Coordination in Disaster Response Is Critical

I don’t have any more information than what is written in this Los Angeles Times article, picked up by Emergency Management: “Snow, Death New Climate Reality in San Bernardino Mountains.”

It details just how much snow fell in an epic snow storm in 2023 — 12 feet of the white stuff that turns a pretty winter wonderland into a disaster zone. The key aspect that jumps out at me is the finger pointing and “apparent” lack of coordination between agencies.

I think that no one imagined just how bad that storm would become, but even a “slow moving” disaster that piles up with impacts can have devastating consequences.

Pre-event coordination and having all the relationships in place is a key aspect. Who’s responsible for disaster volunteers?

I do have to say that sometimes first responders can start “freelancing” when they think things are not being handled correctly, and that can cause a mountain of problems during an event.