Hurricanes: Their Nature and Impacts on Society - Climate Science ...

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8.1 FROM KNOWLEDGE TO ACnON
One of the most important consequences of extreme hurricanes like Andrew
will likely be the lessons learned regarding the strengths <strong>and</strong> weaknesses of
existing societal responses to hurricanes. In general, however, the identification
of lessons <strong>and</strong> their application are difficult challenges. That difficulty was
exposed following a workshop held in the aftermath of Andrew to develop
recommendations for Dade County building codes <strong>and</strong> building code enforcement
(FDCA 1992). Securing recommended changes has proven difficult.
You might think local governments would see this risk <strong>and</strong> hurry to mend their
ways to better protect their citizens. But you would be wrong. In April 1993 -
more than seven months after Hurricane Andrew -the Dade County (Florida)
Metro Commission voted to postpone making the recommended improvements
in its code <strong>and</strong> enforcement techniques. And almost 10 years after Hurricane
Alicia, we are still trying to persuade Texas legislators to adopt the latest
building code, never mind enforce it. (Mulady 1994)
The lesson drawn here is that following Andrew, even with numerous clear
<strong>and</strong> specific lessons, drawn <strong>and</strong> publicized in numerous reports <strong>and</strong> assessments,
effective policy change is difficult to achieve. The challenge is to use
the lessons from Andrew <strong>and</strong> other disasters to improve preparedness in Dade
County <strong>and</strong> elsewhere, before similar tragedies occur. Future Andrews will
certainly strike, the central policy question that must be addressed is: How can
we reduce our vulnerability through becoming better prepared?
One way to improve preparedness would be for agents of change to put
forth a well thought out plan in the immediate aftermath of a disaster. As we
have seen, a disaster or extreme event opens a "window of opportunity" for
change (Ungar 1995). The window does not stay open for very long -soon
follows "a prolonged limbo -a twilight realm of lesser attention or spasmodic
recurrences of interest" (Downs 1972). Consequently, those with an interest in
improving policy outcomes with respect to hurricanes ought to have a plan of
action ready for when conditions do become favorable for policy change. This
means that efforts of hurricane policy advocates will be enhanced with an