Historically Indiana has been the victim of tornadoes as much as, if not more than, any other state.
The 1965 Palm Sunday tornadoes and the 1973 super tornado outbreak are some of the most damaging ever recorded.
In November 2005, a tornado ripped through Evansville and Vanderburgh County. Nearly 20 lives were lost, and the destruction of homes and businesses totaled millions of dollars.
In April of 2006, straight-line winds hit downtown Indianapolis with devastation, also causing millions of dollars in damages.
Hurricane Katrina exposed many deficiencies in the reaction capabilities of local and state response agencies. Though much attention was focused on the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the biggest failure was leadership. Both local and state leaders failed to follow plans and make decisions, which resulted in tragic consequences for citizens.
Emergency management agencies throughout Indiana -- along with the Indiana DHS and the U.S. DHS -- learned from this failure and are actively engaged in planning, preparing and exercising to ensure the citizens of Indiana and our country are prepared for any catastrophic event. The focus on terrorism is a constant, and the preparation and response capabilities to natural events are ongoing.
Indianapolis in Action
Indiana is now well prepared for a terrorist attack or any other calamity.
Downtown Indianapolis was festive the evening of April 2, 2006: The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) basketball championship weekend was in full swing with more than 75,000 attendees at the John Mellencamp concert at Monument Circle.
Public safety personnel were on duty and the emergency operations center was up and running.
Emergency management division personnel had been in contact with the National Weather Service and were monitoring storms in Illinois. Coordination was made with public safety agencies and concert promoters to warn and evacuate the facility if the weather warranted.
At approximately 9 p.m., the weather turned ominous and concertgoers were admonished to evacuate and seek shelter. A mass exodus proceeded, with which Indianapolis police officers, firefighters and security personnel assisted.
Twenty minutes later the storm struck.
Soon after, Indianapolis police officers and firefighters searched for victims -- fortunately there were none. Firefighters and Evansville Department of Metropolitan Development building inspectors quickly moved into buildings to assess structural damage.
The Department of Public Works, local DHS and state police began cleanup efforts by blocking roadways and streets to clear debris. Local leadership presence was at the scene, with all levels of city government engaged in response and recovery.
Twenty-four hours later, the NCAA basketball championship's final game proceeded without any major inconveniences to fans or citizens -- a noteworthy accomplishment and testimony to the planning, training and leadership in Indianapolis.
We are better prepared today than we were on 9/11, and I believe we will continue to improve as we move into the future.
James R. White is a public safety clinical lecturer for the School of Public and Environmental Affairs at the Indiana University Purdue in Indianapolis.
