Katrina's Gift: A Wake-Up Call for Improved Disaster Planning

Abstract

The forced evacuation in 2005 of two major U.S. cities provide an excellent opportunity for IT executives to take stock of their plans for disaster management. Your first reaction to this statement might be, “But my company doesn't operate anyplace where a major hurricane could strike.” Think again. Aside from potential urban paralysis caused by other natural events, such as a massive earthquake or F5 tornado, cities are prime targets for terrorism. In addition to biological and chemical attacks, terrorists could explode a radiological bomb in a major urban center. (A radiological bomb is not a nuclear weapon. It is an ordinary explosive device encased with highly radioactive particulate materials. The objective is to disperse these materials into the air and thus render many square miles of a city uninhabitable for years or even decades.) Because of terrorism and other threats, you and your IT department do have to worry about a possible mass urban evacuation.