EMERGENCY ACTION PLANNING > Blog > Risk Management > Infrastructure
Infrastructure
Copyright: godunk13 / 123RF Stock Photo
Infrastructure
noun
An underlying base or foundation especially for an organization or system.
- The basic facilities, services, and installations needed for the functioning of a community or society, such as transportation and communications systems, water and power lines, and public institutions including schools, post offices, and prisons.
Read more at http://www.yourdictionary.com/infrastructure#americanheritage#CgHPXPY04GB735Yg.99
During Hurricane Katrina we saw a complete an utter breakdown of law and order and the cities infrastructure. This was a first time exposure to what a large metropolitan organism will look like after the onset of a catastrophic disaster or emergency.
Today’s city is the most vulnerable social structure ever conceived by man.
– Martin Oppenheimer
And it will not get any better any time soon. Since Hurricane Katrina there have been several Natural Disaster events that have proven the inability of a large city to sustain itself. Multiple types of events can bring on the failures demonstrated after Hurricane Katrina.
More and more people are moving into metropolitan areas because of jobs and resources. The local infrastructure is relied on to support those people. During a Disaster or emergencies the local infrastructure will be taxed beyond its capability to support the local population.
Food
January 25-27 2010 North American Blizzard; 650,000 people lost power because of 5 -10 inches of snow. Washington DC the most protected city in the world crumbled because of a snow storm. Surrounding cities saw grocery shelves cleared out because the normal store traffic grew beyond 1000% of normal.
A recent conversation I had with a local public grocery store manager told me that they would be hard pressed to keep the doors open after three days without resupply. Depending on the event he could be closing his doors in one day. Retail infrastructure is now largely based on a supply chain management business model. That means the supplies need to be brought in on a regular basis.
The biggest causes of supply chain disruption according to the Supply Chain Resilience Survey were:
? Unplanned IT/telecom outages (52.9 percent)
? Adverse weather (51.6 percent)
? Outsourcer service failure (35.8 percent)
(Rothman, 2014)
Electricity
In 2004 a slew of four Hurricanes blew up the Florida Peninsula. A that time a friend of mine living in FT. Lauderdale, FL was forced to evacuate for almost a month because it took up to three weeks just to get the electrical grid up and running. The ability to restore electrical service to an affected area is determined by the damage caused by the event.
It is in the best interest for the Electrical Company to restore service as fast as possible too as many people as possible. The priority though is bringing facilities deemed critical online the fastest. Hospitals, police & fire stations, communications, water treatment and transportation. The next priority is providing service to thoroughfares hosting grocery stores, pharmacies, gas stations etc. (FPL, 1996-2016)
Communications
Calling a cab, I don’t think so.
We have become a connected society. Depending on the environment we are in at the moment, if we look around we will see the majority of people on their cell phones. In a natural disaster or other emergency you will be quite likely to reach for your cell phone to call someone. Your frustration level will soon rise because you will find yourself unable to do so. Traditionally cell carriers have had reliability issues. I am certain that you have has a signal failure/dropped call at some time for no apparent reason at all. Add an emergency or disaster event and the cell infrastructure will be overwhelmed to a point of failure.
Depending on the event the cell system will go completely dark within hours of the event. Why you ask, because cell carriers have repeatedly fought back on rules about what to do during a disaster, 24 hour battery backup at the tower is one of them. Without an electrical grid in operation, the towers will not work, and if there were backup batteries they simply will not be able to recharge. The cell carriers are quite aware of this but they actively refuse to adopt “voluntary” regulations that will keep the towers working.
Carriers have long argued that disasters each present unique scenarios and that companies need to stay flexible as technologies change. The carriers say it is in their best interest to keep networks running, and point to the quick deployment of portable towers after Sandy and examples like AT&T and T-Mobile allowing customers to roam between networks. (Currier, 2012)
If you have access to a land line, it may still be working. Consider a Land Line for your home just for this contingency.
Fuel
Moving along to fuel for your car. It can be imagined that the more people looking for a commodity, the less there will be in the supply chain. During the evacuation of New Orleans after the onset of Katrina, a two hour drive became a 17 hour ordeal. I have heard evidence of cars running out of gas because they sat idling on the highway, and gas stations closer to the city running out faster than those farther away from the city.
What can we learn about this? Leave early!!! At some point the cars that have ran out of gas need to be moved out of the way so other cars can pass. And the road needs to be cleared so tankers can get to the gas stations that are empty.
If you live in a large metropolitan area such as California’s San Francisco Bay area, Los Angeles, New York City, Miami. Then you need to plan your evacuation early. Failing to do so will probably leave you with no option but to shelter in place.
Each of these subject can be covered in much more in-depth reviews.
A couple other things that need consideration during the failure of a cities infrastructure. These are important to consider when creating your Emergency Action Plan.
Water
Sanitation
“Be Safe”
References
Currier, C. (2012, December 3). How Cellphone Companies Have Resisted Rules for Disasters. Retrieved from Pro Publica: http://www.propublica.org/article/how-cellphone-companies-have-resisted-rules-for-disasters
Federal Communicationns Commission. (2015, November 4). Consumer Tips: How to Communicate During a Natural Disaster Emergency. Retrieved from fcc.gov: https://www.fcc.gov/general/consumer-tips-how-communicate-during-natural-disaster-emergency
FPL. (1996-2016). How we restore power. Retrieved from www.fpl.com: https://www.fpl.com/storm/restoration/restoration-priorities.html
Rothman, E. (2014, November 10). Whew! That was a close one! Retrieved from Zurich: http://knowledge.zurich.com/supply-chain/whew-that-was-a-close-one/?WT.mc_id=z_cp_b2b_se_GOOGLE_GN-Supply-Chain-Disruption-Phrase-EN_GN-Supply-Chain-Disruption-Phrase-EN_supply+chain+management&WT.srch=1&gclid=CjwKEAiA3aW2BRCD_cOo5oCFuUMSJADiIMIL_3ChVX8nI