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An Example of Regional Mapping of Storm Shelters and Other Disaster Resources

It is a great example of work that needs to be done everywhere.

Doing things on a regional basis is incredibly difficult. Individual jurisdictions "generally" are just taking care of themselves and don't give a hoot about what is happening next door in another city or county that are their neighbors. Most of the time it takes a regional organization to see the need and step in to try to find a regional solution to whatever it is that is the problem.

That is exactly what happened here, see New Regional Map in Missouri May Help in the Event of a Disaster. It is not rocket science, and I love the idea that the information is displayed on a map! The challenge, not mentioned in the article, is not so much gathering the information, but keeping it current.

Another item in the story above is the notation that not every care center has a generator. This is the type of thing that needs to become a law in every state and city. People need power to survive in our increasingly digital age — not to mention the warmth that some people need.

Lastly there is this photo from the current Hurricane Harvey disaster, women in a flooded nursing home. While some people suspected it was fake, think about it. Where would old people go who live in a one story facility? They don't have bunk beds and they are not climbing on the roof.

Eric Holdeman is a contributing writer for Emergency Management magazine and is the former director of the King County, Wash., Office of Emergency Management.