by CKR
Terrorist attacks and natural disasters have a lot in common. For an obvious example, terrorists could have blown the levees in New Orleans. It took only three breaks to flood the city. Such an attack would not have caused Katrina’s damage to the Mississippi and Alabama coasts, but the damage to New Orleans would have been similar.
I haven’t seen much discussion, though, on the similarities and differences between natural disasters and terrorist attacks. So let me work through some of them.
Preparation. Everyone needs to know what to prepare for and how to prepare. Risks differ from one place to another. Los Angeles is unlikely to suffer a hurricane, but they’re waiting for that big earthquake. Big cities in general are attractive targets for terrorists, along with theme parks and malls.
I received a folder in my newspaper on Tuesday from the state Department of Health, “Safe and Ready: Protecting your Family and Home in an Emergency.” It starts out
The New Mexico Department of Health, Office of Homeland Security and Department of Public Safety want you and your family to be safe and ready in any emergency.
That’s a nice friendly sentiment, but not very useful. There are generic things that can be done to prepare for emergencies, but they border on the trivial. And, indeed, this four-page folder gives “Quick Tips for Safe Families,” including repairing defective wiring and preventing senior injuries, along with “cards” to list critical phone numbers.
What people need to know is what kinds of disasters or attacks are most likely in their communities and how to respond to them: evacuate, shelter in place, notify authorities, take initiative…and so on.
On the town and state level, written disaster plans must be rehearsed regularly. Intelligence on threats needs to be available as widely as possible.
Except for earthquakes, natural disasters are more likely than terrorist attacks to have a lead time in which more immediate preparations can be implemented.
Communication. Obviously this is a part of preparation, but the critical breakdowns seem to be during the crisis. The 9/11 Commission observed that nothing seems to have been done to improve communications among first responders; the same problems of communication arose during the response to Hurricane Katrina.
We might add communication between the different levels of government, which seems to have been a major problem in the response to Katrina.
Government must use local radio and television stations along with the internet to pass along information and damp down rumors.
Evacuation. Hurricanes, floods, and forest fires require evacuation before they hit. An earthquake might require selective evacuation after the fact, as would explosion of a radiological dispersal device or a nuclear weapon. Transportation, feeding, housing, and clothing for evacuees need to be considered beforehand. Food, water, and medical supplies might be stockpiled in critical places.
For large cities, nearby cities need to be prepared to accept evacuees.
Casualties. There will be accidents during evacuations. Casualties are likely to be higher for terrorist attacks. Personnel decontamination will be necessary for most types of terrorist attacks, unlikely for natural disasters. Hospitals outside the damage zone must be prepared, along with morgues. Hospitals within must be protected or evacuated early. Mobile hospitals must be ready to move.
Law Enforcement. Necessary to control evacuations and to protect property from looters. Terrorists may focus on law enforcement to amplify their effect. For a large emergency, local law enforcement will need to be supplemented.
For terrorist attacks, early response in tracking the source of the attacks will be necessary. This needs to be separated from the response to victims, and the two responses need to be coordinated because they can easily get in each other’s way.
Physical Infrastructure. In disasters or terrorist attacks, physical infrastructure will be damaged to some degree. Utilities workers may be needed for repairs or shutting off and turning on electricity, gas, and water.
Public Health. Strengthening the public health system will protect against both a flu pandemic and terrorist dissemination of biological agents. Early detection allows inoculation and other strategies to be put into action early. In evacuation circumstances, common diseases can spread easily, adding to the difficulty of management and to deaths.
As I work up this list, I see far more commonalities in the responses to terror attacks and natural disasters than I do differences.