Hurricane Sandy Emergency Preparedness Essay

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Unlike earthquakes, hurricanes offer a small window for immediate, acute emergency preparedness that can help members of the public at least get their families to safety. Hurricane Sandy was no different, but while the media did provide ample warnings that the hurricane was coming and to be prepared, the during and after stages of the event were not handled as well as they could have been in many communities on the Jersey Shore. Frank Timmerman, a homeowner, complains about several issues related more to responsiveness than to preparation. "We had filled up the tank with gas and were ready to evacuate as soon as we were ordered to do so, we had ample water and tinned food supplies, and we had flashlights, batteries, candles, and all that other stuff. We also took as many precautions as we could to secure our house and make sure to minimize property damage. Thankfully we had more than a day to research online what we needed to do. This was our first hurricane," Timmerman said.

The media was covering the oncoming storm extensively, said Timmerman, providing up-to-date information about the storm's location and direction of movement. Moreover, the media offered information about how to prepare for the storm and which communities would need to evacuate.

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It turned out that Timmerman's community was in fact evacuated. When the announcement arrived, Timmerman was prepared and knew which shelter to drive to, but that was all he knew. It was then that Timmerman realized how poor the media coverage was, as there were no official lines of communication established for residents. As Goldberg (2012) points out, Sandy showed how many communities like these need multiple methods of information dissemination, including a dedicated email address, dedicated telephone link that operates like a "reverse 911 system," a website, or Twitter feed. Additionally, Timmerman would have wanted a "block captain" in the community: someone who could go door to door informing people of the details of their evacuation as well as information about how to stay in touch about updates as to when they might be able to return (Goldberg, 2012). As it was, there was nothing. Timmerman and his neighbors were literally and figuratively in the dark about what to do.

When asked how public officials handled Sandy, Timmerman rolled his eyes. "They were deplorable. I mean, absolutely awful." Timmerman's point-of-view was shared by millions of others affected by….....

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"Hurricane Sandy Emergency Preparedness" (2015, November 08) Retrieved May 14, 2025, from
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"Hurricane Sandy Emergency Preparedness" 08 November 2015. Web.14 May. 2025. <
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"Hurricane Sandy Emergency Preparedness", 08 November 2015, Accessed.14 May. 2025,
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