ProtectingAmerica.org Co-Chair Recognizes Katrina Anniversary
and Urges the Establishment of Better Mitigation
and Financial Preparedness Efforts

In an op-ed published in the Miami Herald, ProtectingAmerica.org co-chair Admiral James Loy reflects on a post-Katrina world and discusses what must still be accomplished to ensure our ability as a nation to withstand and recover from the next great catastrophe:

America has come a long way in improving our preparedness and response system since Hurricane Katrina devastated the Gulf Coast four years ago, but the job is not done and the American economy needs more protection.

When it comes to shoring up the financial infrastructure that stands behind homeowners, communities and insurers after catastrophe strikes, we are no better off than we were four years ago. Given the nation's fragile economic condition, we may actually be worse off than we were four years ago.

We learned a lot from the failures in the response to Hurricane Katrina.

In short, the communications failures, the crossed signals, confused roles and responsibilities that turned a natural catastrophe into a national calamity have been identified and addressed.

The greatest weakness in the improved safety net that America has crafted to respond to catastrophe is not in the human response mechanism, but rather in the financial system. The nation is exposed and vulnerable to enormous economic consequences unless we take steps now to prepare for the next major natural catastrophe…

Read the op-ed in its entirety.

American Heroes:
ProtectingAmerica.org Honors Louisiana Family Recovery Corps
as 'American Hero'

Dr. Monteic A. Sizer, President and CEO of the Recovery Corps with Robert Wooley, ProtectingAmerica.org

ProtectingAmerica.org recently welcomed the Louisiana Family Recovery Corps, as a member of the nation’s largest coalition of first responders, business, non-profits and individuals committed to improving the way we as a nation prepare for and protect our communities against the onslaught of catastrophe.

The Recovery Corps was recognized for its leadership role in coordinating and delivering humanitarian services and assistance in Louisiana in the aftermath of hurricanes Katrina, Rita, Gustav, and Ike, as well as for its ongoing efforts to better position the state and the nation in preparing long-term human recovery strategies post-evacuation and sheltering in the aftermath of a catastrophic event.

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To learn more about the Louisiana Family Recovery Corps, visit www.recoverycorps.org.

Each month, ProtectingAmerica.org will highlight an organization or individual that has been selected as an "American Hero" for ongoing preparedness, mitigation and recovery efforts.

Scientists Warn New Yorkers: City at Enormous Risk for Catastrophe

On September 11, The Wall Street Journal published an article that describes the very real threat of natural catastrophe in New York City. With or without the added risks associated with melting polar ice caps, scientists describe daunting realities for New York in the aftermath of a hurricane.

While most of New York is above sea level, its subways, telecommunications cables, fiber-optics networks, plumbing and power mains aren't. "There is so much underground," says urban water management consultant Piet Dircke at Arcadis, one of four engineering firms that recently developed concepts for a storm surge barrier here. "The economic impact of flooding could be huge."

Indeed, some civil engineers argue the city already risks catastrophic storm flooding. "A storm surge is not really a global warming issue" for New York, says senior engineer Dennis Padron at Halcrow Inc., which helped design a 15-mile-long storm barrier in St. Petersburg. "It could happen tomorrow."

Read more.