As Hurricane Dorian continues to strengthen as it barrels toward Florida, the risks to people, communities and infrastructure will continue to grow. Federal, state and local agencies have had time to prepare, as have community and voluntary organizations. That said, enormous storms are unpredictable, as are their consequences. Hopefully individuals have heeded public advisories to leave or shelter in place. But in every instance, many may not listen to the warnings or have decided to “ride it out”. And for many people with limited resource before the storm, “getting prepared” may have been very difficult. Emergency supplies and preparations can be expensive or unaffordable. The ability to leave and find shelter may also be a difficult challenge for many families. Presumably responder agencies will have taken such considerations seriously in the planning for this storm.
Published: 9:19 PM, 8/31/19 Irwin Redlener, MD
Here’s what we’ll be watching for:
Clearly, not everything will go perfectly. Every major disaster is unique, so unexpected situations will arise at unexpected times. That said if lessons from past storms are heeded if training and getting ready for the worst have made Florida as prepared as it can be, that may be the best we can hope for.
As of right now, it appears that Puerto Rico may have dodged a major bullet as Hurricane Dorian’s track seems to be moving away from a direct hit. But the storm is intensifying, and now headed directly toward Florida. High speed winds and heavy rains with serious flooding are to be expected, the results of which are all too familiar for communities along the storm’s anticipated path of destruction. Calls to prepare and possibly evacuate high risk zones have been broadcast and, hopefully, citizens are heeding the warnings.
That said, the anticipation and impact of a major storm in Puerto Rico had additional layers of concern because the entire Island is still physically, economically, and psychologically recovering from Hurricane Maria, one the most devastating storms to hit the hemisphere in the last 100 years.
We recall that conditions in Puerto Rico were particularly vulnerable to powerful winds prior to Hurricane Maria because of chronic poverty, fragile infrastructure, and insufficient preparedness. This was compounded by a disorganized, insufficient federal response when the storm finally hit. All of this exacerbated a very dire situation following the hurricane’s landfall.
But inevitably, another Hurricane will hit Puerto Rico. After all, we are just now in the middle of the 2019 Hurricane season.
Here are the questions for right now:
We can only hope that real lessons were learned and applied after Hurricane Maria. Not just for Puerto Rico, but for every region facing the possibility of major disasters. We are worried, but time will tell.
One thing we do know is that while the electrical grid destroyed by the last big storm was eventually rebuilt, the promised state of the art improvements that could have made the whole system far more resilient did not happen. That does not bode well for this fragile place.
In the immediate aftermath of Hurricane Maria, international singer and recording artist Marc Anthony raised millions of dollars to help the storm-ravaged region respond and recover. He asked The National Center for Disaster Preparedness at Columbia University to manage these funds. To this end, NCDP has funded more than 24 programs in Puerto Rico and the region since Hurricane Maria. Some of the programs provided initial humanitarian relief, others have focused on recovery, especially for the programs that serve the needs of disadvantaged communities.
Published: 7:49 PM, 8/28/19 Author: Irwin Redlener, MD
Dr, Irwin Redlener, joined MSNBC’s Ayman Mohyeldin to discuss how well prepared Florida is for the incoming hurricane as well as how Tropical Storm Dorian tested Puerto Rico’s recovery since Hurricane Maria. Watch the segment below.
Published: 8:29 PM, 8/29/19
Deputy Director, Jeff Schlegelmilch joins Marketplace to talk about how Dorian may impact those with the least resources.
Published 12:30 PM, 9/3/19
