In class on Tuesday, March 18, we discussed the reactions of the Weather Bureau, taking a primarily critical view of the organization\u2019s actions.\u00a0 Erik Larson\u2019s view undoubtedly heavily influenced out take on the culpability of the organization and their potential to have prevented many deaths.\u00a0 I agreed with our assessment of the situation, blaming the nascent organization that was trying to save face for their inaction.<\/p>\n

However, in reading a source for my independent research project, Flu: The Story of the Great Influenza Pandemic of 1918 and the Search for the Virus that Caused It<\/i>, I came across an event that interestingly mirrored that of the 1900 Galveston Hurricane.\u00a0 In 1976, a flu season occurred that reflected many of the same patterns of the deadly 1918 Influenza that killed around 50 million people worldwide. The Centers for Disease Control and the US government jumped into action, commencing a nationwide vaccination campaign to protect the entire country.\u00a0 This is exactly what the Weather Bureau did not do, looking at a potential threat and acting upon it to protect the population.\u00a0 This is the criticism that I gave the Weather Bureau, but the Swine Flu Scare of 1976 turned out very differently than expected.\u00a0 Millions were spent and millions were vaccinated, but the expected pandemic never came.\u00a0 The federal government came under intense criticism for jumping the gun, so to speak, and the CDC lost credibility.\u00a0 This is what the Weather Bureau was preventing by not forecasting a storm, and what the leadership was trying to prevent in banning the use of the words \u2018hurricane\u2019 and \u2018tornado.\u2019\u00a0 While I\u2019m not excusing the failure of the Weather Bureau, I think the 1976 Swine Flu Scare serves as a helpful counterpoint to our critiques, explaining, although not excusing, the actions of the Weather Bureau in the 1900 Galveston Hurricane.<\/p>\n

This argument contradicts that of Jean<\/a>, although she does make a convincing argument.\u00a0 Planning is key in disaster awareness and management.\u00a0 However, can you \u2018cry wolf\u2019 one too many times, leaving the population exposed when a disaster is indeed imminent?\u00a0 I don\u2019t know how to fix the problem, but it is exemplified by the two exemplars portrayed in Isaac\u2019s Storm <\/i>and Flu<\/i>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In class on Tuesday, March 18, we discussed the reactions of the Weather Bureau, taking a primarily critical view of the organization\u2019s actions.\u00a0 Erik Larson\u2019s view undoubtedly heavily influenced out take on the culpability of the organization and their potential to have prevented many deaths.\u00a0 I agreed with our assessment of the situation, blaming the … <\/p>\n

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