Question

You have been appointed to the Governor’s Emergency Management Team and have been placed in charge of creating a Threat Assessment Report. A Category 4 hurricane is moving toward the state, and your city is in the direct line. The storm will make landfall within 72 hours. The Emergency Management Team has been tasked with preparing the city for this event.

A year ago, the city was hit with what has been called the “Thousand Year Flood.” During the flood, the three rivers that surround the city crested, causing major flooding citywide. Loss of life was also high because of the suddenness of the storm. Damage to property was significant, and the projected rainfall expected from this hurricane will be comparable. Fortunately, you have three days to prepare.

Most media and technology equipment was knocked out during the last storm, so information was hard to come by, which added to the loss of life and damage. Some of that has been improved, and it is not expected to be as much of a problem, but, part of your task is to come up with a backup plan for getting information out to the public before, during, and immediately after the storm.

Answer 1

Backup plan

It is good to prepare and communicate beforehand in the time of occurrence of a storm to keep everything safe. All this information must pass to people when media and Technology are in a functioning condition.

Media and Technology Equipment will be functioning in this stage. Through these modes, the following communication can be made public.

1. Identify a safe room within the community

2. Inform about the type of storm and its gravity, potential impact, etc.

3. Tell people to store non-perishable food supplies, bottled water, a first-aid kit, a battery-powered radio, flashlights with extra batteries in air-tight containers.

4. Advice people to Adjust refrigerator temperatures to the coldest settings to avoid food spoiling if there is power is temporarily power failure.

5. Tell people to keep non-electric analog telephones or a fully-charged cell phone to make emergency calls during a power failure.

6. Tell people to maintain a list of emergency phone numbers.

During the storm

Media and Technology Equipment can be used along with radio devices for communicating the following frequently.

1. Recommend people to keenly observe the radio or TV for updates on climate.

2.Advice people to remain from all windows and keep themselves in a very covered place like bathrooms throughout the storm.

3. Advice people to shift to a shelter or a neighbor's house if their home is damaged or as per the instruction of emergency employees.

4. Tell people to unplug major appliances to avoid the chances of damage if a power surge occurs.

5.Advice people to turn off the electricity at their homes when the storm approaches their homes.

Immediately after the storm

1. Switch on all major appliances gradually to reduce damage when electricity returns to home.

2.Advice people to be cautious and not to use wet electrical or gas appliances immediately after the storm as there is a possibility for electric shock.