<
https://www.justsecurity.org/87698/broader-lessons-about-resilience-from-mauis-fires/>
"Maui’s devastating fires — striking at the heart of the ancient Hawaiian
kingdom, Lahaina, where the community has quickly rallied together — should
drive home the critical importance of close ties between neighbors and
residents, as they remain the true first responders on the scene of most
accidents. Even in a car accident or house fire, it is those closest to the
event who show up, drag survivors away from danger, administer first aid and
CPR, and alert authorities of the tragedy. And when major disasters occur,
neighbors — not government officials — know who lives alone and who needs help
moving away from a vulnerable place.
The true human and built environment costs from the Maui disaster are still
being tallied. As of Aug. 16, at least 106 people were reported dead in the
island-consuming blaze, and some 2,000 buildings, stores, and sacred places in
the town of Lahaina burned to the ground. These numbers will likely change as
search and rescue teams continue their work. But we already know important
facts about the Maui fires which should help us prepare for future disasters:
critical physical infrastructure systems failed and likely cost lives while
social systems rallied, helping people escape and rapidly start the rebuilding
process.
At least two different sets of infrastructure in place before the fire did
little to assist residents. The first came from a lack of warning tones from
the local all-hazards sirens — with 80 outdoor alarms in Maui alone — which
could have warned residents of the fire and provided more time for them to
flee. For unknown reasons, local authorities did not activate the systems,
which are tested monthly. Many residents also stated that emergency cell phone
warnings to evacuate either came too late or did not appear at all. Locals
instead learned about the growing threat from the fire from neighbors knocking
on their doors, the news, posts on slow-to-update Facebook pages, and even the
smell of burning entering their homes.
The second set of critical infrastructure systems which failed involved power,
telecommunications, and water. The fire, likely caused by a downed power line,
went on to destroy power lines and cell phone towers, leaving people without
electricity and in a communications blackout. Strengthening these physical
infrastructure systems against fire — or other major natural hazards — is
likely a step too far for most local authorities, who do not often prioritize
infrastructure maintenance. Indeed, installing power lines underground can cost
as much as ten times more than standard power line installation."
Via Kevin O'Brien.
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
