By Allison G. S. Knox
Edge Contributor
Excessive rainfall recently caused serious flooding and landslides in British Columbia, and this disaster has been completely devastating for Canadian residents and businesses, according to reporter Justine Hunter of The Globe and Mail. At one point, the flooding even left the city of Vancouver separated from the rest of the country for a period of time.
According to Hunter, this is the third 2021 disaster in British Columbia. She said that it was previously noted several times, especially in 2018, that the British Columbian government would not be able to manage a major disaster.
There has been a lot of great research published on disasters because they’re very complicated to manage and need a comprehensive, collaborative approach to manage all of their facets. Looking at the collaboration of British Columbia’s agencies in after-action reports will be particularly informative as those agencies consider their plans and preparedness for future disasters.
Related link: For Major Disasters, All Management Is Ultimately Local
Disaster Recovery Depends on Infrastructure Problems
Emergency management scholars and sociologists have researched the nature of disasters for a few decades, looking at the overall infrastructure of a community and what happens to that community when a disaster occurs. E. L. Quarantelli, David McEntire, and numerous other scholars note that disasters particularly hurt community infrastructure and wound how that community functions day to day.
For instance, businesses in the community may have to pause their operations or reconsider how they function. In addition, buildings are damaged, and individuals may not be able to enter them for an indefinite period. Roads and bridges may be impassable until they are repaired.
Disasters impact community infrastructure in myriad, profound ways. When a disaster happens, it’s not just about the resources that a community needs like food, water, and shelter, but it’s also about the disaster’s impact on the local economy and the social fabric that makes up a community.
Sometimes, it takes years or even decades for communities to make a full recovery from disasters. This inability to recover quickly is largely due to infrastructure problems.
Related link: Ensuring the Resiliency of Low-Income Coastal Communities
After-Action Reports Are Key to Improving Disaster Management
Preparedness efforts involve the resources needed to manage an incident. They can include food, water, medical supplies, and shelters, but also emergency personnel and other resources.
Emergency preparedness also involves how first responders work together, how EMS agencies respond to disasters and how collaboration between agencies takes place. Collaboration between agencies is important, but after-action reports are far more important to understanding specifically what went wrong in disasters. Understanding the specifics of what went wrong and what went right are important to tightening the overall response and recovery of communities.
Some Aspects of Disaster Management Will Inevitably Go Sideways during Disasters
All disasters have certain complexities. While we work on getting better with how we manage emergencies, it is important to remain aware that certain aspects of emergency management will inevitably go sideways in disasters, despite our preparation. Collaborative efforts may not run as smoothly as one may hope, but awareness and training can help us to be better prepared for all types of disasters.
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