REMEMBERING THE LESSONS FROM THE 2005 ATLANTIC BASIN HURRICANE SEASON

1. REMEMBERING THE LESSONS FROM THE 2005 ATLANTIC BASIN HURRICANE SEASON Walter Hays, Global Alliance for Disaster Reduction, Vienna, Virginia, USA 

2. HURRICANES IN THE NORTH ATLANTIC AND GULF COAST2005 WAS A RECORD SEASON DYNAMIC LABORATORIES FOR LEARNING AND FOR BUILDING CAPACITY FOR DISASTER-INTELLIGENT & DISASTER- RESILIENT COMMUNITES

3. TROPICAL STORMS AND HURRICANES IN 2005 • Twenty-seven storms occurred during the 2005 season. • Over $100 billion in losses.

4. ARLENE BRET CINDY DENNIS EMILY FRANKLIN GERT HARVEY IRENE JOSE KATRINA LEE TROPICAL STORMS-HURRICANES IN 2005

5. MARIA NATE OPHELIA PHILIPPE RITA STAN TAMMY VINCE WILMA ALPHA BETA GAMMA DELTA EPSILON ZETA TROPICAL STORMS-HURRICANES IN 2005

6. SCIENCE OF HURRICANES

7. TRACKS OF CINDY, DENNIS, KATRINA, RITA, AND WILMA

8. LESSONS LEARNED FOR CAPACITY BUILDING • EVERY HURRICANE TEACHES IMPORTANT LESSONS ON THE “WHY AND HOW” OF BECOMING A DISASTER-INTELLIGENT AND DISASTER-RESILIENT COMMUNITY.

9. LESSONS LEARNED FOR CAPACITY BUILDING • ALL HURRICANES • RECOVERY WILL TAKE LONGER AND COST MORE THAN EXPECTED.

10. LESSONS LEARNED FOR CAPACITY BUILDING • ALL HURRICANES. • DISASTER-INTELLIGENT COMMUNITIES USE TIMELY COMMUNICATION OF CRITICAL INFORMATION TO IMPROVE THE ODDS FOR SAVING LIVES.

11. LESSONS LEARNED FOR CAPACITY BUILDING • ALL HURRICANES • INFORMED LEADERSHIP UNDERSTANDS THE RISKS ASSOCIATED WITH STORM SURGE AND BUILDS CAPACITY FOR RESILIENCE.

12. LESSONS LEARNED FOR CAPACITY BUILDING • ALL HURICANES • HIGH VELOCITY WINDS WILL LIFT ROOFS OFF OF BUILDINGS.

13. LESSONS LEARNED FOR CAPACITY BUILDING • ALL HURRICANES • INFORMED LEADERSHIP UNDERSTANDS THE RISKS ASSOCIATED WITH HIGH VELOCITY WINDS AND BUILDS CAPACITY FOR RESILIENCE.

14. LESSONS LEARNED FOR CAPACITY BUILDING • ALL HURICANES • HURRICANES ARE ACCOMPANIED BY HEAVY PRECIPITATION THAT WILL INUNDATE THE LOW-LYING AREAS OF THE COMMUNITY.

15. LESSONS LEARNED FOR CAPACITY BUILDING • ALL HURRICANES • INFORMED LEADERSHIP UNDERSTANDS THE RISKS ASSOCIATED WITH FLOODING AND BUILDS CAPACITY FOR RESILIENCE.

16. LESSONS LEARNED FOR CAPACITY BUILDING • ALL HURRICANES • INCREDIBLE QUANTITES OF DEBRIS WILL BE CREATED BY WIND, STORM SURGE, AND FLOODING.

17. LESSONS LEARNED FOR CAPACITY BUILDING • ALL HURRICANES • INFORMED LEADERSHIP INCLUDES THE UNTHINKABLE IN THE COMMUNITY’S STRATEGIC AND TACTICAL PLANS.

18. LESSONS LEARNED FOR CAPACITY BUILDING • ALL HURRICANES • POWER OUTAGES ARE INEVITABLE AND WILL PARALYZE THE COMMUNITY.

