Flooding Disaster Preparedness Plan

Flooding Disaster Preparedness Plan

Role of the PHN

During a flooding disaster incidence, a public health nurse plays various roles during the disaster management cycle. A nursing practitioner undergoes disaster preparedness training which equips them with the necessary disaster response skill necessitated during a natural disaster (CDC, 2019). Nurses have proficiency in primary healthcare, interdisciplinary teamwork and collaborative skills, making them ideal leaders for disaster preparedness. During the disaster response phase, nurses will be in the frontline, offering disaster triage to patients with varying degrees of injuries by adopting mass casualty management (CDC, 2019). Similarly, they can coordinate with firefighters and first responders to ensure that critical patients are transferred to surrounding hospitals to receive treatment. Immediately after the flooding disaster, there are expected emotional and behavioral responses exhibited by people impacted by the disaster. Therefore, nurses will offer emotional and spiritual support to the community members impacted by the incident. In addition, the nurse will provide long-term psychological support to individuals traumatized by the flooding incident during the disaster recovery phase.

Natural Disaster Considerations

As can be expected, the first responders and EMT personnel on the scene will be exposed to trauma as they attempt to help victims. The ERTs must be prepared for a natural disaster and have approaches in place to minimize psychological consequences. During the initial preparation phase, there should be collaboration and an effective communication system essential to retorting to and mitigating public uncertainty and anguish (Kapucu, 2012). Both the state and local departments should develop a three-prong approach to planning, preparedness, and action. At the local level, the people severely affected by the flooding incident are more vulnerable to developing neurological stress disorders. Up to two-thirds of those directly affected are psychologically impaired to some degree; they may exhibit various emotional and behavioral consequences such as PTSD, anxiety disorders, depression and problems with substance use.

To address the psychological challenges posed by such an event, there needs to be an effective intervention to withstand Philadelphia's residents' psychological, behavioral, and social functioning (CDC, 2019). They include community-oriented responses, which are instrumental in managing psychological consequences. At the national level, strategies for preparing the public and the appropriate resources in response to flooding disasters can be organized according to the special populations and phases of the disaster (Kapucu, 2012). In addition, through FEMA, the federal government can provide psychoeducational material to the impacted community along with counseling services throughout the recovery process.

Strategic Planning

Strategic planning is a vital feature of disaster preparedness that involves knowing how to respond to threats. The strategic plan comprises various elements to prevent, prepare, respond and recover from a flooding disaster. The first element of the training program involves identifying the scenario that the response strategy is being developed (Alexander, 2015). Since the scenario is a flood, nursing practitioners should be trained on what may happen after a flooding incident. In addition, they will be trained on safe evacuation strategies for the victims and domestic animals within the impacted areas.

Similarly, they will be trained on preparing and responding to the main causes of illness and death after a flood. This involves knowing how to prevent the impacted people from psychological and waterborne infections. The second element is the response strategy, which involves identifying the main risk factors that need to be addressed (Alexander, 2015). For example, it involves training nurses on how to perform first aid for drowning, snake bites and trauma. Similarly, it involves identifying state and federal partners that can ensure clean water, sanitation and hygiene. The third feature of strategy response is the implementation plan, which involves identifying strategies necessary to reduce the risk factors to the impacted community. Finally, federal agencies, including the CDC and DHS, will offer basic healthcare needs to communities impacted by the flooding incidence (Kapucu, 2012).

Likewise, it will involve identifying and registering high-risk individuals such as children, pregnant women and those with chronic diseases special care throughout the incidence period. Furthermore, a nursing practitioner can assist in disseminating hygiene messages in coordination with international partners such as UNICEF. The fourth feature is the operational support plan which involves setting up the appropriate strategies to implement the plan. Finally, it involves mobilizing the Rapid response team to assess the situation and supporting mobile health teams that offer healthcare to the impacted community.

Disaster Resources

There are various local, state and federal resources available for assisting the community in natural disaster recovery. At the federal level, FEMA can offer disaster assistance to the impacted community in various ways (Alexander, 2015). For example, it can assist with establishing temporary housing for the impacted community, home repairs for those that have not been excessively damaged and offering grants to cater for the funeral expenses caused by the disaster. At the state level, the state can activate the Emergency Operations Center, which will assess the impact of the threat, determine the initial assessment, come up with a response and recovery plan for th4e impacted community (CDC, 2019).

References

Kapucu, N. (2012). Disaster and emergency management systems in urban areas. Cities, 29, S41-S49.

Alexander, D. (2015). Towards the development of a standard in emergency planning. Disaster Prevention and Management: An International Journal, 14(2), 158-175.

CDC. (2019, Nov 22). Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov