Evacuations + Early Warnings + Fires & Floods
Profiles in Preparedness #33
Celebrating disaster readiness and prevention is hard.
When preparedness pays off—clearly demonstrating its value during a disaster—others are often suffering from the devastating impacts of the same event. Highlighting success can seem out of touch when tragedy surrounds it.
Yet recognition, like accountability, can’t wait.
We need to profile and spotlight the people whose preparation saved lives, not for being heroic after the fact, but those who proactively kept others out of harm's way.
Improving our national disaster readiness depends on not only highlighting the practices that need to change but also showcasing the people and organizations who did it right, even when those stories don't generate sensational headlines, clicks, and ad revenue.
So, if you only read one article this week, make it this one: AP News: Texas Camp Successfully Evacuates 70 Children Amid Flooding.
Here’s why it matters:
While tragic news emerged from Texas about the devastating flooding at a children’s camp caught off guard, another camp nearby successfully kept its entire team and campers safe through proactive readiness.
Camp officials acted swiftly, evacuating about 70 children and adults from riverside accommodations despite never receiving official warnings. Their monitoring of weather conditions and river levels allowed them to anticipate danger and take decisive action.
Although the flooding caused damage to the camp, every child and staff member reached safety.
Understanding parental anxiety would rise as news broke, camp staff proactively informed all parents of their children's safety, preventing unnecessary fear and confusion.
I don't know who Aroldo Barrera is, and his name might not be what's trending online, but he is a true hero. Preparedness saves lives, and we need more examples like his.
From Inside The CP Journal
Wind-driven fires bring a unique and catastrophic form of devastation. Three of the four wind-driven fires in the U.S. since 2018 not only destroyed nearly every structure in their paths but also became mass fatality events.
Yet, these fires also offer clear opportunities to get left of bang. Wind-driven fires don’t occur without intense wind conditions, conditions we can forecast. With days of advance warning, public, private, and non-profit organizations have time to act.
As part of an evacuation planning project, I analyzed the pre-incident warnings and public messaging ahead of the January 2025 Los Angeles Fires to understand what worked, what can be improved, what to focus on next.
Here are some insights and recommendations drawn from that analysis:
Appreciate you sharing this. Media tends to only share the tragedies which is understandable when you know it’ll get the most engagement but it’s so beneficial to share and learn from the successes too.
I love this. Focusing on what goes right is every bit as important as discussing where we fall short.