Crisis Decision-Making During Hurricane Sandy: An Analysis of Established and Emergent Disaster Response Behaviors in the New York Metro Area

Abstract

Public health staff had few plans or protocols to guide them and often found themselves improvising and problem-solving with new organizations in the context of an overburdened health care system (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2016;10:436-442).

Decision Making in Disaster Management Cycle of Natural Disasters: A Review

“…Decisions during preparedness phase was poor due to communication breakdown. (Chandler et al, 2016) Hurricane United States A generally good decision-making process occurred during the disaster management of Hurricane Sandy. (Isahak et al, 2018) Flood Pahang, Malaysia Post-flood disaster in Pahang, decisions made led to future improvements for flood shelter.…”

“…Most recent disasters, such as the hurricane at United States, require each management level to make an unstructured decision (Baker, 2017;Burby, 2006;Kapucu & Garayev, 2011). The most obvious examples of hurricane disaster in the United states that are reported (Baker, 2017;Burby, 2006;Chandler et al, 2016), that need decisions to be made on that time for victims and property to reduce the effect of disaster on them, such as places of transfer, safe areas, daily assistance and their health. Mitigation decisions made after the disaster happens in the future as the federal government has pursued a policy toward the use of hazardous areas for safe development.…”

“…This can be recognized in the decisions taken by three hospitals management. During Hurricane Sandy, hospitals had to evacuate elderly patients unplanned and decisions had to be made as to where to transport the patients on the spot (Chandler et al, 2016). The response given was slow and adversely affected patients who are in the hospital during this disaster (Mcginty et al, 2016).…”

“…The uncertainty of the decision making required during recovery phase can be seen in the case of several natural disasters such as the landslide in Portola Valley, San Francisco, the flood in Gloucestershire and Katrina Hurricane in the United States (Chandler et al, 2016;Kahn & Sachs, 2018;McMaster & Baber, 2012;Pearce, 2003;Yates & Paquette, 2010). During the natural disaster event in Portola Valley, a large portion of a public road was destroyed by one big landslide and another nearby approved neighbourhood area was damaged by another landslide, which destroyed a home.…”

“…During the recovery phase of the Haitian earthquake, uncertain environments such as the remaining debris removal requiring additional help from military engineers and care for civilians to include stabilization of medical situation with extension to mental health and trauma support reuqired unstructured decision-making (Yates & Paquette, 2010). While the recovery phase for two hurricanes, Hurricane Sandy and Hurricane Katrine, that occurred in the US showed unstructured decision making where emergent issues requires increase reliance on public health agencies' expertise and the approach of hiring consultants, develop strategic plans and manage post traumatic disaster (Chandler et al, 2016;Kahn & Sachs, 2018).…”