Question

What is a critical source of information about community resources, behavior, and hazards that go into the hurricane sections of a community's Emergency Operations Plan?

Answer 1

A community's Emergency Operations Plan must incorporate comprehensive information about resources, resident behavior, and potential hazards to ensure inclusivity and effectiveness during hurricanes, as demonstrated by the shortcomings in planning for Hurricane Katrina.

Step-by-step explanation:

A critical source of information for creating effective sections of a community's Emergency Operations Plan related to hurricanes involves understanding community resources, behavior, and hazards. These plans should take into account the environment, technology, social institutions, and the population, as we saw with the convergence of these factors during Hurricane Katrina. Critical information can include data on transportation means available to residents (as ownership of an automobile heavily influenced evacuation strategies), the efficiency and reach of local communication systems (like the Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau's efforts post-Katrina), and insights into community behavior in crisis, such as the emergent-norm perspective of victim's actions during disasters. Understanding these facets of the community and incorporating them into planning efforts is essential to ensure that no segment of the population is overlooked during emergencies.

Answer 2

Critical Information under Hurricane Sections on EOP are as follows:

Community Resources
- Identification of evacuation routes and areas
- Transportation support capacity
- Location of mass care unit facilities
- Communication availability

Behaviors
- Situational awareness for early detection
- Designation of roles & responsibilities
- Decisiveness
- Responsiveness and Timing

Hazards
- Hazard agents: high winds, flooding, heavy waves
- Secondary hazards: tornadoes, power outages, water contamination, dam failure, etc.