A systemic crisis is a crisis in which the breadth of impact reaches many individuals within the system; for example, schools, businesses, entire communities, regions, or it may be worldwide. The individuals involved in a systemic crisis can become overwhelmed with the enormity of the situation and need physical and/or psychological assistance to regain control. Systemic crisis interventions require a combination of strategies working cooperatively together across multiple agencies to effectively address all potential needs of the victims. However, not all systemic crises are the same and require interventions that are specific to the systemic crisis category. The following paragraphs will give a brief description of a natural disaster …show more content…
For the purpose of this paper, we will discuss a weather event that few think of regarding natural disasters; winter storms. Winter storms are different from a snowy day in that a winter storm can include heavy snow, damage-causing ice, high winds, dangerously low temperatures, low visibility, or any combination thereof (America’s PrepareAthon, 2015) and makes travel extremely hazardous. A winter storm can affect an entire region and victims may experience loss of utility services, limited mobility, among various personal crises (illnesses, accidents, or death). For example, between November 17 and November 20, 2014 Buffalo, New York was buried under 7 feet of snow causing thirteen fatalities, hundreds of roof collapses/structural failures, thousands of stranded motorists, downed trees, and power outages in addition to food and gas shortages (National Weather Service, n.d.). In the most severe winter storms, snow plows, and emergency services personnel often have a difficult time keeping up with the needs of the region; therefore, it may be hours, days or even weeks until conditions are safe and services are …show more content…
For the purpose of this paper we will discuss the Zika Virus; a worldwide public health crisis. The Zika Virus is primarily transmitted through the bite of an infected mosquito and the symptoms experienced are usually mild if any at all. Unfortunately, the Zika Virus can also be transmitted from a pregnant woman to her fetus potentially causing microcephaly; a birth defect in which an infant is born with an abnormally small head size which can in turn cause other developmental problems depending on the severity (CDC, 2016). Concern about the Zika Virus is not new, nor is caution when traveling to an area of the world where a Zika outbreak has recently occurred; however, the prevalence of the Zika Virus is spreading. Prior to 2015 known outbreaks were contained to certain areas in Africa, Southeast Asia, and the Pacific Islands, in mid-2015 the first confirmed case of Zika virus infections were announced in Brazil and has since spread throughout the Americas (CDC,
Federal intervention in the aftermath of natural disasters began after the San Francisco earthquake in 1906. This 8.3 magnitude earthquake killed 478, and left over 250,000 homeless. While the disaster itself was obviously unavoidable, the subsequent fires that burned throughout the city were a result of poor planning. (1, 17) In an effort to consolidate existing programs, and to improve the nation’s level of preparedness, President Carter created FEMA in 1979. Initially, FEMA was praised for improving communication between various levels of government, and multiple agencies during a crisis. (1,19)
Hazards pose risk to everyone. Our acceptance of the risks associated with hazards dictates where and how we live. As humans, we accept a certain amount of risk when choosing to live our daily lives. From time to time, a hazard becomes an emergent situation. Tornadoes in the Midwest, hurricanes along the Gulf Coast or earthquakes in California are all hazards that residents in those regions accept and live with. This paper will examine one hazard that caused a disaster requiring a response from emergency management personnel. Specifically, the hazard more closely examined here is an earthquake. With the recent twenty year anniversary covered by many media outlets, the January 17, 1994, Northridge, California earthquake to date is the most expensive earthquake in American history.
In economics, a recession occurs when there is a slowdown in the spending of goods and services in the market. A recession causes a drop in employment, GDP growth, investment, as well as societal well-being. All recessions are caused by a specific cause, but the Great Recession of 2007-2009 was caused by a crash in the housing market. This crash was triggered by a steep decline in housing prices. All of a sudden, people bought houses because there was an excessive amount of money in the economy and they thought the price of houses would only increase. (Amadeo, 2012). There was a financial frenzy as the growing desire for homes expanded. People held a lot of faith in the economy and began spending irrationally on houses that they couldn’t afford. This led to overvalued estate and unsustainable mortgage debt. (McConnell, Brue, Flynn, 2012).
Zika is currently affecting, The Caribbean, Central America, some parts of the Pacific Islands, and South America. Some issue’s of zika is that if the mosquito is affected with zika it will spread all around the earth and effect more and more people. One of the biggest issue of the zika virus is with women who are expecting, this is a big issue because when the baby is born, they will have symptoms of, seizures, delay in their development,
One of the health incidents that has occurred recently, given the summer months season, is the concern with the Zika virus. Although the Zika virus has minimal effect on the average person, the greater concern is with pregnant women and the affects to the unborn child. Devastating enough, the inability to prevent other issues, such as due pregnancy. According to CDC, “Zika infection during pregnancy can cause a serious birth defect of the brain called microcephaly, and is linked to other problems in fetuses and infants infected with Zika before birth”.
