We are in the middle of a pandemic, violence against black and brown people is rampant, there are uprisings to that brutality, climate change is rumbling along, there is a brutal heatwave in Arizona, failing dams in Michigan, and hurricane season begins Monday. These are all connected.
Please take care of yourself and each other.
We’re at an interesting point in the COVID response. Many seem to have decided the pandemic is over (it is not) while others are trying to responsibility navigate a partial return to being able to leave their house. Others, who are at a particularly high risk if they were to get sick, are still stuck at home. From an emergency management perspective, it seems that the response has reached a point of stability. The improvisation that was required in the first weeks and months has become more established. The duration of this event is not typical for the US and the usual ephemerality of response is absent. Nevertheless, the response will continue to evolve over the next months.
I’m keeping the COVID articles short this week because most of my attention has been on the uprisings.
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New York Times: Virus Crisis Exposes Cascading Weaknesses in U.S. Disaster Response
Leaders in the disaster nonprofit world confirm that they expect substantially fewer volunteers because of COVID and are having to reconsider their approaches to deployment.
AZCentral: ‘It is miserable’: People in Phoenix homeless camp brace for heatwave during global pandemic
There is a dangerous wave of extreme heat in Arizona right now that is particularly difficult to manage because of the pandemic.
Wired: Will Wildfire Smoke Worsen the Pandemic? We're About to Find Out
Similarly, there is concern about how wildfire smoke will affect people who have COVID-19. As I always say, it’s wrong to think of these events in isolation from one another. They are compounding events.
World Politics Review: Preparing for Natural Disasters in the Age of COVID-19
I was a guest on this podcast where I talked about the challenges of managing other disasters in the midst of the pandemic.
The Hill: Craig Fugate: Emergency communications will be the next challenge of COVID-19
Former FEMA administrator addresses the challenges of communication during a response and how this will be particularly challenging now because of the pandemic.
The Atlantic: First Came the Virus. Next Come the Storms.
Please read through this article for a truly exceptional quote about freeze dried FEMA officials. It does not disappoint.