DisastersDisaster Responders Grapple with Planning for Extreme Weather in the Time of COVID-19

Published 28 May 2020

Last week the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration predicted an above-normal 2020 hurricane season, with the possibility of three to six major hurricanes this summer looming over millions of Americans. In Michigan, record rainfall caused two dams to fail in quick succession, triggering an evacuation of over 10,000 nearby residents. In the time of COVID-19, crowding into an emergency shelter with thousands of others seems unsafe, if not impossible.

Last week the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration predicted an above-normal 2020 hurricane season, with the possibility of three to six major hurricanes this summer looming over millions of Americans. In Michigan, record rainfall caused two dams to fail in quick succession, triggering an evacuation of over 10,000 nearby residents. In the time of COVID-19, crowding into an emergency shelter with thousands of others seems unsafe, if not impossible.

NAS says that at a recent National Academies webinar on extreme events and the COVID-19 pandemic, disaster preparedness experts discussed how their go-to preparedness plans for the hurricanes, heat waves, and wildfires that come with warmer weather will survive this new reality.

Any weather anomaly that happens during the COVID-19 outbreak will create a compound extreme event, explained panelist Jane W. Baldwin, a Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory postdoctoral fellow. A compound extreme event occurs when one disaster is layered on another, requiring special preparation. In other words, Baldwin says, it is “a series of events that are worse than the sum of their parts.” A power outage after a windstorm will make it difficult for people to stay home for an extended period. Wildfire pollution will hurt indoor air quality for those self-isolating. Compound extreme events will put particular stress on the medical system: “What do we do with all the patients in hospitals in a disaster zone, particularly if they are hooked up to life-saving respiratory equipment?” Baldwin asked.

John Rabin, assistant administrator for field operations at FEMA, said that compounding “adds a significant layer of complexity” to disaster response. Many of FEMA’s response plans rely on mass care, mass evacuations, and mass sheltering, and these options may not be possible or safe to do with the virus still spreading, Rabin said. “How do we shelter folks that may be COVID-19 positive?” In preparation for the 2020 hurricane season, Rabin said that the Federal Emergency Management Agency is trying to keep in place as many foundations for successful disaster response possible, such as staff readiness and the incident command system. Emergency managers at all levels will have to adapt to the new risks and realities of operating in a COVID-19 environment.