Wadena Disaster Case Study
The International Federation of the Red Cross defines a disaster as “a sudden, calamitous event that seriously disrupts the functioning of a community or society and causes human, material, and economic or environmental losses that exceed the community’s or society’s ability to cope using its own resources” (What is a disaster, n.d.). At 5:00 p.m. on June 17, 2010, an EF4 tornado struck the town of Wadena, Minnesota. The damage was 1.1 miles wide along a 10-mile path (Weather Service, 20 June 2010). Wadena is located in the Central region of Minnesota and had a population of 4,088. It has 15 churches, three schools and the Minnesota State Community and Technical College. The town’s financial capital is reliant upon agriculture, manufacturing,
…show more content…
There were several storms throughout the state, including two other tornados so the State of Minnesota opened up the State Emergency Operations Center and on June 18th, 2010, the Governor requested that the Federal Emergency Management Agency to do an initial assessment (Davis, 2010, n.p.). During the week of June 22 – 24, 2010, a joint damage assessment was conducted by the federal, state and local governments. The assessment included not just the Wadena area but also included other locations throughout the state that were affected by the severe storms. Due to the damage throughout the entire state, on July 2, 2010, President Obama declared a State of Disaster for seven counties, including Wadena. This declaration allowed public assistance through the Stafford Act, for the state as well as the local government and some nonprofit organizations (which included the technical college and churches). The financial support was to share the costs of emergency work, repair or replacement of facilities damaged. The declaration also initiated the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program which provides further assistance so the state that could assist homeowners, businesses, and private nonprofits in recovery efforts. In total, according to Byan Savaloja, FEMA contributed just over $5 million dollars towards the response and recovery efforts in Wadena
There were several storms throughout the state, including two other tornados so the State of Minnesota opened up the State Emergency Operations Center and on June 18th, 2010, the Governor requested that the Federal Emergency Management Agency to do an initial assessment (Davis, 2010, n.p.). During the week of June 22 – 24, 2010, a joint damage assessment was conducted by the federal, state and local governments. The assessment included not just the Wadena area but also included other locations throughout the state that were affected by the severe storms. Due to the damage throughout the entire state, on July 2, 2010, President Obama declared a State of Disaster for seven counties, including Wadena. This declaration allowed public assistance through the Stafford Act, for the state as well as the local government and some nonprofit organizations (which included the technical college and churches). The financial support was to share the costs of emergency work, repair or replacement of facilities damaged. The declaration also initiated the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program which provides further assistance so the state that could assist homeowners, businesses, and private nonprofits in recovery efforts. In total, according to Byan Savaloja, FEMA contributed just over $5 million dollars towards the response and recovery efforts in Wadena