Introduction
A category five hurricane is characterized by winds that are higher than 157 mph. The storm surge here is greater than 18 feet above the standard expected. The people in the community, as well as livestock and pets, are at a high danger from debris and even indoors (Anderson, Schaffer, Hiltz, O’Leary, Luehr, & Yoney, 2017). Mobile homes may be destroyed entirely, whereas a higher proportion of frame doors will also be destroyed. Commercial buildings with wooden roofs will also experience severe damage, while metal buildings may completely collapse. Those structures with high-rise windows may be blown out due to strong winds. Simultaneously, lower floors of all structures that are found less than fifteen feet above sea level and around 500 yards within the shoreline will be witnessed (Anderson et al., 2017). This implies that residents on low grounds and within five to ten miles of the coastline may require massive evacuation. Similarly, hurricane five may also uproot trees and electricity poles; hence, power outages in this scenario may last from several weeks to months while the community may suffer from prolonged periods of water shortages. More so, low lying escape routes may be cut off by rising water three to five hours before the arrival of the actual hurricane. Examples of previous category five hurricanes include hurricane Andrew and Camille. This paper will examine the FEMA management strategies for hurricane five and their rationale.
FEMA Phases of Disaster Management | Strategies (Two per phase) | Rationale |
| Prepare and Protect | The strategies here include developing disaster preparedness plans for what needs to be done, where to go or even call for help. Therefore, the nurses and medical personnel need to ensure that they have sufficient medical supplies that have been packed and ready for transport (Bekemeier, Zahner, Kulbok, Merrill, & Kub, 2016).Shelters for the vulnerable groups need to be ready and functioning with backup generators and an entire water supply in a reservoir. At the same time, the police and emergency care department needs to be informed since they are the first responders to rescue the people in the community. Evacuation plans need to be laid down, including alternative routes that people can use to drive to safety. This is only possible by exercising the evacuation plan through drills as well as full-scale exercises. | In this phase, planning, training and raising awareness among the medical personnel as well as the community concerning hurricane five is essential. This is done immediately after the meteorological department announces the warning signs. An interdisciplinary approach involving the leaders, health practitioners, meteorological department and the police can be helpful in identifying potential hazards and vulnerabilities to hurricane five. In the planning stage, the nurses and other health agencies can conduct a community health assessment program to determine the population’s health status and priority groups (Bekemeier et al., 2016). At the same time, it provides sufficient time to evaluate the existing health programs and strategies that can be adapted for use in case of an emergency. Most likely, the buildings will crumble down, and people within the shoreline may be fully submerged by water. Simultaneously, trees and power lines may be uprooted, which may block roads and cause total darkness, primarily if the hurricane occurs at night. Therefore, an evacuation plan should have several alternative routes that people can use to get to safety. In addition, backup generators should be put in place to provide lighting, especially if power lines from the national grid have been destroyed. |
| Respond | In this phase, the strategies include the implementation of the response plans, for example, evacuating people to shelter (Mushkatel, & Weschler1985). In some cases, the community members may need to move to the bunker or the basement to protect themselves and their family members from the disaster. Similarly, the volunteer groups and police will conduct search and rescue missions. The casualties of the disaster need to be taken for emergency care in the nearby facilities; hence ambulances should be used to transport victims for treatment (Bekemeier et al., 2016). | This phase occurs immediately after the disaster. The businesses, essential services and other operations may not be operating in full swing. The safety and well-being of the community members during the category five hurricane depends on the level of preparedness of the healthcare response team and the community leaders. A search desk or unit should be available where people can call in to report their missing loved ones or those that have been trapped in the rubble (Mushkatel & Weschler1985). Food aids may need to be distributed to the identified and vulnerable members of the community. |
| Recover | This phase involves the restoration efforts where the community jets back to regular operations and activities. This period can be longer depending on the extent of damage that the hurricane imposed on the residents (Mushkatel & Weschler1985). The recovery stage enables the community and leaders to identify gaps in disaster planning and response to generate better mitigation measures. For example, the rebuilding of damaged structures and facilities will be done based on the advanced knowledge of the severity of the category five hurricane. The effectiveness of the levees and dykes can be measured to determine their impact in reducing susceptibility to future hurricanes. | The strategies employed in the recovery stage include the prevention and reduction of stress-related illnesses. This can be done by the nurse psychiatrist who counsels patients and community members who may be traumatized by the disaster (DeMarco & Healey-Walsh, 2020). Similarly, cash transfers and financial aid can be given to the members to help them rebuild their houses and make ends meet for those whose businesses were destroyed. |
| Mitigate | In this case, the strategies would be tying down homes with efficient ground anchors to withstand the wind damage. Secondly, levees and permanent barriers can be constructed to prevent flooding attributed to hurricanes in the future (Mushkatel & Weschler1985). The homeowners will also be encouraged to purchase insurance policies for their homes to secure compensation in case of the occurrence of a category five hurricane. | This is a critical phase where actions are taken to prevent or reduce the cause and impact, and consequence of hurricane five. |
