This provides a summary of recommended improvements to New York City’s operations based on operations before, during and after Hurricane Sandy. The report notes that it is not an exhaustive list of all lessons learned in Hurricane Sandy; rather, it is intended to provide “a roadmap of the strategic steps the City will take to… Read more
This case study examines the challenges encountered by Vermont localities affected by Hurricane Irene when trying to use federal disaster relief funds to increase resilience of their communities, particularly in transportation systems and infrastructure. Following Irene, Vermont encountered legal barriers when FEMA initially refused to reimburse communities for the added costs of rebuilding roads and… Read more
A field report, which examines the devastation due to Hurricane Sandy experienced in Red Hook, Brooklyn, New York, a neighborhood consisting of geographically isolated low-lying commercial and residential units, with a concentration of low-income housing, and disproportionate rates of poverty and poor health outcomes largely experienced by Black and Latino residents. The authors conclude that… Read more
The GridWise Alliance (GWA) conducted a workshop entitled “Grid Modernization Impacts During Superstorm Sandy and Other Very Large Scale Grid Events” to explore challenges and opportunities that very large scale events (VLSEs) events present to the electric system. This report notes that grid modernization alone cannot adequately ensure that the electric grid is safe, secure,… Read more
This article argues that the issues were related more to communication and coordination rather than capacity and capability. “Resources did not always make it the last mile to reach those most in need.” Also emphasizes the need for better understanding of (a) reasons that citizens defy public mandatory evacuation orders and (b) how to communicate… Read more
The author presents his experience in collaborating with the Sea Level Rise Tool for Sandy Recovery to underscore how collaborative scientific efforts and advances in science can improve and better manage extreme weather events, particularly those related to sea-level rise. Emphasizes the need for collaborations to be forward-looking and flexible (i.e., able to prepare for… Read more
The Obama administration aspires to work with communities to help them rebuild smarter and better by providing the best data about the risks they face, setting clear resilience standards to help protect against those risks, and bringing a wide range of stakeholders together to foster innovative ideas and ensure a comprehensive regional approach to rebuilding.… Read more
This after-action report provides an overview of Hurricane Sandy, its impacts and response, as well as recommendations for improvement. Primary areas of improvement as recommended by the report include: Ensuring unity of effort across the Federal response Being survivor-centric Fostering unity of effort across the whole community Developing an agile, professional emergency management workforce Unity… Read more
A post-disaster town hall meeting is first and most important opportunity for localities to update their community on the status of recovery efforts underway. The agenda and content of a press release notifying the community of the meeting will vary widely depending on the locality, peril and extent of damage. Below are several examples of how… Read more
The post-disaster town hall meeting, is one of the first and most important opportunities for the regional state emergency management office to update an impacted locality on the state assistance and equipment being provided. Click here to download a post-disaster town hall meeting agenda template, and here for press releases and agendas used by other localities.… Read more
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