Hurricane Sandy's impact on housing communication and recovery

Hurricane Sandy Communication by FHA

Natural disasters are no strange phenomenon to the United States, and especially to the coastal areas. Indeed, hurricanes and earthquakes are a frequent phenomenon, with some occurring as often as once per year. Disaster aid organizations in conjunction with the government and housing agencies are therefore an important component of the life and sustenance Americans enjoy today. Sometimes, however, even these entities are baffled by the sheer scale of destruction caused by disasters that are unexpectedly severe. This was the case with Hurricane Sandy. Although warnings helped the majority of citizens retain their lives, Sandy wreaked complete destruction on uncountable homes, leaving many homeless, without electricity, and without running water. In addition, many were in confusion regarding the relocation, rebuilding, and insurance claims processes.

Statement of problem

The hurricane was closely followed by a myriad of press reports regarding the above-mentioned confusion regarding homes and their owners. The crux of the problem was the scale of the disaster. Both government agencies and insurance companies found themselves inundated with the sheer need of those affected (CBS, 2012). In New Jersey and New York, the states hardest hit by the hurricane, more than 880,000 homes and businesses were left without power and damaged to some extent.

Although disaster agency FEMA had, by that time, offered some $200 million in emergency housing assistance, the government seemed slow to create a specific long-term plan for all those in need.

Another CBS (2012) article states that insurance adjusters would also be slow to evaluate the damages sustained by insured home owners, with wait times of two weeks and more. In addition, many home owners were not given any specific information or instructions regarding what to do in the short-term.

Adding to the confusion was a lack of consistency in accounts regarding the numbers of people in need of relocation and housing assistance (Barron, Lipton & Rivera, 2012). Estimates ranged to extreme degrees, from 10,000 to 40,000 people in need of such assistance. While waiting for clarity of information, families did see the benefit of relocation programs, some of which involved hotel stage until such time as sufficient repairs could be made to homes.

Although much was done to help the families in need, great confusion and uncertainty remained even weeks after the hurricane hit. Much of this might have been mitigated by means of more effective and consistent communication, not only from official agencies and insurance companies to citizens, but also among the agencies and companies themselves.

Theoretical background

In terms of the theory, agencies such as the Federal Housing Administration (FHA, 2013) might have created a more streamlined and effective mode of communication. The linear model of communication contains the following components:

Who?

Says What?

To Whom?

What Effect?

Statistics

These factors suggest that communication needs not only be clear and statistically accurate, but also focused on the alleviation of fear and uncertainty. These are the most important focus point of communication during a disaster.

In conclusion, any federal, official, or insurance agency directly involved in the mitigation and rebuilding process should create clear and consistent communication channels not only from agency to citizen, but also among agencies themselves. Clear and public collaboration processes, for example, will go very far in alleviating the fears and uncertainty experienced by citizens. In order to do this, agencies should use all communication channels at their disposal, including press releases, official letters, and less formal media options such as social networks.