Hurricane Ike - Long-term Recovery and Solutions

Long-term Recovery and Solutions

According to the Houston Department of Health and Human Services the greatest need of households affected was obtaining needed food. Communities that are vulnerable during disaster need help in how to prepare for recovery that will take longer than 3 to 5 days. More than 52.3% of household's had vulnerable family members such as children younger than 2 years old, pregnant women, and adults older than 60. Affected houses included 55% that were without power, 9.5% using gas-powered generators gave limited power to their house, and 29.1% using grills and camp stoves to cook food. Other families said their house's toilet did not work, and no garbage pickup. Others needed assistance with getting clothing, medicine, medical care, and transportation. Certain areas of Houston did not have access to public messages sent out about how to prepare for longer long-term recovery, planning to be prepared properly, and management. There needs to be improved communication with service agencies for response after the disaster.

Most of Houston, 3 million, was without power for weeks and living in dark. Victims of the hurricane were staying with friends and relatives and dealing with starting over with their life and what their next step will be. People helped out in affected communities through volunteering trying to help to rebuild the communities. Social service and nonprofit agencies trying to help Houston and Galveston by offering services through grant money. Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is assisting the victims of Ike heading towards long-term recovery through Long-Term Community Recovery Branch (LTCR) by gathering federal, state, and local nongovernment agencies to help affected communities create long-term recovery resources and fix problems and concerns. Also, help communities create long-term recovery pland heading towards aciton steps have plans succeed when next disaster happens.

Solutions for long-term recovery include federal and state agencies having meetings where they discuss recovery needs, planning ideas effective with state and local governments, and address needs and goals. Communities need to effectively use resources from programs and agencies offer for recovery, coordinate, and plan. Challenges may be faced in recovery efforts such as how long federal government provide assistance, officials not able to successfully address the affected communities issues, effective authority and influence get agencies' attention, and communicating to the public realistic expectations of exactly how much resources leaders have available for recovery and assistance. Successful long-term recovery builds the community coming back stronger, keep going, more structured than was before hurricane and reconstruction. FEMA grant program created to purchase properties and move them to another area that does not flood as badly. The Disaster Mitigation Act of 2000 requires communities to have plans for disaster aid and grants to identify risk and vulnerability for communities lack power to instill actions and assessment for comprehensive plans. FEMA Act has helped protect homes and communities promote disaster risk identification and assessment of age. Hurricane Ike launched Texas cost communities start building strong communities. Future of long-term recovery planning starts with residents being active in their community, immediate reconstruction, and long-term action enhances community and local resilience. Communities can reduce losses in the future and improve resilience by careful land use planning and development management. Action steps that can be taken to reduce threats from future hurricanes are restoring marshes, plan reconstruction in nonvulnerable areas, heighten structures for flood protection, and create building design that is simple, low in cost, and designs that can handle hurricane strength winds. Communities need to find a way to decrease their vulnerability. Key for communication about the recovery process and planning is identifying resources, simplifying assistance, sharing information, including all important groups, improve individual, family, and community emergency preparedness.