Lessons Learned from Hurricane Sandy

By Michael Rudd

Keith Rhodes, QinetiQ North America

Keith Rhodes, a CTO with QinetiQ North America, wrote a very intriguing and insightful article for FCW about the government’s recent responses to Hurricane Sandy. He acknowledges that government has learned a number of lessons from previous natural disasters that “were key factors in managing and mitigating the effects of Hurricane Sandy.”

He does, however, offer a couple of recommendations that federal, state and local governments can work on now before the next natural or man-made disaster hits. Mr. Rhodes states the practical role for the federal government is to serve as a clearinghouse for knowledge learned from recent disasters. He says the federal government has the technology—data warehousing and big data tools— to help them “sift and analyze the necessary emergency response and mitigation procedures.” Sharing this information will help the federal government provide state and local agencies with better intelligence and help educate governments so they can better mitigate the affects of a disaster.

Mr. Rhodes also discusses one unsettling trend that surfaced immediately in the wake of Sandy—cyber scams. He reminds us that proper training and awareness of these scams can help first responders and other government personnel avoid online crooks.

Essentially, we—individual, federal, state and local government—have a role in keeping our country, communities and each other safe.