Hugo: a case study.

On 16 September 1989, the most powerful hurricane of the twentieth century struck the Eastern Carribean, blowing furiously over the region's seas and terrain at speeds of over 150 miles per hour. Surprisingly, only 14 people were killed, although property damage and other losses totalled some $365 million.

Today, disaster specialists cite Hurricane Hugo as a case study of a successful regional disaster response that emphasizes improved coordination of activities on sectoral and local, rather than national levels. This response is based on an interdisciplinary approach linking disaster reduction with sustainable development activities. That means working closely with grass roots organizations and small communities to determine who will do what in an emergency, and basing mitigation efforts on available local resources, rather than depending on outside help.

"What we have found is that if the local people are given information about disasters, they can do a tremendous amount to help themselves", said Franklin MacDonald, Project Manager for the model Pan-Caribbean Disaster Preparedness and Prevention Project (PCDPPP). "It's amazing how extremely resourceful and creative people can be. After so many years, their coping mechanisms are well developed."

The Project, based in Antigua, was originally begun in 1981 as a short-term (18 months) programme managed by UNDRO, in collaboration with the League of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (LRCS) and the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), which is the regional office for the Americas of the World Health Organization. Its primary goals were to support the development of national and regional preparedness policies and legislation to strengthen the response of island States to the seasonal threat of hurricanes and other hazards.

During the pilot phase, it became evident that the cyclical pattern of regional destruction and disruption of activities caused by hurricanes required inter-island coordination that did not exist. For this reason, the project was extended to address the longer-term needs of the region.

One problem was the discrepancy in the capacity and resources of the 29 PCDPPP member States to respond to disaster. Some islands had national emergency evacuation plans; others had a single school-house or hospital to serve as shelter during a natural calamity. If such single facilities were destroyed, loss of life would be greater. Hence, disaster preparedness meant shoring up facilities and creating institutional structures capable of coping with period volcanic eruptions and seasonal hurricanes.

"The linkage to development is critical", Mr. MacDonald said in a recent interview. "I think most economic pundits are in agreement that they haven't sufficiently taken that into account. Considering that every 10 years we can expect to have a hurricane, even the economic planners are now seeing disaster preparedness as a part of environment assessment."

Project teams worked with local architects and city planners to assess housing vulnerability and possible shelter needs on each island as a first step in building institutions for national disaster management. Another step was working with local governments to prepare emergency evacuation and action scenarios. Educational and audio-visual materials were produced and distributed with local input from affected communities.

"We followed the CBO (community-based organization) and NGO (non-governmental org at the community level because you have to find out what people want and need if you expect them to participate", explained Mr. MacDonald. "We learn from them, too."

A good example, he said, was the "disproportionate" damage done to modern buildings in places like Montserrat over the last few years, compared to more traditional structures. "It's clear to us and to people there that in putting on new roofs, in some cases there was a failure to apply [sound] building techniques. There were short cuts taken." More importantly, he stated, "many of the traditional designs have stood up better. That's coming out as one of the fundamental lessons of the recent past."

Hurricane Hugo followed closely on the heels of Hurricane Gilbert (September 1988), which Mr. MacDonald said was a positive factor, as communities were already mobilized. "Had it been the first storm of the season, it might have been a different picture", he stated.

The installation of an effective warning system in Jamaica helped the island respond to Hurricane Gilbert. It also showed residents that "if you did this well you could certainly save lives", said the PCDPPP coordinator.

Among the various goals of the Project was sectoral building, consisting of providing technical support to government agencies in drafting guidelines for international and regional collaboration. UNDRO, along with LRCS and PAHO, worked with the Caribbean Community to set up a nascent Caribbean Disaster Response Agency (CDRA) to promote inter-governmental coordination.

"This involves pooling resources, moving people between islands and instituting standardized procedures", said Mr. MacDonald. "There is a methodological sequence to these activities and these people have got to get together to work out these operating procedures beforehand."

Another step has been to establish links with academic institutions to begin to collect local documentation on disasters, do research and, added Mr. MacDonald, "to influence the next generation of professionals and urban planners".

Another Project focus has been to implement standards for buildings and take measures to protect vital services. Today, most islands have backup telecommunications equipment safely stored for use after a disaster. The PCDPPP's emergency communications system was in place by the time Hurricane Hugo struck; it provided critical field reports to the international donor and relief workers.

To disaster specialists, what has distinguished the Project from other disaster initiatives has been the emphasis on training local people to act. Community-generated public information campaigns and intensive disaster training sessions have been carried out. The media has been educated about preparedness. As a result, a close working relationship exists between local officials and outside specialists from the UN and other bodies.

As part of the Decade's activities, national offices for the Decade have been established in half of the island states to date. Many have marked 10 October as Disaster Preparedness Day and carried out activities designed to highlight their awareness of the need to be prepared.

The Project was formally completed in March. In actuality, its goals and methods have been incorporated into the CDRA and other UNDRO/Decade programmes. "It's important that we make sure the various functions of the Project be continued", said Mr. MacDonald. Summing up the 10-year Pan-Caribbean Project, he said, "we can see the results in terms of human lives. In the case of Hurricane Hugo, it became very obvious."