2008 Woodie Awards
Editorial: Preparedness always essential
Issue date: 2/20/07 Section: Viewpoints
Many people like to say that the "big one" will never happen to them. A tornado will never flatten their house or a wildfire will never send their neighborhood up in smoke.
We're reminded every year that we live on the New Madrid fault, but many people don't take the reminders seriously. We think people need to realize that we live in an area that could potentially face a catastrophic earthquake.
A lot of people like to try to predict when the next one will hit and what will happen, but the truth is that no one can ever predict nature.
Awareness and planning are the keys to surviving a natural disaster. On June 20, UTM plans to hold a full-scale drill in case an earthquake should happen. The drill will show local emergency services what they need to update and what they need to practice should a magnitude 7.7 earthquake hit here.
The Pacer is happy that local authorities are taking active steps to ensure that UTM students and members of the community stay safe. The worst thing that could happen is for the "big one" to hit, and no one has a clue what to do.
However, a few questions need to be addressed. UTM is the emergency shelter should any natural disaster hits. What will local residents do if a horrendous natural disaster hits while school is in session?
UTM housing is already filled to the brim during the semesters. Where would we house local residents who come to UTM seeking shelter? Do UTM and the cafeteria have enough food to feed everyone? What will UTM and Martin do if the disaster was to shut down everything for a few weeks?
People like to say that there's no need to prepare for disasters such as this because it won't happen while they're alive. Ask the people in New Orleans who were affected by Hurricane Katrina if they wished they and the city had been more prepared.
It could happen tomorrow. It could happen a hundred years from now. But it's only a matter of when it will happen, not if. We hope that UTM and Martin will be prepared.
We're reminded every year that we live on the New Madrid fault, but many people don't take the reminders seriously. We think people need to realize that we live in an area that could potentially face a catastrophic earthquake.
A lot of people like to try to predict when the next one will hit and what will happen, but the truth is that no one can ever predict nature.
Awareness and planning are the keys to surviving a natural disaster. On June 20, UTM plans to hold a full-scale drill in case an earthquake should happen. The drill will show local emergency services what they need to update and what they need to practice should a magnitude 7.7 earthquake hit here.
The Pacer is happy that local authorities are taking active steps to ensure that UTM students and members of the community stay safe. The worst thing that could happen is for the "big one" to hit, and no one has a clue what to do.
However, a few questions need to be addressed. UTM is the emergency shelter should any natural disaster hits. What will local residents do if a horrendous natural disaster hits while school is in session?
UTM housing is already filled to the brim during the semesters. Where would we house local residents who come to UTM seeking shelter? Do UTM and the cafeteria have enough food to feed everyone? What will UTM and Martin do if the disaster was to shut down everything for a few weeks?
People like to say that there's no need to prepare for disasters such as this because it won't happen while they're alive. Ask the people in New Orleans who were affected by Hurricane Katrina if they wished they and the city had been more prepared.
It could happen tomorrow. It could happen a hundred years from now. But it's only a matter of when it will happen, not if. We hope that UTM and Martin will be prepared.
Be the first to comment on this story