President Obama Addresses the Nation on Hurricane Response Efforts

Just now, the President addressed the nation to discuss the preparations underway for Hurricane Sandy. The emphasis on coordination between federal, state, and local government in his address highlighted the progress that has been made in emergency response. The President also noted that he has been in communication with Governors of all affected states, and that FEMA is working closely with state and local governments to ensure swift response.

According to the President, the most important takeaway for viewers is to listen to what state and local officials are saying: “Do not delay, do not pause, do not question the instructions being given.” He noted that for citizens not following advisories, you are putting emergency first-responders in danger. That being said, search and rescue teams are prepared all throughout the regions affected.

As far as the storm itself is concerned, the President said to anticipate the center of the storm will hit landfall this evening. It will take some time for the recovery to begin – utility companies will take some time to get into position to start repairing lines, needing to wait until after storm subsides to begin dispatching teams. He also noted there will be transportation backlogs; it will take a little while to get back on schedule.

The early communication, visible coordination, and clear preparations are dramatically different than other emergency response situations we have seen in the past. The strong emphasis regarding federal, state, and local coordination demonstrate how integral open lines of communication are for an effective response.

For further information, the President advised citizens to visit Ready.gov for additional resources.