Mitigation and Preparedness Techniques for Natural Disasters

Hurricanes, flooding, tornadoes, and wildfires are some of the disasters that predominate in the United States. Although there is little one can do to stop some of these hazards, especially hurricanes and tornadoes, their impacts can considerably be reduced. It is, therefore, essential to have appropriate plans to ensure that people get to safety during times of disaster. This paper highlights some of the mitigation and preparedness techniques with regard to curtailing hurricanes, flooding, wildfires as well as tornadoes in the United States. Creating appropriate evacuation plans is one of the mitigation and preparedness techniques used in lessening the severity of the disaster. An evacuation plan will consist of emergency plans and trained individuals that will carry out evacuation procedures (Pine, 2014). Consequently, the evacuation plan should have a specific chain of command with a well-equipped and trained team that will carry out emergency response operations. Equipping the emergency response team is another crucial strategy for mitigating and preparing for a hazardous situation. With the proper equipment, the emergency response team will examine the weather conditions and identify potential hazards that might occur such as hurricanes and flooding (Pine, 2014). Consequently, the emergency response team will be able to identify areas that are at high risk of being hit by disasters and thus put in place measures that will reduce the effects of such occurrences. Finally, implementing training and exercise programs is vital in mitigating the disaster. It is, therefore, essential to ensure that all members of the emergency response team have relevant skills and competency concerning evacuation operations (Pine, 2014). Subsequently, evacuation plans and procedures should be updated on a regular basis based on the lessons learned from the training programs. In conclusion, the impact of hurricanes, flooding, tornadoes, and wildfires in the United States can be reduced through appropriate mitigation and preparedness actions. Some of the mitigation techniques include creating a proper evacuation plan and effectively equipping the emergency response team. Also, implementing training and exercise programs is significant in enhancing efficiency and effectiveness in emergency response operations thereby reducing damage to property and loss of life. 

Reference  

Pine, J. C. (2014). Hazards Analysis: Reducing the Impact of Disasters. New York: CRC Press.