the effects
of hurricanes, the unpredictable nature of severe thunderstorms poses risk to all residents in the
metropolitan area. Strong winds, lightning, hail and even tornadoes cause significant damage and
risk human life.
Difference between a Hazard and a Threat
According to FEMA, “Hazard means an event or physical condition that has the
potential to cause fatalities, injuries, property damage, infrastructure damage, agricultural loss,
damage to the environment, interruption of business, or other types of harm or loss” (FEMA,
1997). (Islam & Ryan, 2015, p. 18). A hazard generally refers to naturally occurring events such
as floods, earthquakes, tornadoes, coastal storms, hurricanes, wildfires. There are also manmade
hazards which can include technological accidents and terrorist attacks. The primary difference
between the two obviously being that manmade hazards originate from human activity.
Technological hazards, or man-made hazards can come from “manufacturing, transportation, and
the use of substances such as radioactive materials, chemicals, explosives, flammables,
pesticides, herbicides, and disease agents; oil spills on land, coastal waters, or inland water
systems; and even debris from space” (Islam & Ryan, 2015, p. 171). Most people would define a
threat as an expression or intention to inflict injury, which does fall into the same category as
some manmade hazards. In the context of this discussion, a threat generally can be defined as a
person or thing that has the potential to cause damage, injury, or imminent danger. Threats can
include “terrorism/bioterrorism, technological hazards, and chemical, biological, radiological,
nuclear, and explosives (CBRNE)” (Islam & Ryan, 2015, p. 3).
The Top Three Hazards the Country Faces
The top three hazards the country faces as a whole are hurricanes, wildfires and terrorism.
Hurricanes represent a major hazard to both coastal and inland communities. The effects
beyond the initial physical damage are often wide ranging such as disruption to oil production,
transportation, and economic impact.
Wildfires have become more common and are reaching larger areas that are difficult to
protect. Wildfires destroy homes, threaten the lives of people and livestock, and often cause
damage to infrastructure in the affected areas.
Acts of terrorism pose hazards to transportation and other infrastructure. The affects of
terrorism include damage to property, loss of lives and threatens critical infrastructure.
CBRNE
The greatest of the hazards we face from CBRNE is arguably an explosive device due its
simplicity, availability, and destructive power. “Of all the technological hazards discussed, the
most likely CBRNE material to be used by a terrorist is high-yield explosives” (Islam & Ryan,
2015, p. 221). Past attacks in the United States as well as the development of explosive
techniques by terrorists pose a significant hazard regardless of where they are deployed. There
have been many thwarted purposeful plots disrupted by Federal counter-terrorist operations
thankfully and it is clear our nation must continue these efforts and stay prepared.
Cyber
Cyber is an evolving threat that is growing in sophistication and capability with far
reaching consequences for people around the world. “Businesses and individuals alike are
extremely vulnerable to the theft or manipulation of sensitive information” (Islam & Ryan, 2015,
p. 219). Cyber-terrorists have significantly disrupted business networks and government
infrastructure systems are certainly vulnerable to attacks. Nation-state actors from hacking
groups based in Russia, North Korea, Iran, and other hostile locations have increased their efforts
in recent years and they represent a serious threat.
“Be thou prepared, and prepare for thyself, thou, and all thy company that are assembled
unto thee, and be thou a guard unto them” (King James Bible, 1769/2017, Ezekiel 28:7).
References
U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Multihazard identification and
assessment Washington, DC: FEMA; 1997.
Islam, T., & Ryan, J. (2015). Hazard mitigation in emergency management. Butterworth-
Heinemann.
King James Bible. (2017). King James Bible Online. https://www.kingjamesbibleonline.org
(Original work published 1769)
Ofori-Boateng, D., Dey, A. K., Gel, Y. R., Li, B., Zhang, J., & Poor, H. V. (2019, June).
Assessing the resilience of the Texas power grid network. In 2019 IEEE data science
workshop (dsw) (pp. 280-284). IEEE.
Saunders, M., Roberts, F., & Lea, A. (2022). April Forecast Update for North Atlantic Hurricane
Activity in 2022.
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