Contrary to the belief of some residents like myself, the Washington DC region faces its share of extreme events. As indicated in Nathan World Map of Natural Hazards, the Falls Church area, my hometown and a Washington DC suburb, is susceptible to tornadoes. Nathan’s maps, cover extensive details about natural extremities around the world and their intensities, which are quite accurate. I was born and raised in Kenya and growing up I do remember El Nino as being the wettest season, which is also represented in the map. The visuals give an effective global view of extreme events which provide insights of vulnerabilities to natural hazards for various regions around the world. In addition, to tornadoes the Washington DC region gets warmer during El Nino, grapple with more storms during La Nina and experiences moderate hail storms.

Upon visiting the The Hungarian National Association of Radio Distress Signaling and Infocommunications’ (RSOE) Emergency and Disaster Information Services (EDIS), I clicked on a couple of biological hazards, which to my surprise were more than expected. From the EDIS, there is a yellow fever outbreak in a couple of areas in Africa, as well as an Ebola outbreak in Guinea. Closer to home there is an outbreak of ‘Elizabethkingia meningoseptica’ in Wisconsin and Michigan states that has killed 17 people plus infected 44 individuals. Just like any another region in the world, Washington DC could be subject to a biological hazard. Nonetheless, in general most areas in the United States and developed countries are not vulnerable to biological hazards because of the policies, education and technology in place. Washington DC could experience a biological hazard if it was introduced by an outsider, or through the exposure of an unfamiliar infectious biological agent. Due the population density in this area the impact of a biological hazard can become widespread very quickly and result into a natural disaster. However, because of the resources like response from the CDC and the Health Department, an outbreak would contained promptly. The severity of a biological disaster in the Washington DC region would be severe, from fatalities, to the effects of economic and social disruption, which in turn would impact a lot more than just the immediate area. Overall, Washington DC region is home to some of the most powerful and wealthiest individuals in the world, therefore due to governance, technology, wealth and education a biological hazard is less likely compared to some poorer regions.

Unfortunately, I have to admit that there are two words that frequent the media in my region, that I personally don’t take seriously enough; ‘Tornado Watch’. Leading up to this lesson, my personal experience with an extreme natural event has been mostly fun filled as an extra day off from work. As I was reading and watching this week’s lesson pages, I recalled my personal experience with Superstorm Sandy. The media and government leaders advised the population along the East Coast that would be affected by the storm in advance, plus gave tips on preparation. The Governor of Virginia and Mayor of DC declared state of emergencies and the public transit systems were shut down on Oct 29^th. The information concerning the storm was everywhere in media as well as social media. I also recall that my coworkers, friends and neighbors prepared for the storm plus cautioned others to get ready. The meteorologist predicted that the Washington region would be hit by the storm, and they were accurate. The damage from the storm in this area wasn’t as costly as Jersey Shore and New York. Most households in the Washington metro area didn’t have power for a minimum of two days, others up to a week and some lacked road access due to trees that fell down from the storm blocking the streets.  A close friend’s home was destroyed when a large tree hit their house during the storm. The day following the storm there was a ton of debris from the wind breaking down branches and trees in my neighborhood. The recovery from the storm in Washington area was quick, due to the response teams in various sectors. The city was shut down for a day a half before the transit resumed service.

Two key factors for reducing vulnerability to natural hazards involves the pre-event preparedness and post-event recovery and reconstruction. Pre-extreme natural event, the government leaders and the media are responsible for getting the message to population. After the extreme event, the government plus the communities and outside help can facilitate quick recovery and rebuild. Other factors that could help reduce vulnerability are resources like technology, education, wealth, and appropriate governance which are limited in poorer countries. Factors such as education and awareness that have impact on preparedness and some of the aforementioned resources, can begin amongst communities like the indigenous groups in Indonesia.