Gov. Kathleen Blanco has stated that everyone needs to leave New Orleans due to flooding from Hurricane Katrina. What an overwhelming statement that is. Even with all the coverage that we have had regarding the hurricane, it is still hard to grasp the enormity of this disaster. During times such as these, we often talk …
Gov. Kathleen Blanco has stated that everyone needs to
leave
due to flooding from Hurricane Katrina.
What an overwhelming statement that is.
Even with all the coverage that we have had regarding the hurricane, it
is still hard to grasp the enormity of this disaster.
During times such as these, we often talk about business
continuity and disaster recovery planning.
However few if any local governments are fully prepared for catastrophe
of this magnitude. While I am certain
that some of the City of
plans are still viable and are being put into action (particularly regarding
emergency services) many of their plans for continuity and recovery have been
negated due to the sheer size of the event.
There is no doubt that in many areas the government as well as individual
citizens will be starting over.
It is times like these where State and Federal resources as
well as non-profits come into play to help the citizens and the local government
get back on its feet. We are fortunate
to live in a nation whose government and citizens are quick to respond and are
technically and financially able to help out.
On that note, rather than talk about the myriad of IT issues
that are brought about due to disaster, (there will be plenty of time for that)
I will just end with a couple of web links of significance:
Disaster Center – Comprehensive list of relief organizations.
I have been part of the IT world as a professional since 1987. First as a programmer with an Air Carrier, then as an IT Manager, IT Coordinator, and eventually Director/CIO through 16 years of County Government experience. Since then I have been consulting with State Governments in the areas of Application Development and Data Warehousing and Business Process Re-engineering. I recently accepted a Director's/CIO position in the government arena and am looking forward to the challenges of senior IT management again. While I cannot state where I am working or who I am working for, should it become known, I must make it clear that all thoughts and opinions expressed by me in this blog are my own and do not reflect those of TechRepublic, C/NET nor my current employer.
