20 Years After Hurricane Katrina, What Have We Learned About Disaster Response?

Five years ago, on the 15th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, we looked back with Vann Newkirk II on the complexities of the disaster. Newkirk did a thorough recounting of Katrina for his narrative podcast series, Floodlines. Since that conversation, I've often wondered about the role of the federal government in the wake of these disasters. Have we learned much in the 20 years since Hurricane Katrina? Why is FEMA so critical when a disaster strikes a certain area? Are we better prepared now or in worse shape? How is the climate crisis impacting all of this?

To answer all these questions and more, I invited Samantha Montano, an associate professor of emergency management at Massachusetts Maritime Academy, on the show. She is also the author of the book, Disasterology: Dispatches from the Front Lines of Climate Change. In this conversation, we talk about the intricate processes behind emergency management, from the initial assessment of a disaster to the deployment of resources and personnel. She explains how FEMA collaborates with state and local agencies as well as nonprofits. Montano also sheds light on some of the strategies that drive successful recovery and resilience in communities affected by natural and man-made disasters and how Hurricane Katrina shaped her career. 

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Read Disasterology: Dispatches from the Front Lines of Climate Change.