This week we were asked to pick three hazards that are prevalent in our hometowns, and what hazard adjustments we would recommend based on these three hazards. My hometown is unique with that it is literally five miles from a nuclear power plant. So the three hazards for my hometown would include extreme storms, flooding, and the nuclear power plant.
Northern Illinois gets some pretty nasty storms in the spring, and even the winter with the amount of snowfall. Some things to consider for hazard adjustment would be early warning, public shelters if one is caught out and about when a tornado is spotted, and for those winter months when the snowfall could be almost blizzard like, having the equipment necessary to move the massive amounts of snow to keep the area clear, and even having areas that can store supplies for families that may need them that cannot get to them.
My hometown is located right on the Rock River in Northern Illinois and flooding is something that happens almost yearly. Some things for hazard adjustment would be having sandbags available for those who are in need of building a wall to help keep the water out of their homes. Restrict building on areas that are prone to flooding and to potentially build up the areas that are prone to flooding to avoid damage. Building elevated houses, or walling off areas to keep the rising water away would be an option.
The last one would be the nuclear power plant; this potential hazard is something that could be extremely devastating if something went bad. One just needs to take a look at the town of Pripyat, Ukraine after the Chernobyl accident in April 1986 to understand the devastation that could happen. Some things for hazard adjustment for the nuclear power plant would be to have multiple safety measures in place to avoid that kind of accident and radiological release at the plant. There should be emergency responders that are trained in dealing with a radiological release, and a way to evacuate the area in a hurry if need be. Whether it is school buses to get people out of the area, or they just tell everyone to grab the essentials and get out and have a place set up out of the area that they can stay until it is either safe to return to their homes, or if they need to relocate somewhere else.
These are some examples of hazards in my area that emergency planners need to take into account when looking at developing an emergency plan.
Respectfully,
Ryan Thomas
Reference
World Nuclear Association. (2016, June). Javascript Required! Retrieved October 06, 2016, from http://www.world-nuclear.org/information-library/safety-and-security/safety-of-plants/chernobyl-accident.aspx
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