Disasterology: March 2023

This newsletter is a compilation of recent disaster ~things~ that I think are cool, important, or otherwise of interest to people who are intrigued with disaster (broadly defined).

There’s a little something for everyone!

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The State of Emergency Management

Emergency Management Policy? Dumpster Fire.

Emergency Management Practice? Dumpster Fire.

The discipline of Emergency Management? Dumpster Fire.

Disaster Nonprofits: Dumpster Fire.

Private Disaster Contractors: Making Lots of Money

Some of y’all are going to say that’s harsh but am I wrong? Listen, I’ve not been in the best mood about emergency management this month. Bullshit abounds. For every step forward, we take four back. C’est la vie! Let’s see if we can muster up something constructive.

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Public Expectations

I want to highlight this article from the LA Times. You might hit a paywall so I’ll summarize. The author talks about the various disasters that have happened in California in the past year with a particular emphasis on how the atmospheric river events have directly affected a greater portion of the state as compared to single wildfires. She goes on to explain that in the response to these disasters, people have relied on their family, friends, and neighbors to meet their basic needs as government has become overwhelmed. And, of course, that help has fallen along the lines of race and class with residents in communities like Pajaro receiving the least amount of assistance from government.

For those of us familiar with the emergency management system, this is a standard story. There’s nothing unique about how these responses have unfolded in California. It looks similar to what would happen in any other state.

What stood out to me about this story was one sentence in the middle of the article that read, “This is not how disaster response is supposed to work.”

And yet, what’s described in the article is a textbook case of the disaster response system working exactly as designed. What the author is, of course, signaling here is that what the public wants from government in a disaster, is different from what the government actually does in a disaster. This mismatch of expectations is a fundamental tension between emergency management that the field seems to have no intention of addressing.

Obviously, I agree that it shouldn’t work like this and that we need to reform the system to be more effective, efficient, and equitable. I think a lot of people in the public agree. The question is, as always, how to rally that public frustration into policy change.  

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Meme Break

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A Petty Little Story.

There has been some tremendously bad emergency management takes this month. I feel like I’m in a game of Whac-a-mole. I simply refuse to spend my time deconstructing the op-eds and the podcasts (IYKYK) but there was one little incident that I’ll share here if you’ll indulge me.

In the immediate aftermath of the Mississippi tornado, a contingent of storm chasers (who I won’t name because I am very nice) threw what one might call a hissy fit because the NWS rated the tornado as an EF4 instead of an EF5. You might think, “okay, weird, but what does that have to do with us”. Well, a key point of their argument was that Mississippi wouldn’t get a Presidential Disaster Declaration (PDD) unless it was an EF5. I – lmao. Wut?

Some emergency managers on Twitter very kindly (bless y’all) set them straight about the declaration process. (If you’re unfamiliar with the process give it a read!) To be clear, they immediately received a PDD. The whole thing was a bit odd. I bring it up though because it was a real *chef’s kiss* example of how misinformation spreads when people don’t stay in their lanes.

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Important Disaster Media Coverage This Month

Mitigation

• Before disastrous flood, officials knew Pajaro River levee could fail but took no action in the Los Angeles Times

• When it comes to earthquakes, Republicans and Democrats agree on L.A. retrofitting, poll finds in the LA Times

• Pumps in key New Orleans flood protection system corroded is 5 years. They were meant to last 35 from NOLA.com

• Retreat in Rodanthe in The Washington Post

Response

• CDC team studying health impacts of Ohio train derailment fell ill during investigation from CNN

• Pro-Moscow voices tried to steer Ohio train disaster debate from the AP

Recovery

• For some Rolling Fork residents, recovery from Mississippi tornado is uncertain in The Washington Post

• Insurers slashed Hurricane Ian payouts far below damage estimates, documents and insiders reveal in The Washington Post

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The End Bits

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