Hurricane season could overwhelm disaster response systems

Grim forecasts for an active hurricane season highlight significant gaps in America's disaster preparedness.

Juliette Kayyem reports for The Atlantic.

In short:

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration predicts up to 25 named storms this hurricane season, driven by warm Atlantic waters and La Niña conditions.
America's disaster-preparedness system, including FEMA and private insurers, lacks the resources to handle consecutive severe storms.
Public complacency and inadequate disaster response infrastructure exacerbate the risks posed by increasingly frequent and intense hurricanes.

Key quote:

"Big ones are fast. They don’t care about our timelines. Preparedness is absolutely everything."

— Ken Graham, director of the National Weather Service

Why this matters:

With predictions of a highly active hurricane season, the inadequacies in current disaster response systems could lead to severe consequences for vulnerable communities, emphasizing an increasing need for better preparedness amid escalating climate-related risks. Read more: Robbie Parks on why hurricanes are getting deadlier.

www.theatlantic.com

Hurricane season could overwhelm disaster response systems

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