I decided to focus on a crisis that I experienced personally. In August 2004, Hurricane Charley exploded from a mild Category 2 storm into a borderline Category 4/5 storm. Originally forecast to strike the Tampa Bay area, it shifted east and instead hit southwest Florida before quickly moving through the peninsula. In my location (north Orlando), there were winds of approximately 105 mph with higher gusts as the strongest part of the eyewall passed. For brevity, I am focusing on the issue of power restoration, which for me took 4 days. More information is available on the Orlando Sentinel page dedicated to the hurricane.
This article describes the actions and anticipation before the hurricane, alongside statements from local officials, and here is a description of the power situation 72 hours after it. Before Charley's arrival, there were continued warnings that Orlando would get significant effects and residents should be ready if there is a change in the forecast. Once the late shift occurred, officials and power companies warned that there would be no emergency services during its peak and that electricity service might be unavailable for the several days despite tree cleanup and system restoration beginning as soon as it was safe to do so. Government and law enforcement officials also sent stern warnings before the storm about looting and civil disobedience. As cleanup began, there were frequent updates in the media and power crews and tree-cutters were seen throughout the region. However, frustrations began to erupt into violent (and sometimes drunken) outbursts due to long lines for food and gas as well as certain areas receiving electricity first while others did not. Law enforcement was present in many areas with electricity and helped people resolve disputes and maintain order. For instance, I was in a Taco Bell with my then-girlfriend, where we waited for 45 minutes before ordering. There was one drunk person who tried to cut the line but the manager and several others, including a sheriff's officer, removed him by force before there was a further disruption.
I would suggest that the power and government officials did a very good job preparing for various scenarios and quickly adjusted their plan as the storm shifted track. They informed the public about proper preparations and behavior, then enforced their words with actions. On the morning after the storm, I awoke to the sound of saws as tree removal began only hours after Charley passed. In this scenario, power restoration made the correct decision to focus on restoring power to hospitals, emergency services and certain business areas while residents typically waited 48-72 hours.
The lessons learned from previous storms, especially Hurricane Andrew in 1992, showed as emergency planners created contingency plans and maintained a nimble recovery force that could shift to areas quickly, assuming it was safe. Skeptics to the recovery plan suggested that election year politics (especially in a swing state) influenced the process, especially in light of Hurricane Katrina the next summer. However, I don't see any significant evidence to suggest that. The warnings about behavior issued before Charley's arrival were mostly heeded, and law enforcement officials quickly responded to issues and positioned themselves in areas to keep order.
Overall, the response to electrical needs from Hurricane Charley's was impressive despite the fact that it took several days to restore power in many areas. The crisis led to an opportunity to invest in upgraded power infrastructure and the other lessons were more immediately reinforced as two more hurricanes affected the area within 4 weeks and the six storms struck Florida during the 2005 season.
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I remember Hurricane Charley very well too. I was 18 years old and I was meant to fly to Orlando to work for Disney during the time Hurricane charley struck. Unfortunately I came ill with Shingles which also hindered me. But I remember when i did arrive in October, that there was very positive feedback as to how the authorities dealt with preparing, during and the aftermath of the hurricane. The local authorities kept everyone up-to-date. The warnings and news on how to prepare was very well organized. Due to good communication and strategic planning, many people were able to survive during the days of the hurricane and had plenty of supplies even though they were without electricity for days. The parts of Florida that did feel the force of the Hurricane were efficient and effective on managing the crisis.
ReplyDeleteI might not be familiar with Hurricane Charley but I have no doubts that the state of Florida would be able to handle the crisis of a hurricane disaster easily. Florida is the only state in the US to frequently be hit with hurricanes. Reading the steps Christopher detailed in his comments, the officials did everything in their power to restore order efficiently in my opinion. Sure everyone would like their power back on at the same time. But people have to realize that there isn't anyone to blame for the lack of restoration everywhere. Steps need to be taken. Everything cannot be restored at the same time. The officials and authorities did their job perfectly.
ReplyDeleteGovernment’s instructions and information from the media are the most reliable for people when natural disasters occur. It is very important that the government keeps warning and let people prepare for it, but not make them very scared. When the government is well prepared for responding to a natural disaster, they can avoid great confusions.
ReplyDeleteI do not remember this hurricane but i think it is great that Florida learned from previous hurricanes how to handle the outcome. Since Florida receives so many hurricanes, eventually a efficient method had to be made for dealing with them. The steps you mentioned that Florida took with restoring electricity quickly shows they are prepared and want to avoid any chaos when a hurricane hits.
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