Structural Damage of Natural Disasters and the Effective Mitigation Measures
For the Unit VI Case Study, you will focus on structural damage and building requirements in your community. This can include actions taken to protect against earthquakes, blizzards, hurricanes, etc.
Start by conducting research around your community/location for examples of mitigation and structure protection. These examples may include design of services and roads, land-use regulation, flood control, levees, dams, updated building codes, earthquake resistant community buildings, warming shelters, evacuation shelters, and structural reinforcement of building materials.
Take photographs of what you find so that you can show your professor what your area has done to address the issue.
Using what you learned about your community and what you learned about past disasters from this course, write a case study, a minimum of four pages in length, that addresses the following points.
Explain what has been done with regard to mitigation, recovery, and/or response efforts within your community.
Explain who conducted these efforts and the vulnerabilities they faced in their community, and include the role these individuals or groups play with mitigating, responding, and/or recovering from the risk.
Research at least one major, historical disaster that resulted in structural damage (this is not limited to your community). Explain the event that caused the damage and the results.
What collaborative efforts were employed during the historical disaster you researched?
What can your community learn from the past disaster you researched?
Consider the legal issues that would apply to those who did not follow land-use or building code requirements. When researching the mitigation and or structure protection occurring in your area or the location you choose, also discuss the organizations that would be involved with ensuring compliance as well as what sanctions would apply for those who were out of compliance.
Your paper should be a minimum of four pages in length not counting the title and reference pages. You are required to use a minimum of three outside sources as part of your case study. One outside source must be from the CSU Online Library. All sources, including the textbook, must be cited and referenced according to APA guidelines.
Additionally, include at least four visual aids/images that support your content (one 4-by-4-inch image per page maximum). Please incorporate those into your paper in APA format. Click here for steps on how to resize the image.
Textbook:
Valick, N. A., & Tracy, P. E. (2017). Case studies in disaster response and emergency management (2nd ed.). Routledge. https://online(dot)vitalsource(dot)com/#/books/9781315459356
Structural Damage Along with Natural Disasters
Name
Institutional Affiliation
Course name & number
Professor
Due date
(Disaster Response Group, 2021)
Kansas City, Missouri, has been a victim of severe thunderstorms with winds over the years during the spring and summer months. According to the National Weather Service in Kansa (2021), the city experiences severe thunderstorms characterized by heavy rains, high winds that reach 70mph, and in extreme cases, 80mph. The thunderstorm also brings about hails in the size of limes and lightning, affecting several homes within the city. Their occasion results in the destruction of homes by flying trees and branches, blowing roofs, and power outages, which left over 190, 000 homes without electricity due to damage of electricity poles this year alone (National Weather Service, 2021). Nevertheless, the city has developed effective mitigation, recovery, and response measures.
Mitigation, response, and recovery measures employed in response to thunderstorms in Kansas City.
(Turner, 2020).
According to FEMA, mitigation measures against structural damage due to thunderstorms include; The local government and the citizens cutting down all the rotting trees and branches that are likely to fall and cause significant damage during the thunderstorm. Businesses and the public shuttering or laminating their windows, utilizing hail-resistant roof coverings and structural braising. Securing movable objects outside to prevent them from being blown away. The city council conducts awareness and education programs on thunderstorms through brochures, warning posts, and awareness creation in school. Additionally, residents are encouraged to adopt the International Building Codes to facilitate the building of homes and offices with strong materials that can withstand heavy winds. Also, reviewing building codes and structured policies to ensure the public adheres to them (Baxter, 2013, pp. 33-46).
The National Weather Service in Kansas City offers a warning and updated information about the thunderstorm and its extent in response to thunderstorms. The Kansas City government issues a travel advisory and an order for all people outside to take shelter in safe places away from potential danger. The residents secure their homes and windows and shut off all items utilizing electricity (Valick & Tracy, 2017, pp. 112-113).
In recovery efforts after a thunderstorm in Kansas, the fire department, emergency services, and volunteers evaluate the safety of the area affected to determine whether evacuations are possible. Evacuations of people trapped and injured begin while clearing the roads and repairing the infrastructures. The emergency medical officers offer first aid to the injured and organize their transportation to hospitals (Valick & Tracy, 2017, pp. 113-114). The police conduct a welfare check to all neighborhoods to ensure all the people are accounted for and safe. The Weather Service continues to give updates of the situation, drainage of rainwater, and cleaning of the debris is carried out.
Individuals who participated in the different efforts.
In mitigating the effects of thunderstorms, The National Weather service kept the city residents informed on how the situ...
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