19. LESSONS LEARNED FOR CAPACITY BUILDING • ALL HURRICANES • EVACUATION IS UNSUCCESSFUL IF SAFE HAVENS FOR EVACUEES ARE UNSAFE.

20. LESSONS LEARNED FOR CAPACITY BUILDING • ALL HURRICANES • HOUSEHOLD PETS ARE OFTEN LEFT OUT OF THE EVACUATION PLANS.

21. LESSONS LEARNED FOR CAPACITY BUILDING • ALL HURRICANES • INFORMED LEADERSHIP PLANS FOR LAPSES IN LAW AND ORDER THAT OCCUR DURING THE MOST CHAOTIC MOMENTS OF THE DISASTER.

22. LESSONS LEARNED FOR CAPACITY BUILDING • ALL HURRICANES • IT ONLY TAKES A FEW HOURS OF WIND AND STORM SURGE AND A MONTH OF FLOODING FOR COMMUNITY BUSINESSES AND JOBS TO DISAPPEAR FOREVER.

23. LESSONS LEARNED FOR CAPACITY BUILDING • ALL HURRICANES • ADVERSE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS WILL HAPPEN WHEN HAZARDOUS MATERIALS ARE SUBJECTED TO WIND, STORM SURGE, OR FLOODING.

24. LESSONS LEARNED FOR CAPACITY BUILDING • DENNIS, JULY 5, 2006. • INTELLIGENT COMMUNITIES USE RELIABLE WARNINGS TO FACILITATE EVACUATION AND EMERGENCY RESPONSE.

25. LESSONS LEARNED FOR CAPACITY BUILDING • KATRINA, RITA, AND WILMA • EVACUATION IS A COMPLEX ENDEAVOR IN ANY SUTUATION THAT HAS THE POTENTIAL FOR DISASTER.

26. LESSONS LEARNED FOR CAPACITY BUILDING • KATRINA, AUGUST 29, 2005 • THE PROTECTION OF BARRIER ISLANDS SIGNIFICANTLY LESSENED THE DAMAGE IN THE LANDFALL ZONE.

27. LESSONS LEARNED FOR CAPACITY BUILDING • KATRINA • NEW ORLEANS’ STRATEGIC AND TACTICAL PLANS DID NOT WORK DURING THE EMERGENCY PERIOD.

28. LESSONS LEARNED FOR CAPACITY BUILDING • Katrina, August 29-30, 2005 • Instead of being a safe haven, as envisioned, New Orleans’ Super Dome became a setting for disaster.

29. LESSONS LEARNED FOR CAPACITY BUILDING • KATRINA • WHEN THE LEVEES FAILED, NEW ORLEANS FOUND THAT IT WAS NEITHER INTELLIGENT NOR RESILIENT.

30. LESSONS LEARNED FOR CAPACITY BUILDING • KATRINA, AUGUST 28-29, 2005 • A FEW HOURS OF WIND AND STORM SURGE FOLLOWED BY A MONTH OF FLOODING PARALYZED TULANE UNIVERSITY INDEFINETLY.

31. LESSONS LEARNED FOR CAPACITY BUILDING • Katrina, August 29-30, 2005 • Removal of 350,000 water-damaged cars was not part of anyone’s strategic plan.

32. LESSONS LEARNED FOR CAPACITY BUILDING • BETA, OCTOBER 29, 2005 • INTELLIGENT COMMUNITIES SAVE LIVES BY USING INFORMATION ON THE THREAT AS IT DEVELOPS HOUR BY HOUR.

33. LESSONS LEARNED FOR CAPACITY BUILDING • ARLENE, JUNE 2005 • INTELLIGENT COMMUNITIES ARE READY, WHETHER THE FIRST STORM ORTHE LAST STORM OF THE SEASON.

34. LESSONS LEARNED FOR CAPACITY BUILDING • STAN: OCTOBER 2005 • DEVASTATING MUDSLIDES ARE TRIGGERED BY PROLONGED, HEAVY PRECIPITATION.

35. LESSONS LEARNED FOR CAPACITY BUILDING • STAN, OCTOBER 2005 • AFTER A MUDSLIDE BURIES A TOWN, SEARCH AND RESCUE BECOMES VERY URGENT AND VERY COMPLICATED.