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While we Americans have not directly faced devastation on the unimaginable scale now being revealed in Haiti, we can and do empathize and want to help make things better for the victims and their country.
Unfortunately, we Americans do understand natural disasters quite well. We share with the citizens of Hispaniola Island a history that includes catastrophic earthquakes and hurricanes.
Having experienced Hurricanes Katrina and Andrew, as well as the Loma Prieta, Northridge and Great San Francisco Earthquakes, among other disasters, we hope neither we nor Haitians feel Mother Nature’s wrath in those terrible ways again.
But hoping is not enough. Meticulous planning and taking effective steps to mitigate potential wind, water and seismic risks are the keys to preventing large-scale human suffering and ensuring local and national resilience in the future.
There is much talk today about how Haiti can be rebuilt to be stronger and much more resilient—goals that many had for Haiti even before the earthquake.
The consequences of rapid development and growth in the absence of building codes and disaster-resistant construction methods are being discussed and debated on many editorial pages, blogs and television newscasts—not to mention around many kitchen tables, where the real seeds of change are planted.
Valuable lessons are being learned and should be put to work in Haiti. But there also are lessons that we here in the United States need to heed regarding building practices in our own country.
It had been 200 years since the last major quake hit Haiti. No doubt many people thought the risk of that happening again was very low, since it had been so long.
Ironically, it has been almost exactly 200 years since the last major quake along the New Madrid fault that runs through the central United States. And, of course, in that time, major populated areas—including Memphis and St. Louis—have grown up in the New Madrid zone.
If earthquakes similar in severity to those that hit in 1811-12 were to strike along the New Madrid fault today, it is estimated that a minimum of seven states and more than 15 million people would be adversely affected.
Are we ready? Have we done everything we can to prepare the built environment to withstand catastrophic natural disasters?
Many people who live on or near fault lines in this country that largely have been inactive for decades, or even a century or more, also believe they will not see a major quake in their lifetime, and therefore do not need to worry.
This is a dangerously mistaken view of a real and present risk. We see similar mass risk denial or disaster “amnesia” after several years pass between major hurricanes.
Fortunately, Californians—the most experienced Americans when it comes to earthquakes—have strong seismic building code provisions in place for their protection.
As a society, we have the engineering expertise to build more earthquake-resistant homes, schools, businesses and public buildings. However, knowledge gained and put into practice in one part of our country is not always put to good use in other parts of the nation.
Simply put, beyond California, the vast majority of American residential and commercial structures exposed to earthquake risk are not up to the task of surviving significant ground movement.
This must change if we are to avoid devastating physical destruction, such as that experienced in Haiti this month.
We must adopt strong, well-enforced building codes. We have the knowledge and the power to make our communities safer, stronger and more resistant to natural catastrophes. Not to do so is nothing short of reckless.
The property insurance industry and our mitigation allies long have advocated construction and retrofitting to create better, stronger, safer buildings. (Of course, none of us who champion disaster-resistant buildings would want to be put in the “we told you so” position because, in the wake of a big quake, American towns and cities lie in ruin.)
The Haitians did not have the advantages of engineering expertise and substantial public policy input that we Americans have, but hopefully the rebuilding process will move them in this direction. At the same time, improvements must be made in the United States so that we, too, are a stronger and more resilient society.
We can and should honor the victims of the latest earthquake and other mega-disasters by taking the opportunity right now, this year, to expand financial incentives for new and existing structures to be retrofitted to provide Americans with more protection against natural disasters.
We don’t need another Hurricane Katrina or Northridge earthquake to remind us what is necessary to save lives, prevent injuries and preserve property. Let’s truly learn this time. Let’s really change.
In addition to helping Haitians put their nation back together better and stronger than ever, let’s finally commit to making American homes and businesses more resilient as well.
Time may seem to be on our side when disasters are separated by decades or centuries, but that is only the case if we take advantage of that quiet time to fortify ourselves for the next time that Mother Nature roars.
Julie Rochman is president and chief executive officer of the Institute for Business & Home Safety. She may be reached at jrochman@ibhs.org.