Stepping Stones in the Evolution of a National Hurricane Policy

Abstract

Like most government policies directly affecting the welfare of the nation, the evolution of a coherent national policy on hurricane warnings, public preparedness, and subsequent disaster relief has been event motivated?a product of crisis management. This process began near the turn of this century, first with the Spanish?American War, which placed an urgent requirement for warnings to protect naval vessels from hurricanes, and second following the hurricane disaster at Galveston in 1900, reaching maturity after the Camille disaster in 1969. The latter, for the first time, resulted in a spontaneous effort by both federal and state governments and the university community, particularly by the social scientists, which led to the present hurricane policies. The result of successive crisis management actions by the government and, after Camille, the broadly based response and analyses by the scientific and engineering communities, led to the evolution of a national policy on hurricanes that identifies and assigns responsibilities and actions required for each phase of a threatening event, from anticipation and preparedness, to relief and recovery from a hurricane disaster. The plan that evolved is a remarkable example of cooperation between federal, state, and local organizations devoted to the protection of life and property, and recovery from disaster. And it is a tribute to the altruism with which both government and private organizations have collaborated to protect and promote public welfare. Nevertheless, the mechanics of relocating coastal residents from harm?s way in the face of a hurricane emergency remain complex and in some areas uncertain, considering the ever-increasing time required for systematic evacuation.