In the eye of the storm.

• Author: Mejeur, Jeanne
• Position: Emergency plans natural disasters

Once disaster strikes, it's way too late to plan countermeasures. Only a few states have carefully prepared emergency plans.

The list of natural disasters in the United States in the last several years is staggering. Since 1989, hurricanes have devastated parts of South Carolina, Florida, Louisiana and Hawaii; the Loma Prieta earthquake caused major damage in Oakland and San Francisco; massive wildfires burned extensive areas of California in 1991 and again in 1993; Guam was devastated by a typhoon; flooding and mudslides in California following years of drought resulted in major property losses; the "blizzard of the century" affected states along the entire East Coast; and the great flood of 1993 wreaked havoc in nine states along the Mississippi River.

The costs associated with cleanup of natural disasters are equally staggering. Losses average more than $20 billion annually, a figure that doesn't include losses to local economies.

The list doesn't take into account the hundreds of smaller natural disasters that fail to grab the national headlines or man-made disasters such as train wrecks, plane crashes, civil disturbances or acts of terrorism that also cause major damage and economic losses, as well as personal trauma.

Every State Needs a Plan

Every state is at risk for disasters and needs a comprehensive and up-to-date emergency management plan. Disasters usually happen with little or no warning. Even for those that can be predicted with some accuracy, the time available to react is very short. Moving out of harm's way often just isn't possible.

High-risk states such as California have passed emergency services laws to ensure a coordinated federal, state and local response to disasters. California is most often thought of as earthquake territory, but it is also subject to floods, mudslides, fires and man-made disasters. After the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, which caused an estimated $5 billion in damage, killed 62, injured 3,000 and displaced more than 13,000 people, the California Legislature was called into extraordinary session and passed more than a dozen bills to help those affected by the disaster and upgrade the state's ability to respond quickly to future emergencies.

Similarly, after Hurricane Andrew flattened 300 square miles of Florida, the Legislature approved the Emergency Management, Preparedness and Assistance Trust Fund, which places a surcharge on all property insurance policies in the state, with 60 percent of the...