proactive, not reactive

[Spexvet]

When a catastrophe like Katrina, the tsunami, or 911 happens, the country rallies in reaction, and then tries to figure out what could have been done to prevent it from occurring. We're great at being reactive, but not so good at being proactive. Why do you think that is?

[chip anderson]

Let me know when you come up with a way to keep Hurricanes, or even tornados from happening.

[JennyP]

I think what Spexvet means is that we need to have better plans in place for IF something happens.

I live within 10 miles of a nuclear plant. Have for over 15 years.
Every month, a test alarm is sounded at noon, on the first Wednesday. It reminds us that, if something goes wrong (and if there's any time) we are to check the radio/tv emergency system for instructions and prepare to evacuate.

When we first moved here and my kids were in 2 different schools, I was more concerned about where evacuation would be to, and where we would have to go to meet with the kids were an accident to occur during the school day, again: assuming that there was any time to evacuate. We didnt have cell phones then, and we wondered what we would have to deal with were we to need to leave in a hurry. My husband and I had a flexible plan on what supplies we would need to grab for our disabled daughter and ourselves, and we thought about which relatives we would run to.

We don't live in an area where a natural disaster is a high risk. Even earth quakes and tornados are a rare occurance. We do live above a dam, and after 9-11, our town leaders discussed and planned what measures could be used if that dam became a terrorist target. My husband and I made plans for if something happened to the dam, and if our family were on different sides of the lake/river, what we would attempt to get back together as quickly as possible, and where we would meet.

It is the same as a family housefire escape plan. Once upon a time, I guess when we were closer to war times, and cold war times, we had emergency preparedness plans for lots of situations and people knew what they were. We even drilled for them in school.

When something serious happens, and emergency plans have to be put into play, we don't hear much about the times that go right unless they happen close by or we are personally involved or in some way inconvenienced by them (ie: environmental spills; multiple car wrecks and triage implementation to take care of multiple victims; hostage situations and swat team call ups, etc.) But effective plans almost always have a negative impetus. Chernoble taught us lots about emergency care of nuclear emergency victims. And as hard as it is for the Gulf Coast victims to live with, Katrina will teach us what we should do and how we should prepare if this situation comes again.

I've been reading differing opinions about whether New Orleans even SHOULD be rebuilt, and the levee system and delta lands, how these could or should be changed... made safer, made better. I guess my optimism is directly influenced by the fact that my family is safe and comfortable tonight. We may feel the pinch of gas prices and the threat of scarcity, but my family has enough for now and I have the faith that the supplies will again be readily available, sometime, within a reasonable amount of time. I have that faith.

And the stories of the dollars raised and the goods being donated, and the jobs and homes and services being offered for survivors in many towns throughout the US: those things encourage me.

Maybe we ARE being re-active, but I think this awful situation will prove strength of our nation, and the nature of our hearts.

[Joann Raytar]

I agree with Spex on this one. I wonder how the Homeland Security would handle something on a chemical, biological or nuclear scale?

Hopefully, we are learning from how this is being handled.

Spex, this is the worst US natural disaster we have been hit with. Right now, I don't think we can be anything but reactive in this case.

[rinselberg]

Computer models predicted disaster
New Orleans scenario 'well anticipated,' experts say, so what happened?

Updated: 8:02 p.m. ET Sept. 2, 2005
WASHINGTON - Virtually everything that has happened in New Orleans since Hurricane Katrina struck was predicted by experts and in computer models, so emergency management specialists wonder why authorities were so unprepared. ... In light of that, said disaster expert Bill Waugh of Georgia State University, "It's inexplicable how unprepared for the flooding they were." He said a slow decline over several years in funding for emergency management was partly to blame. ...

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9175204/



RinselWorld is a new gateway to rinselberg's Home Page.
http://www.optiboard.com/forums/show...2&postcount=15

[chip anderson]

Please note the pentagon has planned senarios for war with any country in the world including Cannada and Lichtenstien. Does that mean that we really expect to go to war with same? Does that mean that we would automaticly find such a confllict would go according to plan? Does that mean that no one would get hurt if Cannada or Lichtenstien attacked? Get real the world doesn't work that way.

And just because someone thought about something doesn't meant that there is a workable plan with proper toys for implementation ready at all times. Shoot, my electricity was off for a few days, did I have generators for hear and the office? Did I have a back-up phone system? If it had been Winter would I have had a back-up heating system?

