crisis management application : Solution Essays

Whether a crisis or disaster is natural or man-made, effective communication strategies are needed no matter where it occurs. A great deal was learned about communication issues in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. After this disaster, thousands of residents in Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana were without roads, electricity, or cell phone towers. Because of this, creative means of communication, both inside and outside the region, were needed. Agencies with satellite phones had no difficulty, but for most survivors this was not a possibility—it was difficult to make phone calls both outside and inside the region. One means of communicating, however, was successful for many—text messaging. But, of course, this required a digital phone with texting capability, which not all had access to. In order to reach survivors who did not have this capability, four-wheel drive vehicles or trucks were necessary because roads and bridges were destroyed. Transportation became a significant element for communication.