Hurricane Katrina Essay Example for Free

Hurricane Katrina Essay When an electrical power outage occurs from a storm, we are instructed to have flashlights, battery operated radios, a generator, survival gear, food, etc. But what happens when the power outage is long-term? What happens when the generator runs out of fuel and we can’t get more fuel? What happens when the batteries run down? For those who did not endure Hurricane Katrina, the consequences of loss of power combined with catastrophic flooding cannot even be imagined. The event of Katrina was not a mere inconvenience, it was a disaster of epic proportions. Much of the failure of first responders and ensuing rescue workers to operate efficiently was due to lost communications. Additionally, family members and friends could not find each other, nor could they find any information for quite a while. This particular storm was a nightmare for communications people as well as the victims. Simply the massive loss of power rendered the Gulf Coast without the basic tools to function. Today’s technology in communications is unparalleled and becoming even more sophisticated by the week; yet without power, even the most high-tech systems are useless (Donny Jackson, 12-01-2005). To review what happened during the storm that shattered communications networks, it is important to look at the emergency communications systems available and explain what failed and why. In the 35th largest city in the U. S. , how could so many people be suddenly disconnected? What happened to the cell phones, instant messaging, satellite technology, broadband, wireless and other forms of everyday communication that are largely taken for granted? Even in the horrendous disaster of 9/11, communication was still taking place. Even Hurricane Andrew didn’t knock all communications systems out. What was different about Hurricane Katrina? As Donny Jackson points out in Mobile Radio Technology (12-01-2005), all communications systems are designed with the notion that power is available. Backup generators and batteries are equipped to keep equipment running for a few hours at the most, which is usually ample time for the electrical grid to be back online to some capacity. In an earlier article by Donny Jackson (11-01-05), the floodwaters were to blame for most of the communications failures. The commander of police communications in New Orleans, Stephen J. Gordon, put it succinctly: â€Å"The wind was almost inconsequential†¦ It was the water that was the killer. † Herein was the problem: most wireless towers are designed to withstand hurricane force winds. The cell towers survived the winds, as in Florida’s hurricanes, but the power to drive the networks was knocked out by the unprecedented floodwaters in the city of New Orleans. There was also damage to a generator when flying debris punctured the radiator on the backup generator. When sudden damage of this type occurs, there is little that can be done to overcome the massive loss of communication. However, IT was still working, and emergency personnel were using the Internet to send out instant messages when all other communications failed. Of course, this was only possible with emergency power available until the fuel in the generators was gone. Since the roads were impassable and there was widespread damage to gas stations and roads to the gas stations, generator fuel swiftly dwindled. When communications are cut off to first responders in a disaster, chaos ensues as victims assume help is on the way and when it fails to arrive, the emotional aftermath is seen. First responders themselves are traumatized by being rendered almost as helpless as the victims they are hired to rescue and protect due to being cut off from each other. In the case of Katrina, it turned out that satellite and internet technology helped enormously in the days following the disaster, when families needed help finding each other and victims needed medical attention or evacuation. It seems that satellite technology had the edge over terrestrial communications systems, yet satellite communications are not yet sufficiently integrated into emergency communications networks, according to Satellite Industry Association (SIA) chairman Tony Trujillo (Peter Brown, 2006). Agreeing with this statement was the FCC Chairman Kevin Martin, stating that: If we learned anything from Hurricane Katrina, it is that we cannot rely solely on terrestrial communications (Brown). IT technology was utilized to patch together a system of tracking evacuees in the days following Hurricane Katrina. Several IT companies met two days after Katrina had struck and agreed to set aside competition and focus on helping the victims (Bart Perkins, 2005). Within five days, IT companies began executing networks for shelters, finding families, financial assistance and infrastructure. This mammoth effort was undertaken doing a lot with a little. Linking databases to larger organizations using what means were available was no small task, given that there was no power supply to speak of. In this case, the private sector possessed a greater ability to render assistance than the emergency or government agencies due to their skills and mobility. The Hurricane Katrina tragedy was ironic in that the entire world was more informed than the victims, evacuees and