Needing Pre-Designed Solutions

By Shane Healey


Throughout history, there have been events that have changed the way people act, view the world, and/ or interact with others. These events include the earthquake in Haiti, the events that occurred in New York City on September 11th, and Hurricane Katrina making landfall in the Southeast. These disastrous events happened suddenly, in a way that could not have been predicted. However, these events could have had a pre-designed designs and strategies that could have lessened the effects of these disasters. After doing intensive research on the topic of natural disasters and sheltering options for my thesis, when it comes to the events that occurred in Haiti and Katrina, there are many solutions that could have lessened the effects of the hurricane itself, which include: a pre-designed post-disaster temporary shelter that is cost effective as well as suitable from the location, weather, and people’s needs and wants, a location for a pre-designed shelter village that promotes a community aspect, and a governmental plan of what to do before a future disaster were to occur. This would have lead to many changes in the events that occurred after the hurricane and earthquake. Some of these changes would include: lessening the negative view of the government, adequately sheltering the hundreds of thousands of displaced individuals, and being able to create an independent shelter in the case that the area’s water and electricity supple is disconnected for months after the disaster. By doing this, the well-being and health of those displaced individuals would be improved; therefore, in the end, lives would be saved.