Hurricane Harvey Crisis Management Report (Assessment)

Introduction

Hurricane Harvey was the most damaging natural disaster that took place in Texas. It affected a very large portion of the state, and its effects will take a long time to be addressed. Also, it was one of the largest crisis management operations by FEMA in the United States. This paper will provide a series of bullet points that will outline the damage, how it was handled, what outcomes were present, and the possible ways in which it could have been done better.

Damage Caused by Hurricane Harvey

• 4.5 feet of rain fell during the hurricane’s presence in Texas;
• Winds of over 130 miles per hour were recorded during the hurricane;
• $180 billion in overall damage to Texas;
• 82 people died during the hurricane;
• 203,000 homes damaged by the hurricane;
• 12,700 homes completely destroyed;
• 738,000 registered for assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA);
• Drinking water was unavailable in the affected areas;
• More than 1 million vehicles were damaged beyond repair in the Gulf area;
• Damage to the gasoline production industry affected gas prices in the country;

Crisis Management Measures Taken

• Before the hurricane hit the shores of Texas, the majority of the petrochemical plants were shut down in accordance with their crisis management plans;
• 82 aircraft were involved in the rescue efforts;
• 75 boats were used during the rescue;
• 29 cutters were deployed to free people who were trapped;
• 2,060 personnel of FEMA were deployed to rescue;
• 28 FEMA Urban Search and Rescue teams were assigned and deployed in Texas;
• More than $1,5 billion were gathered to assist the people affected by the hurricane within 30 days;
• 300 voluntary organizations were involved in the rescue and crisis management efforts;
• An uncounted number of individual volunteers were involved;

Positive and Negative Outcomes

• Multiple petrochemical facilities released pollutants during the shutdown process;
• 3 million meals provided to the people affected by the disaster;
• 3 million liters of water were delivered to the affected;
• 8,840 cots were provided to the state for distribution among survivors;
• 10,300 hygiene kits were distributed in Texas;
• 250,000 people were left without electric power;
• $15.25 billion of federal aid was assigned for disaster relief;
• 37,000 people were provided emergency shelter;
• 14,900 people were moved to temporary housing;
• 3,900 homes did not have power for a month after the hurricane;
• 11,022 people rescued by the Coast Guard;
• 6,453 people rescued by FEMA Urban Search and Rescue;
• More than 1,000 pets rescued;
• Food and water supply in the area is still low;
• Some survivors are finding it difficult to find shelter currently;
• A large number of pollutants are present in the water;

What Could be Done Differently

• The danger of hurricanes and floods affecting Texas was present before, and better flood protection should have been established;
• The initial funds gathered for disaster relief were insufficient for the scale of the disaster. Therefore, more organizations should have been involved in fundraising;
• A list of guidelines should have been provided to individual volunteers to increase the likelihood of their success;
• Better communication measures should have been used;
• Drinking water should have been a larger priority as the water supply in the area is polluted;
• Petrochemical plants should have had better safety measures to prevent pollutants from being released into the water supply;

Conclusion

The outcomes of Hurricane Harvey will be felt for decades to come. It has greatly affected the people and infrastructure of Texas and the United States as a whole. Hopefully, the results of the rescue efforts will be used to better prepare FEMA and other organizations in the future.