Lessons from Cline's Experience

Every year in the United States natural disasters has constantly threatened the lives and the sources of lively hood for most of the citizens. This has resulted in numerous deaths and loss of billions of dollars to the damages. The United States Geological survey works closely with other partners to monitor evaluate and conduct research on the nature of a wide range of the natural disasters. This will enable the policy makers and citizens to be aware of the need for preparedness and response to any forms of emergency arising from the same. Recently this body together with other partners   realigned their organizational structures around the mission, identified as the major forms of hazards surrounding the   states. Through the identification of these geological hazards, it is possible for to provide alerts and relevant warnings for the hazards such as the tsunamis and the storms.

The earth is increasingly becoming vulnerable and prone to natural disasters due to the increasing populations in locations, which are prone to hazards and the interconnections of the modern economies with these risks increasing yearly. Although the geoscientists do not have the capacity to eliminate the natural hazards, they have the capacity to reduce the casualties and the consequences of the natural hazards.

Currently there is a considerable value for the reduction of the consequences of the natural disasters since the geoscientists have the professional capacity and responsibilities of informing the public about the natural hazards. They also advocate for the need of the construction of a more resilient society enabling the action of more responsibility in actions through the promotion of the collective responsibility and behaviors to minimize the impact of disasters. The government agencies at both the local and the national levels have responsibilities for the integration of the geosciences information. The recommendations of geosciences on the natural hazards to land use in planning and sustainable development of the policies and long term resilient infrastructures. Is there anything positive gained from natural disasters?

Although the natural disasters are incredibly destructive to the human world, there are some of the benefits, which come with them. For example, the forest fires are crucial in revitalizing of the natural ecosystem. The forest fires are seasonal events, which have the potential of enriching the forest floors, which facilitates the growth of new plants. Therefore, the changes in the forest after fire benefits the forest as some of the plants in the forests germinate better due to the fires. Other benefits include the fact that the rising temperatures in the ocean are beneficial to jelly fish as it facilitates its population increase. In addition, the natural disasters gives life lessons as all the people learn on how to respond to natural disasters in future it also brings the communities more closely together as it acts as a reminder that no one can have power over nature. This makes people refocus on priorities.  It also opens the avenues for new opportunities, as it leads to the relocation of the victims of the disaster to other places, where they can get better employment and even start new entrepreneurial businesses. Furthermore, the country becomes more tolerant to the future disasters and even to the   people from other races. For instance in the institutions where there is racial discrimination, the two parties will tend to put away their prejudices and work together for the recovery of damages.

When the natural disaster affects a country there are relief agencies form different countries, this relief agencies bring food clothing to the damaged areas and help the victims to recover from the damages. There are other benefits of the disasters; for example, apart for the immediate, ill effects of flooding, in the end it provides nutrients to the soil, making the soils be more fertile and increase the agricultural production. Rivers get nutrients; thus, provide health benefits to the fish and the other aquaculture life.

What lessons can we learn about survival from this book?

Clines attitude and that of the weather services changed because of this experience making them more accommodative and knowledge of the lack of power of the inevitable. There is a need to adopt both the long term and the short-term survival tactics. Some of the immediate lessons from the disasters include the need for the enhanced efforts for the personal preparedness for disasters. It is essential to learn from the tactics used to manage the immediate consequences of disaster, making future recurrence easier to handle as the natural disasters are not predictable and happen faster before achieving the means for handling of the disasters. In future, all people need to assume personal responsibility to be prepared for the inevitable. Regardless of the area of residence, any place has the likely hood of having known treats. For example, the hurricanes and the flooding, fires provide business related concerns, and it is necessary to assess their risks and vulnerabilities.  Furthermore, after identification of the treat, well establishment of the plans is necessary, as the policies and procedures, which can help in the decline of the risks.

The failures to test the plans will result in failures of the plans and procedures; hence, the same disaster. This is because there are always contingency plans for all the disasters, but the problem is that the contingency plans only exist in manuals and books, with less action.