Snowstorm aftermath

In response to last month's devastating Buffalo snowstorm, Ernest Sternberg, disaster expert and professor of urban and regional planning, is calling for increased snow disaster preparedness.

Sternberg believes that improvement is necessary in the Buffalo area when it comes to planning for snow-related "surprises."

"A disaster is defined by its effects on people," he said, citing the 2000 snowstorm that left the Buffalo area paralyzed by heavy snow, with cars stuck on the road for hours and schoolchildren stuck in buses all night.

According to Sternberg, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) tends to hold the view that places in snowy climates should be able to overcome such snowstorms without outside help.

"To some extent, they're right, but the bigger problem is when there's a blackout and other dangerous damage occurs," Sternberg said. "It's not the snow, per se, it's when other things stop functioning or people are stuck. Then it's a whole different matter."

One of Sternberg's suggestions for improvement is the implementation of computer software and GPS technologies to track vehicles so that institutions are more coordinated.

"GPS systems will make the management of many vehicles faster and more efficient," Sternberg said.

According to Sternberg, electrical heating systems in the area make Buffalo more susceptible to the effects of disasters.

"Our home heating systems are based on natural gas and depend on electricity. This is a very bad thing," he said. "We were pretty lucky since it wasn't cold during this past event, but other times it can get terribly cold."

Sternberg is also pressing for state-sponsored research to find other methods of heating.

"New York State should sponsor research on how to make heating systems less vulnerable," he said.

Sternberg pointed out that in cases of extensive power outages, UB has to worry about students who live on-campus, ensuring that dormitories and apartments remain heated.

According to Mike Jacobs, maintenance supervisor for university residence halls and apartments, the heating systems in all residence buildings would not work in the event of a power outage on campus.

"All dorms have emergency generators that provide power for fire protection, elevators and emergency lighting, but there isn't enough power for heat," Jacobs said.

It is unlikely that UB would lose power in such a disaster, however.

"We have power directly from the Niagara Falls plant," he said. "If one line goes out, we can switch to another because the university has multiple power feeders."

Even in the unlikely event that power was lost in residences, an emergency procedure has been developed, Jacobs said, in which case all on-campus residents would be transported to Alumni Arena or Clark Gym - buildings that could be powered in an emergency situation.

Sternberg believes that one of the best ways the area can start preparing for a future snowstorm is through conducting "snow emergency practice exercises."

However, preparing for disasters is a difficult task.

"The problem with preparing is you don't know what's going to happen next," he said. "Some things will never happen, and some will happen once in a blue moon. It's impossible to be ready for everything."

According to Sternberg, the key to preparing for a disaster is looking at priorities and weighing which events are more likely to happen than others in any given location. Other forms of disaster, such as terrorism and disease epidemics on college campuses, are a serious consideration for New York State, along with intense snow disasters.

"It's more important than ever for people to focus on preventing disaster," Sternberg said.