For very specific technical reasons:
- It takes until well after a disaster to establish the official death count as we prioritize saving lives.
- Official death counts are conservative: actual recovered bodies with cause of death linked to the disaster.
- It takes until well after a disaster to establish the official death count as we prioritize saving lives.
- Official death counts are conservative: actual recovered bodies with cause of death linked to the disaster.
Recovering bodies is not always feasible, especially as disasters have a nasty habit of killing response personal.
In BC, the Hope landslide is a grave for 4 people whose bodies were never recovered from under the 47 million cubic meters of rock.
In BC, the Hope landslide is a grave for 4 people whose bodies were never recovered from under the 47 million cubic meters of rock.
Estimated death counts are extremely tricky. You need to think extremely critically about every assumption made.
Often an actual number is less important than a qualitative description: Every family was devastated. Infrastructure was destroyed for months. Daily life ended.
Often an actual number is less important than a qualitative description: Every family was devastated. Infrastructure was destroyed for months. Daily life ended.
Its a harmful distraction to muddy life-safety messaging in advance of a major catastrophe by whining over basic facts about a prior disaster.
It’s demonstrating a failure to comprehend basics of emergency response, undercutting faith in competency of people issuing orders.
It’s demonstrating a failure to comprehend basics of emergency response, undercutting faith in competency of people issuing orders.
Consistent life-safety messaging is “Listen to your local officials.”
Scientists at NWS, NOAA, etc work hard to provide solid data translated into impact forecasts. FEMA trains local emergency managers to use those forecasts in making decisions.
Undercutting that kills people
Scientists at NWS, NOAA, etc work hard to provide solid data translated into impact forecasts. FEMA trains local emergency managers to use those forecasts in making decisions.
Undercutting that kills people
Usually, politicians understand their role is to be a voice of calm authority & guidance under crises, communicating expectations & giving consistent instructions.
Any time that gets buggered, public trust erodes (reducing compliance), messaging confused (chaos!), & people die.
Any time that gets buggered, public trust erodes (reducing compliance), messaging confused (chaos!), & people die.
Dear MidAtlantic Coast (particularly the Carolinas):
Listen to your local officials. Your Governors seem to be doing ok staying on topic. But for now, I’m sorry but please just ignore your President. You have more important things to focus on.
& stay out of running water.
Listen to your local officials. Your Governors seem to be doing ok staying on topic. But for now, I’m sorry but please just ignore your President. You have more important things to focus on.
& stay out of running water.
