CAI-NJ Aug.2017

CONT I NU E S ON PAGE 16

A U G U S T , 2 0 1 7

lmost five years later, New Jersey is still recover-

ing from and evaluating the effects of Superstorm

Sandy. In particular, various governmental and

civic organizations continue to assess the successes and

failures that resulted from pre-storm preparations and post

storm recovery as well as emergency management deci-

sions that were made during the event. Community asso-

ciations throughout New Jersey felt the effects of the storm,

whether it was direct effects like wind, flooding and debris

or indirect effects like extended power outages and loss of

telecommunications. The effects of Superstorm Sandy are

still being felt even to this day with some people still not back

in their homes and many in NJ paying higher insurance pre-

miums as a result of the over $65 billion dollars in damage.

In fact, Superstorm Sandy is the third most costly natural

disaster in U.S. history behind only Hurricane Katrina,

which cost an estimated $147 billion and the drought of

1988, which cost $75 billion (according to the National

Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration). It is

EMERGENCY

PREPAREDNESS:

Proactive Risk Assessment

and Reduction

By Christopher Nicosia, CMCA, AMS, MM

Prime Management, Inc. AAMC

these stagger-

ing costs that

insurance compa-

nies define as “risk”

when combined with the likeli-

hood of occurrence. Another Superstorm Sandy, Hurricane

Katrina, Hurricane Floyd, Hurricane Irene or other natural

disaster can happen at any time and preparation is the key

to risk avoidance in the future.

In order to prepare for emergencies, community associa-

tions must first assess what emergencies are likely to affect

them. Is the community oceanfront? Is the community

located in an area susceptible to forest fires? Is there a

dam upstream of the community? Is the community in a

tornado-prone area? Is the community located in an area

susceptible to crippling snowfall? Is the community in a

flood zone? Is the community at risk for after effects of a

terrorist attack? By evaluating the region the community is

located in and identifying the various risks, the com-

"In order to prepare for

emergencies, community

associations must first assess

what emergencies are likely

to affect them."