rescue workers regarding what was needed in the stricken areas, due to television, print and Internet media (Diane Mermigas, 2005). The observance of these phenomena has prompted the investigation into the further development of new bandwidth-rich services that go beyond media and entertainment and imbed themselves into emergency services. As a result of the losses and lack of preparedness in terms of emergency communications for a storm that was possible but not probable enough to prompt a major beefing up of communications networks, new measures are being taken to ensure that it doesn’t happen again. Flagler County in Florida is investing $10 million to install an 800 MHz radio system, which will suitably serve multiple channels of communications and heavy user traffic through one network (Michael Reed, 2005). New Orleans had an 800 MHz system, but it was knocked out by the floodwaters. However, the terrain of Flagler County is different and the county also has two satellite phones available as a backup. Satellite equipment works well as long as one has a clear view of the southern sky, but in a city or indoors, they are ineffective (Jackson, 11-01-2005). Two satellite phones may not seem like much, but the county can simultaneously call for help and stay in contact with emergency officials if need be. Moreover, where Flagler County’s radio signals currently fail in the western part of the county, the new 800 MHz system will enable signals to 95 percent of the county. In New Orleans, when the 800MHz equipment was rendered inoperable by the water, the statewide system was insufficient in dealing with the new traffic of users in the form of out-of-area emergency workers (Jackson, 11-01-2005). The resulting demand now is for redundant forms of connectivity, networks capable of re-routing traffic around the point of failure, better protection for equipment in terms of casings, and alternative power sources. In the works now are packets of emergency communications networks that operate on satellite technology and are able to seamlessly interface with terrestrial technology (Brown). One of the acknowledged problems with the communications infrastructure was that in the areas stricken by Katrina, these systems were not in place prior to the storm. Had they been strategically placed, response would have been more efficient and effective. One of the problems with first responders dealing with satellite equipment is the time; first responses are time-critical and while the team is trying to get to the victims, it is not likely that having to keep repositioning the receiver on a mobile satellite communication system would be an attractive idea. There are alternatives that had been considered dubious prior to Katrina, but are now gaining interest. One such communication network is being developed by Space Data, based in Arizona. Almost laughably simple, the Sky Site Network uses weather balloons to fly base systems up to heights of 65,000 to 100,000 feet above the earth (Jackson, 12-01-2005). This system could be deployed in advance of an oncoming hurricane or in the event of a disabled network. The balloons can remain aloft for about a day and are reusable when they fall to earth. Another possibility is a combination of solar, fuel cell and wind powering towers instead of terrestrial electricity. While this combination has largely been dismissed as environmentalism driven pseudo-science, one company has gained great interest after Katrina and has installed the towers at an airport in West Virginia to run the video surveillance cameras (Jackson, 12-01-2005). Knowing that it is only a matter of time before another disaster strikes, whether it is natural or man-made, it is prudent to shore up communications systems and develop different networks, both terrestrial and satellite, that can be compatible. Due to the human condition, it is more likely that such systems will be developed in the private sector focusing on entertainment or gaming rather than emergency preparedness. It seems that new technology becomes quickly taken for granted and integrated into daily life so much that many forget how to function without it. Yet designers and officials would do well to think outside the box by finding multiple purposes for such communications devices, in the event of an emergency. Past disasters such as the London transit bombings of July 2005, the tsunami in Indonesia in 2005 and now Hurricane Katrina have shown the value of videophones and camera equipped cell phones. Yet these devices require terrestrial networks to operate as well as electrical power to recharge them. While some small items such as cell phones, calculators, etc. are solar powered, the sun is not always reliable. Nothing is. This fact should demonstrate the importance of multiple power sources, both conventional and alternative, in order for equipment to function for extended periods of time even when the main power is disabled. In any emergency, effective communication is critical. Making communications networks better can be the difference between life and death in future disasters. Works Cited Brown, Peter J. â€Å"Crisis On The Gulf Coast: When Satellite Was The Only Game In Town. † Via Satellite 21. 1 (2006): 1. Jackson, Donny. â€Å"Without power, but not powerless. † Mobile Radio Technology 23 (12-01-2005).