Embracing Technology in Tornado Recovery

Caitria and Morgan O'Neill are two sisters who come from the city of Monson. Their hometown was hit by a tornado, and they felt the urge to offer their help to the townsfolk. They realized that when a disaster occurs more so naturally, there is only a limited period of time for help to be offered from global organizations, before other people need the same help too thus, it is very important for people to get themselves ready for recovery proceedings before disasters occur. According to the sisters' experience they realized, that the availability of the right set of tools during a disaster, carrying out activities within the required timeframe and possessing the relevant data of the disaster would produce tremendous results in the recovery process. The availability of proper software tools in the time of a disaster helps keep in check the necessities, and the roles played by individuals during the service of the service. The tools also help in informing the public on the current happenings of the occurrences in the disaster area. The sisters had to rely on post ads, airing information to news vans, and even creating pages in social media platforms like Facebook. These however seemed inefficient as they could not actually value the disaster relevels from just photos and therefore they design a website tool with just two computers to assist in doing so. One of the sisters even indicated that 'leveraging technology for faster recovery should be a no-brainer'. 

The ability to carry out relevant activities within the proper time factor is essential in disaster recovery. The sisters indicated timing was important as in disaster moments; people have about seven days to accumulate about fifty percent of the aid required in order to rebuild the disaster-stricken community during the recovery period. Due to poor organization, communities do not utilize their time well in aid collection and end up with very few resources to sustain their recovery process. The sisters based their argument of web searches on 'Donate Katrina,' 'Joplin' and 'Dallas tornado,' and they all indicated spiked web activities in the first few days and then drastic drops. The ability to put together the right and required information and being able to relay it to the relevant people is very crucial during the activity of disaster recovery. It enables the recovery to be more goal-oriented. The sisters realized they needed to keep track of inventory and the scheme of work for the recovery pattern and would serve as proof to helping organizations on the intensity of work done. One of the sisters stated that 'imagine the sinking feeling you get when you have sent two thousand volunteers, and you cannot prove it.' With the recovery website, they could track inventory brought e.g., blankets and fresh water, ice and track the working of dispatched volunteers like the church group of fifty who required meals and housing as they did repairs.

Based on the presentation of the O'Neill sisters, it is more than likely that my community is not well prepared for disaster recovery at their discussed level. The best way to help my community would be to embrace technology in disaster recovery e.g., Monson Tornado in 60 seconds website and train the local community how they could use these platforms in situations of recovery after a disaster and with thus my community will have the chance to recover from any national disaster.