When We Watch News Coverage Of A Hurricane Making Landfall ✓ Solved

When we watch news coverage of a hurricane making landfall,

When we watch news coverage of a hurricane making landfall, we often see local government buildings, first responders, bars and restaurants, and major private companies (e.g., insurance, telecom, retail). Identify the responsibilities of the public, private, and non-profit sectors and provide an example of each sector. What stages of the emergency management cycle do resilient communities use to try to limit the long-term impact of a disaster? Share two examples of preparedness measures and two examples of mitigation measures for natural or human-made hazards. Explain these points in the context of a real community's disaster experience and address applicable federal, state, and local policies.

Paper For Above Instructions

Introduction

News footage of hurricanes often shows a cross-section of society: municipal operations centers, fire and police units, restaurants and retail storefronts, and the headquarters or branches of large private firms. Each sector—public, private, and non-profit—has distinct responsibilities before, during, and after disasters. Resilient communities use all stages of the emergency management cycle (mitigation, preparedness, response, recovery) with particular emphasis on pre-event mitigation and preparedness to limit long-term impacts. This paper outlines sector responsibilities with examples, presents two preparedness measures and two mitigation measures, and applies these points to Hurricane Harvey’s impacts on the Houston region while addressing relevant federal, state, and local policies.

Sector Responsibilities and Examples

Public sector: Governments at local, state, and federal levels are responsible for risk assessment, warning and evacuation orders, public-safety operations, critical infrastructure restoration, and coordinating large-scale recovery (DHS, 2019). Example: Harris County and the City of Houston coordinate evacuations, sheltering, and emergency operations during hurricanes and maintain flood-control programs (Texas Division of Emergency Management, 2018).

Private sector: Businesses must protect employees and customers, maintain continuity of operations, secure critical infrastructure (utilities, telecom, retail supply chains), and engage in recovery through rebuilding and restoring services. Private firms also provide logistics, donations, and in-kind support (Kapucu, 2008). Example: National retailers and utilities (e.g., Home Depot, Verizon) supply recovery materials and restore communications and power after storms (Tierney, 2014).

Non-profit sector: Non-governmental organizations provide immediate humanitarian assistance—sheltering, feeding, volunteer coordination, case management—and long-term recovery support. Organizations often fill gaps between government assistance and unmet individual needs (American Red Cross, 2017). Example: The American Red Cross and local VOAD partners led mass sheltering, donations management, and volunteer mobilization after Hurricane Harvey.

Emergency Management Cycle and Community Resilience

Resilient communities actively use all four emergency management stages: mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery. Mitigation reduces hazard exposure and vulnerability (e.g., floodplain buyouts, stronger building codes). Preparedness builds capacity to respond and absorb shocks (e.g., early warning systems, drills). Response delivers life-saving services during an event; recovery restores services and incorporates “build back better” strategies to reduce future risk (Cutter, Burton, & Emrich, 2010). In practice, effective resilience emphasizes continuous mitigation and preparedness investments to limit long-term social and economic costs (Tierney, 2014).

Preparedness Measures (Two Examples)

1) Community-based early warning and evacuation planning: Establish redundant alert systems (NOAA, SMS, sirens), mapped evacuation routes, and routine drills that include special-needs populations and non-English speakers. Preparedness reduces casualties and enables orderly evacuations (Blake, Zelinsky, & Landsea, 2018).

2) Business continuity planning and supply-chain redundancy: Encourage private-sector continuity plans that protect employees, secure data, and diversify suppliers. Public-private exercises that simulate disaster scenarios improve coordination and reduce downtime for critical services (Kapucu, 2008).

Mitigation Measures (Two Examples)

1) Structural mitigation and managed retreat: Invest in flood-control infrastructure (levees, retention basins), and where necessary, use property buyouts in high-risk floodplains to remove recurrently damaged structures. FEMA-funded Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) and NFIP buyouts are examples of mechanisms to support this approach (FEMA, 2018).

2) Land-use policy and resilient building codes: Update zoning and development standards to limit building in hazard-prone areas, elevate structures, and require flood-resistant construction. These policy-driven measures reduce future recovery costs and can be incentivized via insurance discounts (NFIP Community Rating System) (FEMA/NFIP, 2018).

