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How Prepared is U.S. for a Major Disaster?

By Ray Feliciano

Earthquakes, hurricanes, floods, fires, plagues and terrorist-caused havoc all share something ominous in common. They each threaten to potentially disrupt the basic infrastructure upon which people depend for their daily lives. While often taken for granted, the electricity that runs through our homes, the gas that fuels our cars, and the easy access to food and clean drinking water can quickly come to an abrupt end in the face of a major unforeseen disaster. A year to the day after a major earthquake killed over 43,000 in Bam, Iran, another strong quake in the Indian Ocean sent a towering wall of water crashing through coastal villages of eleven countries, killing thousands, and leaving many more homeless in what is being described as one of the worst natural disasters in recent history.

The tidal wave (tsunami) that hit South Asia was purported to be as high as 40-60 feet at some locations.

The December 26th tsunami in South Asia claimed over 115,000 lives from just the direct impact of the massive waves. There is fear from international health and relief organizations that the figure may soon double due to disease as decomposing bodies and polluted drinking water increase the risk of epidemic. Typhoid, malaria and cholera are common diseases in such unsanitary conditions. They have emphasized that getting clean water to survivors is priority.

The death toll is so extensive that many corpses are being buried by bulldozers in mass graves, or burned in huge funeral pyres. The stench of decay overwhelms many as they search the dead for friends and relatives they fear were lost to the sea.

As news of the devastation spread, support from around the world began coming in. Disasters of this magnitude often generate great compassion and unity from around the globe, as well as beg the question from our leaders as to what we can do to prepare for or prevent another such catastrophe. Clearly there wasn't a proper warning system in place for that part of the world, President Bush said. And it seems like to me it makes sense for the world to come together to develop a warning system that will help all nations.

Killer waves can be the result of the earth shifting in an earthquake, as this one was, or by an event such as an asteroid splashing into the ocean. For several days in December, scientists at the Spacewatch Observatory near Tucson, Arizona were concerned that there was a small possibility that an asteroid they were tracking might hit the earth in April of 2029. After reviewing their data, they have determined that the asteroid will miss both the earth and the moon. However, there is still a large amount of space around the earth where they are still scanning to find killer rocks that can threaten us.

2004 was also a record year for hurricanes and typhoons, with insurance companies estimating the damage at over $42 billion dollars. Homes and businesses were destroyed, and thousands were displaced. Hardest hit are often those that are already financially poor.

These are the people most desperate for our help -- those in lower-income brackets, many already living check-to-check to begin with, and then an extraordinary experience like a disaster comes along, said Brad Gair, who oversees FEMA's temporary housing in Florida. “It can be a huge setback for them and have devastating effects on their households.”

Pestilence is another major concern for those responsible for ensuring emergency preparedness. The SARS epidemic of 2003 killed over 900 people in a few weeks, and showed how quickly a contagious disease can spread around the world, especially in this age of increased global travel. In particular, there are concerns that terrorists might attempt to introduce some form of plague into the population, such as Smallpox.

According to the United States General Accounting Office, there is deep concern that many hospitals would be ill-prepared for a large scale epidemic.

[above] With Colonie Mayor Frank Leak by his side, outgoing Assemblyman
Bob Prentiss makes his final press conference about emergency preparedness
by presenting the Colonie Fire Company with a $30,000 check. This allowed
them to purchase equipment for a Collapse/Trench Rescue Team, the only
such unit available in upstate New York. (Photos - Ray Feliciano)

“Most urban hospitals have emergency plans but lack certain capacities for bio-terrorism response,” according to a GAO Report created for Congress. The report states that “Federal, state, and local officials fear hospitals may not have the capacity to accept and treat a sudden influx of patients, as might be seen in a bio-terror attack.”

Major disasters can show how fragile some of our fundamental infrastructure can be.

The massive Northeast blackout of 2003 demonstrated weaknesses in the electrical power grid when dozens of power stations across numerous states shut down in minutes due to a cascading power failure.

Without electricity, most homes lose their lights, refrigeration, and sometimes heat and hot water. Keeping food becomes problematic.

An attack on our food supply is definitely a possibility that requires vigilance. Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson said that he worries “every single night” about a possible terror attack on the food supply.

“For the life of me, I cannot understand why the terrorists have not attacked our food supply because it is so easy to do,” Thompson said last month while announcing his resignation.

Whether due to nature or terrorism, major disasters can disrupt our lives overnight. Preparing for the unknown is an ongoing task.

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