Al Qaida might not be the first organization that comes to mind when thinking about how Atlanta was effectively paralyzed by two inches of snow late last month. But it’s hard to imagine that group and other extremist terrorists across the political spectrum failing to notice our impotence in the face of adversity.
This was no Katrina or Superstorm Sandy. The impact of a relatively small snowfall in Atlanta is frightening evidence that we are vulnerable and ill-prepared for a major disaster, whatever its source. This major American city ceased operating for days.
Imagine the chaos that would ensue if the metro region were struck, without warning, by a dirty bomb or worse. Would our emergency response be better in the face of a mass-casualty bombing, an attack on the power grid or a pandemic flu outbreak? Any of these events would be devastating no matter how prepared we were, but the storm illustrates how unprepared we are for an unexpected emergency.
Our lack of preparedness is a direct result of political weakness that cannot be ignored. National security is not only a federal task. State and local governments have the lion’s share of on-the-ground responsibility to plan and respond to emergencies, and we need regional planning and coordination.
Currently, there are 146 cities and towns in the 28 county Metropolitan Statistical Area, and many of these jurisdictions contain other organizations such as school systems that operate independently. This makes governing the region in an emergency almost impossible. How do we fix this region before something truly terrible happens?
First, citizens need to recognize that effective disaster preparedness requires concerted effort. Experts talk of preparation, mitigation, response and recovery — four separate stages requiring planning, investment and deep coordination across functions and jurisdictions. It also requires involvement of key stakeholders from across the political spectrum and metro area, including the business community, school district heads, health care professionals and community advocates.
Disasters do not respect political subdivisions. Neither can disaster planning.
Second, political leaders need some boldness. Preparation does not come cheap. But here in Georgia, most politicians are terrified that the public will punish them whenever they want to spend tax dollars. We need politicians to be willing to spend the effort, political capital and dollars to do better. We, as citizens, should set aside our ideological differences and hyper-local concerns to support the effort to fix this regional problem.
Gov. Nathan Deal’s call for Georgia agencies to undergo internal and external reviews is a step in the right direction. We need to build an adaptable infrastructure system that is flexible enough to meet all threats. We clearly need better management and coordination across the political entities of the region.
Amanda Curtis Mattingly and David Rein are fellows in the Atlanta Chapter of the Truman National Security Project.