Application: Hurricane Harvey and the Houston Region

Hurricane Harvey (August 2017) caused unprecedented rainfall and flooding across the Houston metropolitan area. Harvey illustrated how interdependencies among public infrastructure, private businesses, and non-profits shape disaster outcomes. Public authorities led emergency response and sheltering, but long-standing development patterns, limited zoning, and extensive impervious surfaces amplified flood exposure (Blake et al., 2018; Texas Division of Emergency Management, 2018).

Private firms provided essential recovery goods, logistics, and donated funds; insurers and financial services shaped the pace of rebuilding. Non-profits coordinated volunteers and shelter operations where governmental resources were overwhelmed (American Red Cross, 2017). In the recovery phase, FEMA and the Stafford Act programs provided Public Assistance and mitigation funding, while state programs (Texas Division of Emergency Management) administered disaster response and coordinated federal support (Stafford Act, 1988; FEMA, 2018).

Houston’s experience demonstrates the necessity of combining mitigation (flood control investments, buyouts) and preparedness (improved alerts and evacuation planning). Post-Harvey investments—such as accelerated buyouts, expanded detention, and updates to local drainage management—reflect lessons that align with FEMA’s mitigation grant guidance and NFIP incentives (FEMA, 2018; NFIP, 2018).

Policy Context: Federal, State, and Local

Federal: The Stafford Act remains the statutory bedrock for federal disaster assistance, under which FEMA implements preparedness grants, HMGP, Public Assistance, and Individual Assistance; the National Response Framework guides whole-community response roles (Stafford Act, 1988; DHS, 2019).

State: State emergency management agencies (e.g., Texas Division of Emergency Management) coordinate state resources, request federal assistance, and manage state-level recovery programs. States also implement evacuation orders, resource deployments, and inter-state compacts (EMAC) (Texas Division of Emergency Management, 2018).

Local: Cities and counties execute immediate life-safety actions, maintain emergency operations centers, enforce local building and land-use codes, and manage local mitigation planning (Cutter et al., 2010). Local capacity and policy choices (zoning, permitting) greatly influence hazard exposure and recovery trajectories.

Conclusion and Recommendations

Resilient outcomes require clearly defined roles for public, private, and non-profit sectors and integrated action across mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery. Preparedness measures such as robust warning systems and business continuity planning, and mitigation measures like buyouts and updated building codes, demonstrably reduce long-term impacts. Hurricane Harvey illustrates both failures and successes: the event highlighted needs for stronger land-use policy, targeted mitigation investments, and sustained public-private-nonprofit coordination under FEMA, state, and local policy frameworks. Investing in mitigation and multi-sector planning before disasters is the single most effective way to reduce long-term social and economic losses (Cutter et al., 2010; Tierney, 2014).

References

  1. American Red Cross. (2017). Hurricane Harvey response summary. American Red Cross. https://www.redcross.org
  2. Blake, E. S., Zelinsky, D. A., & Landsea, C. W. (2018). Tropical Cyclone Report: Hurricane Harvey (AL092017). National Hurricane Center. https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/data/tcr/AL092017_Harvey.pdf
  3. Cutter, S. L., Burton, C. G., & Emrich, C. T. (2010). Disaster resilience indicators for benchmarking baseline conditions. Journal of Homeland Security and Emergency Management, 7(1), Article 51. https://doi.org/10.2202/1547-7355.1732
  4. Department of Homeland Security. (2019). National Response Framework (2nd ed.). U.S. Department of Homeland Security. https://www.fema.gov
  5. FEMA. (2018). Hazard Mitigation Assistance guidance and Hurricane Harvey after-action materials. Federal Emergency Management Agency. https://www.fema.gov
  6. National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). (2018). Community Rating System and floodplain management resources. Federal Emergency Management Agency. https://www.fema.gov/nfip
  7. Kapucu, N. (2008). Collaborative emergency management: better community organizing, better public preparedness and response. Disasters, 32(2), 239–262. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-7717.2008.01037.x
  8. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act, 42 U.S.C. § 5121 et seq. (1988).
  9. Texas Division of Emergency Management. (2018). Hurricane Harvey after-action report and lessons learned. Texas Division of Emergency Management. https://tdem.texas.gov
  10. Tierney, K. (2014). The social roots of risk: Producing disasters, promoting resilience. Stanford University Press.

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