As Delaware cleans up and recovers from Hurricane Irene, emergency planners in the state will also have the opportunity to assess its emergency plans and response to determine what worked and what can be done better in the event of future emergencies.
Sunday, Governor Jack Markell said he was generally pleased with the state's response to Irene, pointing to the fact the state suffered no fatalities or serious injuries. He also cited the quick coordinated response to flooding at Kent General Hospital during the storm that helped avoid the need to evacuate that facility and the story of a Lewes man who wasn't in his home when it was severely damaged by a reported tornado because he heeded the state's mandatory evacuation order.
"I'm very comfortable with the decisions we made," Gov. Markell said Sunday.
UPDATE:
Subsequent to publication of this article, New Castle County police reported that it had found the bodies of two men who had been reported missing during Hurricane Irene. The two men, identified as Christopher Valentine of Hockessin and Jean Baptista of New Jersey, were found in Mill Creek branch south of Valley Road Monday afternoon by two separate search groups. New Castle County police believe the two likely drowned. They were last seen leaving a friend’s home in the community of Cameron Hills in Hockessin around midnight Sunday morning.
“While we had hoped and prayed our state would get through this dangerous hurricane without the loss of life, we now know that is not the case," said Gov. Markell in a statement Monday. "I offer my condolences to the families and friends of Christopher Valentine and Jean Baptista, as I know this will be a time of great difficulty for their families and those close to them. ”
Assistant Director of the Disaster Research Center (DRC) at the University of Delaware Tricia Wachtendorf believes Markell and other state officials should be pleased.
"I think we did pretty well," said Wachtendorf. "Hurricanes bring a lot of uncertainty and I think what we found was that the state of Delaware and many of the other surrounding states erred on the side of caution. They decided to do things in a way that was going to make things safer, generate less risk and I think it was completely appropriate that they did that."
But Wachtendorf adds that the state and other level of governments also have an opportunity in the wake of Irene to take a critical look at their plans and response and find ways to improve after seeing them in action.
"Were there bumps along the way? Did we rely on some communications strategies or mechanisms that weren't adequate even in this small response and what if we had a category 4 [hurricane], how might those fare then?" said Wachtendorf, who is also an associate professor of sociology the University of Delaware.
Watchendorf emphasized examining how the most vulnerable populations fared during Irene and determining how best to serve those with specials needs, like refrigerated medicines and electrical medical equipment in future emergencies.
"Responding organizations need to consider that even when things [turn out] OK, even when we aren't hit by "the big one", there are some segments of the community that are more vulnerable than others." said Wachtendorf.
The state of Delaware is already asking residents for feedback on the way it handled storm response at the state's website. Residents can go here and take an unscientific survey rating the state's effectiveness.
DRC director James Kendra recommends individuals also reassess their readiness after this brush with Irene.
"[People should] consider whether they have sufficient food and water to last for a few days if there is no electricity, to consider if they know where they might evacuate to in the event they had to leave their home. What if they have pets? Have they made provision [for them], said Kendra, who is also an associate professor at UD's School of Public Policy and Administration. "This is a time to reflect back on what we did and what we might be ready to do in the next event."
But will people take stock? Both Kendra and Wachtendorf suggest there is a possibility some may let their guard down after the state suffered a less serious consequences from the storm that initially anticipated.
"The research is a little bit mixed on that. Sometimes what we have seen is that in places where people have experienced an event and come through fairly well, there is a tendency to think the next one is going to be just like that when really what they've experienced may not be representative at all of the danger that they are likely to face," said Kendra. "So, part of the job for public officials is to continually remind the public of the nature of risk or the hazard they face where they live."
DFM News sat down with both Kendra and Wachtendorf Tuesday at the Disaster Research Center to discuss in-depth the response to Hurricane Irene in the First State and what can be learned.
Analysis of Delaware's Emergency response to Hurricane Irene
DFM News sat down with James Kendra and Tricia Wachtendorf Tuesday at the Disaster Research Center to discuss Delaware's response to Hurricane Irene and what can be learned from it.
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Watch the full interviews here:
Disaster Research Center Associate Director Tricia Wachtendorf Disaster Research Center Director James Kendra
