Wilmington Mayor James Baker had the right idea. He studied how New Orleans reacted to Hurricane Katrina. He asked whether that city was prepared. He wanted to know the level and quality of preparations. As he learned how poorly New Orleans' preparation and response were, he turned those same questions on Wilmington.
He met with his city's management team and pestered them with question after question. This week that questioning helped Wilmington move forward in public safety. It opened a new stand-alone emergency operations center. Along with other changes and updates, the city is better equipped to handle the kind of emergencies that can devastate a city. 2011 and 2012 saw a long string of severe weather disasters that killed hundreds and destroyed billions in property. Just last month northern New Jersey and New York City were swamped with the effects of Superstorm Sandy. The area still is digging out from the damage.
Emergency preparation is now an important part of a city's defense. We can no longer depend on historical weather patterns to be a guide. Sea-level rise and climate change are creating new and dangerous weather systems that can be deadly.
These developments have brought new energy to the concept of disaster resilience. This safety study calls on governments and businesses - and even individuals - to carefully study what kind of hazards could trigger a disaster, to identify what is exposed to these threats, how sensitive an area is to these hazards and what would be the consequences of a storm like Sandy if hit directly.
The new Wilmington emergency operations center is a good start and a wise investment.