Wisconsin Not Prepared for an Emergency

I would have completely flipped out if I had been among those stuck in the 12 hour backup on I-39/90.

From the Wisconsin State Journal:

State agencies were ineffective in recognizing the massive traffic jam that left 2,000 vehicles stranded overnight in a blizzard, according to a report released today.

After they realized what was happening, state agencies failed to work together properly, the report says.

"It was Mother Nature who threw a significant storm at Wisconsin, but we could have responded better," Wisconsin National Guard Brig. Gen. Don Dunbar stated in the report.

Could have responded better?

They responded miserably.

Gov. Jim Doyle this afternoon apologized to motorists, but said he won't seek to punish anyone involved in the botched response.

With 2,000 vehicles involved, there were at least 2,000 people stranded for hours because of snow.

This was no small thing, yet Doyle isn't going to punish anyone.

The report blames the State Patrol, the Department of Transportation's highway division and Wisconsin Emergency Management for not recognizing the extent of the problem. Interagency coordination was excellent as the storm developed, but "non-existent as the emergency grew and darkness fell on the stranded motorists."

"Our investigation shows that the lead agency for traffic response on the Interstate, the Wisconsin State Patrol, did respond to events as they unfolded but was slow to recognize that an emergency existed," the report states.

"This delay in recognition caused the loss of precious hours that could have allowed alternative courses of action to be considered which might have mitigated the depth and breadth of this emergency."

If state agencies screw up something like response to a snow storm so badly, how well do you think they'd do in the event of a massive emergency such as a terrorist attack?

Wisconsin doesn't seem prepared.

Thank God Wisconsin doesn't get hit by hurricanes.

The report recommends measures be taken to avoid similar future events, including a plan to shut down the Interstate. The state should also consider an alternative communication system to alleviate the burden on 911 centers and provide information to stranded motorists, the report states.

...The debacle left more than 2,000 motorists stranded on a stretch of Interstate 39-90 between Madison and Janesville for hours beginning in the morning on Feb. 6.

The state Emergency Operations Center, which opened in response to heavy snow forecasts at 8 p.m. Feb. 5, more than 12 hours before motorists became stranded, was "clumsy in its execution," the report states.

I can't believe in the post-9/11 era that state agencies would be so uncoordinated.

It's inexcusable.

A public information officer received a call from a stranded TV reporter at 3 p.m. Feb. 6, and forwarded the call to State Patrol.

Emergency Operations Center officials tuned into news broadcasts at 4 p.m. and 5 p.m. that reported a problem on the interstate, but "never understood the severity of the situation until Dane County called at 5:30 p.m."

Duh!

The center held a conference call at 5:40 p.m. and the State Patrol's EOC representative sent Dane County's information to the Statewide Traffic Operations Center, but the information was never received.

That's because as the snow began to taper in the late afternoon Feb. 5, the EOC indicated it would close around 6 p.m., which led the Department of Transportation highway division representative to leave at 5:15 p.m., "leaving the Statewide Traffic Operations Center without representation."

OH MY GOD!

What utter incompetence!

This is truly unsettling to learn how ill-prepared Wisconsin is to handle an emergency.

The report credits Dane County officials for recognizing the problem as early as 4 p.m. and organizing snowmobiles to assist motorists. It would take more than 18 hours from that time until the highway became unclogged.

From 5:40 p.m. until the governor declared an emergency at 9:15 p.m., "the agencies struggled to get a clear picture."

"True understanding of the magnitude of the event did not occur until the National Guard flew a helicopter reconnaissance mission at 10:54 p.m.," the report states.

In this age of cell phones, I find that extremely hard to believe.

It took a view from a helicopter to understand the problem?

That's nuts!

The report also credits the Department of Natural Resources, which assisted with snowmobiles, and the National Guard, which deployed 68 soldiers to assist dozens of state and county law enforcement and emergency management personnel. They handed out 7,000 bottles of water and 420 meals to stranded motorists throughout the night.

Madison received 12.5 inches of snow over 24 hours on Feb. 5 and 6, the sixth biggest storm in the city's history.

...The report notes that in some instances state agencies responded well to the blizzard. The State Patrol handled several major accidents that included fatalities. State Patrol officials said the fact that there were no serious accidents in the Interstate traffic jam slowed the response.

"The State of Wisconsin could and should have done better in this emergency," the report concludes. "This can not be allowed to happen again. Flawed execution and poor communication of this type will negatively impact any emergency situation."

In sum, Wisconsin is unprepared to handle an emergency related to SNOW. It was completely botched.

How pathetic that there was a slow response because the traffic jam didn't include a serious accident!

2,000 vehicles stranded is serious.

But Doyle thinks a simple apology to the motorists is enough. He won't punish anyone for the horrible response.

Apparently, Doyle doesn't get the significance of the event.

God help us in the event of a terrorist attack.