Some disasters are slow evolving such as hurricanes which are tracked well before landfall. Others happen with devastating suddenness such as the earthquake and tsunami that hit Japan earlier this year.  The question I pose is related to the public’s expectations toward our ability to respond to any disastrous event.  The loss of public trust and respect for government’s response (local, state and federal) to hurricane Katrina was in part due to the appearance of being caught flat-footed even though the storm’s strength, path and predictable consequences of hurricanes are all known factors.   Had the west coast been hit with a near shore earthquake and tsunami, the public may have been more forgiving of disjointed government response due to the “unpredictable” timing, location, magnitude and consequences.

If we had modeling and clairvoyance to be able to predict the timing, location and scope of an impending disaster on the environment and economy of many coastal communities and industries years out, wouldn’t the public have every right to expect we have our “ducks in a row” to handle the problems?  The answer to this question will be revealed soon, either restoring and upholding the public’s trust in government’s ability to protect them, or we will once again be caught with our pants down, embarrassed in front of the whole world and creating needless hardships on many citizens deserving much better.

The event started on March 11, 2011 when a monster earthquake and subsequent tsunami created unimaginable destruction in Japan.  What started almost immediately after was a methodical movement of perhaps up to 100 million tons of debris containing everything from wrecked fishing vessels, commercial, household and personal items and most likely even body parts.  Excellent computer modeling has been verified as to its accuracy on when the debris fields will start hitting Hawaii, followed by the west coast, clogging ports, creating hazards to marine navigation, fouling beaches and estuaries and potentially impacted the industries dependent upon fishing, tourism, aquaculture and more.  The first debris has already come ashore near Neah Bay in Washington State. Typical modeling based upon currents suggested most of the gigantic debris field would arrive off the west coast in a couple of years, but many items sit high in the water and are being pushed by the wind, faster than normal current movement.

I’m curious if local, state and the federal government will get their act together now, hire fleets of commercial fishing vessels, salvage and clean up contractors to mitigate the impact or will we wait until the debris arrives and once again create a spectacle of  ineptitude in planning and mitigation of disaster.   I’m curious what you think we will do versus what we should do.

Why not devote the time and energy to develop a coordinated Incident Action Plan put together by a multi-discipline planning team including public and private entities and international partners operating under a logical area Command structure?  Why not create or change our National Level Exercise to Debris 2012 or 2013 and show the world we can be a leader if we put our minds to handling an impending disaster?