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October/November 2007                                                                                            Volume 13 - Number 1/2

Perspectives...

My Experience with Natural Disasters
By Mark Brabrook

    I am supposed to write an article on my experience with natural disasters.  This is a difficult task, not because of any emotional responses this subject brings up, but because I have had the good fortune of never being severely impacted by natural disasters.  I have lived in Northern Virginia my whole life.  The Washington, DC, area has traditionally been one that has been relatively protected from the extreme elements of Mother Nature.  I have never had to face the possibilities of tornadoes, wildfires, hurricanes, earthquakes or overflowing floodplains on a regular basis.  The most regular threat this area faces is the occasional blizzard or ice storm during the winter (and that generally pertains more towards the western suburbs as opposed to D.C. itself).  Even when we have been exposed to strong winds from thunderstorms or heavy snow or ice during blizzards and ice storms, the D.C. region is fortunate to have a strong local, state and federal infrastructure in place that can respond more effectively than many other areas within the country.  

My only memories growing up relating to the effects of nature are of our house losing power during thunderstorms, seeing the trees knocked down due to wind and/or ice or seeing the occasional road closed to traffic due to downed trees or power lines.  Even when the power at my house went out, we still had running water – we did not have well water.  Friends have told me stories of their families having to fill up their bathtubs with water prior to a storm because once they lost electricity, they lost the ability to turn on their well.  The most direct impact a natural disaster has had on me that I can remember is when Hurricane Isabel hit this area back in September 2003.  I was working at home all day and listening to the radio.  Every hour, as Isabel crept further north from the Tidewater region, there were reports that tens of thousands of additional Virginians had lost electricity.  While I was fortunate not to have lost power at my residence, I did lose water.  This specifically sticks out in my mind as the first time that I had not had access to running water due to a natural event.  While the loss of water only lasted about a half-day or so (and we were encouraged to boil all water for the next day or two), I am fortunate to say that this was the worst effect I have had to face from a natural disaster.

    As many in the class are aware, September was National Preparedness Month.  The Department of Homeland Security has developed a website called Ready.gov, the sole purpose of which is to inform Americans of the things they need to do to prepare for severe events like natural disasters or terrorist attacks.  It is an informative website that should be regularly reviewed.  While I have been lucky enough to avoid the effects of natural disasters, it may not always be the case.