Emergency Management Forum Response

Ryan Rodriguez

After finishing this week’s lesson I can tell you that I am probably an emergency managers worst nightmare when it comes to disasters. I have been through more hurricanes than I care to think about and as an EOD tech, more terrorist attacks than one should endure in a lifetime. The one thing that I did find interesting about this week’s readings was how they discuss the myths of household responses to disasters. I too am one of those who would imagine the general populous to freak out, wander aimlessly, or disregard the authorities, but in reality it is quite the opposite. Most people tend to respond constructively or at least in their best interest during these types of incidents (FEMA, 2010, p. 222).

Speaking about the recent events of Hurricane Matthew that just came ripping through North Carolina, I saw how people in my community responded first hand. The first thing to happen was the grocery stores were depleted of water, bread, and of course alcohol. It was never officially titled as such, but now after taking these classes about emergency management, the local and state governments were issuing out Protective Action Recommendations (PAR) and Emergency Operation Plans (EOP). The radio shows would have interviews with mayors or first responders on how they could prepare for the hurricane and the things they should stock up on before the hurricane came. There was never an evacuation notice issued for my area, so I guess you could say most people adhered to the shelter in place process. My community was great about helping each other out too. I was witness to some vehicles hydroplaning off the road and without hesitation locals would pull their trucks up and pull them out of the ditches. The recovery process was something to take note of as well. A good portion of my area was affected by power outages and it was interesting to see the amount of people going out for breakfast immediately following the hurricane. I’m sure every area responds differently, but the important thing is to listen to the recommendations on whether or not to evacuate the area.

-Ryan Rodriguez

References

Developing and Maintaining Emergency Operations Plans (2nd ed.) [PDF]. (2010). FEMA.