Zika virus has been gaining notoriety due to the recent Rio Olympics. It is not a new disease, in fact, it has been around for a long time. The first recorded case of Zika virus infection was in Uganda in 1947. Previous research and press coverage on the disease highlighted microcephaly in babies as the main detrimental effect of Zika virus. The speaker aimed to show the other less known facts and effects of Zika virus during the seminar.
All over the world hundreds of disasters happen every year, no matter how big or how small they are, they can effect a community somewhere and can cause mutilation. A disaster is defined as “a natural event such as a flood, earthquake, or hurricane that causes great damage or loss of life” (“Disaster”, n.d) and from these disasters we get many risks. Risks are what come from a natural disaster, for instance a hurricane. A hurricane is “a rotating low-pressure weather system that has organized thunderstorms but no fronts” (“Canadian Hurricane Centre”, 2013). A hurricane can cause serious danger, harm and loss of either personal belongings or life. Hurricane Hazel, a storm that hit the Toronto are, was a huge storm for Canada which many Canadians
The Zika virus is a mosquito-borne infection which studies say is the cause of microcephaly. This condition leads to babies being born with very small heads and incomplete brain development. The Zika virus is spread from one person to another by a mosquito called Aedes aegypti. Some people who are infected have symptoms such a mild fever, joint pain, and a rash. The Zika virus was first discovered in 1947 in Uganda, Africa. The virus hadn't been spread to the Americas until May of 2015 when scientists diagnosed the first case of Zika in Brazil. Since then, Brazil found more than 4,700 newborn babies were diagnosed with microcephaly. Many scientists believe getting a Zika infection during pregnancy might cause the microcephaly. Some South American
Zika outbreak is of concern and of risk to pregnant women due to the possibility of Guillain barré syndrome in unborn babies and does not appear to be a treat to others. It is spreading quickly through the population mostly presenting as asymptomatic, therefore people that are infected might not even know. Overall, precautions have to be taken when traveling to high-risk countries and the proper measurements of protection should be taken (use of insect spray, long protecting clothing, among others). Meanwhile, educational resources are being implemented and research is undergoing to develop a possible vaccine. Therefore, it is important to understand that sometimes there are no pharmacological treatments available for certain diseases or infections but there are methods of prevention that we can implement to decrease our risk of contracting such disease, as well to educate others on preventive methods as well to control as much as possible the spread of such
There are natural disasters in the United States, such as tornados, hurricanes, earthquakes, and flooding that will affect a community’s infrastructure, and a person’s physical and mental wellbeing. Eight people were killed and 10 missing from flash flooding in Hays County, Texas on May 26, 2015 (Fox News, 2015). When a mental health worker assists with a disaster, he/she will work for an organization in charge, such as the American Red Cross (Sangganjanavanich & Reynolds, 2015). The American Red Cross will assign a position to the crisis counselor in the emergency response stage that might not include counseling. A natural disaster in Hays County will need counselors to assist in several areas, depending if
Hazard of all sorts are a part of people’s daily lives. Disaster occurs when people are injured or loss of property has taken place (American Public University System). The population in the US has increased over the years and it is causing disasters to occur more frequently (American Public University System). Emergency management in the US is even more focused in preparing and mitigating potential hazards than ever before. Whether these hazards occur naturally or manmade, emergency management personnel developed a holistic approach in emergency management. This holistic approach is called the comprehensive emergency management to address all large-scale potential hazards both natural
Recognizing the need for increased international awareness of natural disasters, especially within under-developed countries lacking adequate preparations,
In 2016 it appeared that the Zika virus came out of nowhere. An increasing amount of women in Latin America were giving birth to babies with deformed heads. Eventually, it was determined that the culprit was a mild flu-like virus transmitted via mosquitoes. Although, some adults and children only exhibited mild symptoms, it was discovered that the virus was causing microcephaly in fetal brains; a condition where a baby’s head is much smaller than usual. In 2016 US Congress finally approved aid to fight the virus after several reports that the virus had reached the United State. It eventually became apparent that the Zika virus was a new public health problem.
Every country has its ups and downs, unfortunately, countries having to deal with financial problems which tend to cause a tremendous effect on the nation as a whole. Financial crisis plays a huge role in countries going into a recession, and being unable to meet the demand for money. Sadly, developing countries are facing financial crisis the hardest, for example, countries such as Haiti, South Africa, and Afghanistan are just some of the countries who have trouble with financial issues for decades. Furthermore, developing countries are more than likely to face financial crisis due to not making enough trades, which depends on the amount of income that comes in and out of countries. Today, financial crisis has gotten worse in many developing
Natural disasters constantly affect the world, causing destruction, death, violence and poverty. The response to these events causes many to become desperate inducing crime and hostility. Without preparation, resources would be scarce and aid will be limited. With a huge impact on society the devastation and economic damage; working to find ways of limiting devastation from certain disasters, such as hurricanes, can benefit those affected.