Case Study on Galveston Hurricane of 1900



Case Study on Galveston Hurricane of 1900

Introduction

This discussion will compare past and present legislation in effect to reduce the impacts of natural disasters such as hurricanes. Furthermore, the discussion will highlight how the implementation of legislation is useful through hazard mitigation planning involving emergency management agencies. In order to do so adequately, the discussion will compare and contrast the response efforts to the Galveston hurricane of 1900 to the response efforts after Hurricane Andrew; while highlighting what has changed. The discussion will come to a conclusion by giving consideration to the future of hurricane disaster response and recovery efforts.

Discussion

Hurricane Galveston came on September 8, 1900 and is named after the city of Galveston, Texas. Hurricane Galveston caused extensive damage to life and property. It is recognized as one of the most damaging natural disasters to have ever been recorded in history (Frank, 2003; Blake, Landsea & Gibney, 2007). Official statistics show that the death toll was well over six thousand and unofficial numbers are around twelve thousand. The areas affected included Bahamas, Cuba, Eastern Canada, Florida, Hispaniola, Illinois, Iowa, Jamaica, Kansas, Lesser Antilles, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Nebraska, New York, Oklahoma, Puerto Rico, Texas, Turks and Caicos Islands and Wisconsin (Baker, 1991; Wolshon, Urbina & Levitan, 2001).

Hurricane disaster response and recovery efforts fail to have an impact if they are not based on adequate planning and process mapping (Blake, Landsea & Gibney, 2007; Baker, 1991). While most hurricane disaster response and recovery efforts are designed to function in the form of a scripted process, the fact that the unpredictability of hurricanes can sometimes partially hamper response and recovery efforts (Wolshon, Urbina & Levitan, 2001; Frank, 2003). For instance, it becomes difficult to deliver adequate fire department services if the hurricane sweeps across the fire station.

The future of hurricane disaster response and recovery efforts is based on the combined utilization of state and federal agencies (Frank, 2003; Blake, Landsea & Gibney, 2007). Hurricane disaster response and recovery efforts are now designed to give consideration to the feasibility and synergy of joint efforts. In the past, hurricane disaster response and recovery efforts were often delayed and an absence of planning and a deficiency in preparation. There is a need to highlight and recognize the fact that while it is not impossible to forecast hurricanes, it is almost impossible to predict the extent of damage that a hurricane ...