3.9+Responses+to+natural+hazards

9. What can be done in response to hazardous events in the short-term and in the long term?
(Case study of one tectonic event and one tropical storm – one in an LIC and one on an HIC) [] Hurricane Ida spotlights differences in storm preparedness By MIKE LYONS Special to the Daily News Saturday, November 07, 2009 You've got to be kidding me. We make it through five months of the hurricane season, including the historically active period of August and September, with no threats and very little worries and then, two and half weeks before the end of the season, Hurricane Ida pops up? We thought this up-to-now stress-free hurricane season was almost over. After all, except for the first weekend in August when Ana, Bill and Claudette all developed within 24 hours, the 2009 hurricane season has been a no-brainer. There have only been a handful of storms that spent their short lives spinning aimlessly across the open waters of the Atlantic Ocean. But, if by some remote chance, good old Ida or some other pain in the neck tropical troublemaker comes our way South Florida will be ready. Emergency managers and local government leaders who spend so much time preparing for the next hurricane know one indisputable fact: anyone who has experienced a hurricane will always prepare for the next one. And following three hurricanes in 13 months (Frances, Jeanne and Wilma), those of us who huddled in those hot, cramped "safe rooms" listening to those storms tear across Palm Beach County have plenty of hurricane experience. We know exactly what we have to do the next time a storm threatens South Florida. Our local governments learned many lessons, too, as did grocery stores and gas stations. Yes, South Florida will be ready for Ida or any other storm. Unfortunately, residents in Nicaragua and Honduras were not prepared when Ida barreled on shore last week. Sure, the storm caught them off guard (Ida went from tropical disturbance to hurricane in less than 24 hours) but it's safe to say that building codes, emergency planning and overall hurricane preparation is different in Central America than in the United States. Another third-world country seemingly caught in a 1950's time warp, however, is more than ready for anything Mother Nature might stir up. Like Florida, the island nation of Cuba has seen its share of tropical storms and hurricanes in recent years. But unlike some areas of the United States where folks don't take the hurricane threat seriously, the residents of Cuba are hurricane ready. A recent New York Times article reported that Cuban children are taught about hurricanes in elementary school, and that every city block has a captain to help evacuate residents and relocate their possessions to a safe place. Evacuation orders are taken seriously in Cuba. In fact, the newspaper reports that evacuations are compulsory on the island. (Of course, when the government gives an order on Cuba I'm guessing that folks are used to following it.) Despite being slammed by a number of tropical storms and hurricanes, the number of injuries and deaths in Cuba is remarkably low, recovery is quick and the nation is back up and running in no time. A delegation from Galveston, Texas (Hurricane Ike) and New Orleans (Hurricane Katrina) recently visited Havana to learn how Cubans prepare for a storm. According to the article, the group came away impressed and eager to implement some of the policies in their own towns. Ironically, while the governments of the United States and Cuba have a less than cozy relationship, the weather departments of the two countries talk all the time. "Any storm that goes toward Florida goes over Cuba," said Max Mayfield, the former director of the National Hurricane Centre. "We need their observations and they need data from our aircraft." Maybe our diplomats should follow the lead of the weather departments. Who knows what things we might learn from Cuba about dealing with hurricanes. Also on @http://news.bbc.co.uk/cbbcnews/hi/newsid_8340000/newsid_8349800/8349807.stm