Hurricane Mathew Response

Hurricane Mathew was a major storm that hit the United States and many countries in
the Caribbean in 2016. Even though it had a strength that was greater than that of other
previous storms, such as Hurricane Katrina, the death toll and property destruction that it
caused were significantly less than those of other previous major storms. In the United States,
the comparatively low death toll and property destruction can be attributed to better
preparedness resulting from the implementation of National Planning Frameworks and
National Response Framework.

National Planning Framework and Hurricane Mathew
The National Planning Frameworks contain frameworks that guide response acts of
natural disasters and other threats that the nation faces. It has five elements roughly related
with the five disaster management missions. These elements or frameworks are prevention,
mitigation, protection, response, and recovery (Department of Homeland Security, 2016).
Each of these frameworks in turn has a number of capabilities that strengthen it.
During Hurricane Mathew, the implementation of the capabilities helped to blunt the
dangers of the storm. For instance, warning capability gave advanced warnings of the coming
storm and its strength to the public and various government agencies involved in the disaster
management (Federal Emergency Management Agency, 2018). The public information
capability provided citizens with evacuation information and updated on everything that was
taking place.
Apart from warning and public information capabilities, logistics and supply chain
management, mass care services, and health and safety capabilities also played an important
role in improving the management of the storm. The logistics capability increased the ease of
at which federal government agencies delivered various services, equipment, and

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commodities to first responders and affected populations. Mass care capability allowed
government and non-government entities to provide food, water, and other life saving
products and services to those who needed them (Federal Emergency Management Agency,
2018)). Lastly, health and safety capability allowed government agencies to maintain high
levels of safety and health in affected population.
Federal Government’s Preparation Under the National Response Framework
The federal government used the National Response Framework’s first and second
frameworks in its response to Hurricane Mathew. The first framework guides planning,
coordination, and resource access during the emergency. Based on this first framework,
FEMA sent many search and rescue teams to the affected areas, around 50,000 blankets, and
millions of liters of water to the affected areas (Department of Homeland Security, 2013).
The second framework relates to the protection in emergency situations. Federal
agencies, such as FEMA, used this framework to coordinate their efforts with those of
organizations at state and local levels (Department of Homeland Security, 2013). Thanks to
the coordination, the response to Hurricane Mathew was better than responses to previous
natural emergency situations.
Application of Community Approach in Hurricane Mathew’s Response
The community approach recognizes the important role that communities play in
increasing the effectiveness of disaster preparation and response. In accordance to this
approach, several communities that were in relatively safe places provided their affected
counterparts with shelter facilities and other resources that they needed. For instance,
residents that were evacuated from coastal areas were provided shelter in more inland areas
that was prepared by the inland communities (McCord, 2017). Agencies distributing donated
resources also worked closely with school boards and community members from less affected

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areas to make sure that the donated materials reached those who needed them on time and in
appropriate quantities.

Achievement of National Preparedness Goal

According to the Department of Homeland Security (2015), National Preparedness
Goal is a resilient and secure nation that has capabilities that support effective disaster
planning, prevention, mitigation, and response. I believe that the National Preparedness Goal
was achieved in the management of Hurricane Mathew. The effectiveness of the response can
be seen in the low death roll that the US reported when compared to similar disasters in the
past and the destruction that Hurricane Mathew caused in other countries, such as Haiti.

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References

Department of Homeland Security. (2013). National Response Framework. Homeland
Security, 2.
Department of Homeland Security. (2015). National Preparedness Goal. Homeland
Security, 2.
Department of Homeland Security. (2016). Overview of the Nation Planning Frameworks.
Homeland Security, 2.
Federal Emergency Management Agency. (2018). Core Capabilities.
https://www.fema.gov/core-capabilities
McCord, S. (2017). Officials reflect on Hurricane Matthew efforts. Emergency
Management.
www.govtech.com/em/disaster/Officials-reflect-on-Hurricane-Matthew-efforts.html