Of course, for those to whom "The Governement" is God, I suppose they think the government should be able to handle any problem instantly.

Personally I think that most everyone (except those *****ing about what is not being done, who seem to be doing nothing themselves about the problem) is doing everything humanly possible.

[GOS_Queen]

I was wondering why our area's beloved Northwest Medical Teams was being awfully quiet. I wondered why they weren't rushing to support our country like they do when a natural disaster hits the other parts of the world.

I wondered...


Well, I have been watching the weekend news edition this morning (that way I can catch up on what I wasn't able to see during the week). The first story they had on was about Northwest Medical Teams (who were packed and ready to go on Sunday night BTW) . They were instructed by FEMA to WAIT to deploy until they were given the go ahead! :angry: It's gonna take 4 - 5 days to get there .... but what's a few days in a natural disaster ...

Personally, I would have said "screw you" and gone anyway !!! That's ****ing wacked, man .... :finger:

karen

[rep]

It's gonna take 4 - 5 days to get there

karen

Calm down - last time I checked Katrina hit Monday. Today is Saturday. If your statements were accurate they would not be there until NEXT WEEK.

More than likely they were called Tuesday and as everybody can see are getting there now.

National Guard units closer in Mississippi and Alabama were uncovering from the rubble. That's why they called in Texas, Georgia and others. My county's SWAT and security team are headed there but again remember it is an eight hour drive even in good conditions. There is only one highway open North (49), they are working on clearing I-55 and I - 59 - I-10 West is closed to only relief and security personnel. I - 10 East is knocked out by bridges down along the Mississippi Gulf coast and Mobile Bay.

The only way to get in is along I-20 through Jackson and then South on what ever is open. Remember there is no electricty SOUTH of Jackson so NO GASOLINE for TRUCKS, BUSES, Relief and so forth they have to provide their own. (for reference that is more than three hours from New Orleans

Sitting at home it looks like nothing is being done. But if you look at how the storm hit and how the relief would get to N. O. you would realize how tough it has been and is NOBODY"S Fault.

I predicted real problems Sunday Night because I know the area very well. I am equally worried about the areas 50 miles South of N. O. because I think there may be hundreds buried under water in Homa, Grand Isle, Thibodaux, and Raceland.

The next big American disaster will be in California when the big one hits. They know it's coming and little has been done to plan for it.

Rep

[GOS_Queen]

Rep -

They were called yesterday to deploy.



I'll go sit in the corner and calm down now.

[rinselberg]

Experts Say Faulty Levees Caused Much of Flooding

By Michael Grunwald and Susan B. Glasser
Washington Post Staff Writers
Wednesday, September 21, 2005; Page A01


NEW ORLEANS, Sept. 20 -- Louisiana's top hurricane experts have rejected the official explanations for the floodwall collapses that inundated much of New Orleans, concluding that Hurricane Katrina's storm surges were much smaller than authorities have suggested and that the city's flood- protection system should have kept most of the city dry.

The Army Corps of Engineers has said that Katrina was just too massive for a system that was not intended to protect the city from a storm greater than a Category 3 hurricane, and that the floodwall failures near Lake Pontchartrain were caused by extraordinary surges that overtopped the walls.

But with the help of complex computer models and stark visual evidence, scientists and engineers at Louisiana State University's Hurricane Center have concluded that Katrina's surges did not come close to overtopping those barriers. That would make faulty design, inadequate construction or some combination of the two the likely cause of the breaching of the floodwalls along the 17th Street and London Avenue canals -- and the flooding of most of New Orleans ...

credit: Washington Post http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn...092001894.html



reprinted from the Laramy-K World News Forum
Rinsie reports, you decide ...
http://www.laramyk.com/forums/viewforum.php?f=11

[For-Life]

When a catastrophe like Katrina, the tsunami, or 911 happens, the country rallies in reaction, and then tries to figure out what could have been done to prevent it from occurring. We're great at being reactive, but not so good at being proactive. Why do you think that is?

proactive measures are way of spending money where people never see the benefits. No, governments look better when people can see the results.

You are correct, but you cannot win popularity contests with that approach.

[chip anderson]

Reiselberg:

Surely it's no supprise to you that Louisianna and especially New Orleans politics are more than a little bit corrupt. The have been since probabaly the city was founded, definitely before the War of Northern Agression.

Chip