We know that the floods in late March were the worst to hit Rhode Island in living memory, and that a quick emergency response helped prevent loss of life. But what else worked well in terms of emergency management of the historic flooding? What gaps were exposed?
To review the lessons gleaned from the floods of 2010, I’m convening a meeting of the Emergency Management Advisory Council (EMAC) tomorrow morning (Tuesday).
Bringing together EMAC members and key stakeholders will offer a rare opportunity for state, municipal and private sector responders to discuss issues such as flood mitigation, emergency planning, and continuity of operations in terms of what we’ve learned in the wake of the flood and its aftermath.
Although long-term recovery efforts are far from over, a key goal of EMAC is to protect Rhode Island’s citizens by improving the state’s ability to prepare, respond and recover from natural and man-made disasters in a coordinated way.
And while we certainly hope not to see flooding like this again, I expect this meeting will inform our individual response efforts as we continue to improve how we can best work together in all types of future emergencies.