Republicans Budget a Death Warrant in Disaster-Prone Regions

Japan continues to assess the loss of life and property from the recent earthquake and subsequent tsunami. Government and scientific officials seem to agree that the situation could have been far worse if not for Japan 's strict building codes and disaster preparedness programs.

Yet, as prepared as they were in the Land of the Rising Sun, the devastation is staggering. The question now is, how would the United States deal with a similar situation? How prepared is America for such an overwhelming disaster?

Three organizations provide information to the public regarding atmospheric and geological concerns: The National Weather Service, the United States Geological Survey and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, which provides early warning services for more than 30 million Americans. All three have been targeted for massive Republican budget cuts.

Here in the Midwest , spring is on the horizon and tornado season is looming in the shadow of congressional debate and budget cuts. The Republicans have submitted a federal budget proposal that decreases funding to the National Weather Service by $126 million over the next six months, with furloughs for employees at 22 forecast offices and shortened work weeks for the national storm and hurricane prediction centers.

In the United States , disaster preparation and early warning systems for severe weather and earthquakes are almost an afterthought, built mostly on civil defense plans left over from World War II. What most people refer to as "tornado" sirens, for example, are actually air raid alert signals set up to warn the public about an imminent enemy air attack.

Even the act of moving school children into the hallway to cover their heads in a tornado or other weather event is just a procedure borrowed from the "duck and cover" nuclear attack drills of the 1950's and 60's. The key to survival in these situations, however, is early warning and a well-planned response.

On April 3, 1974, more than 125 tornados struck around the Midwest in an area that stretched from Michigan down into Tennessee , killing hundreds and causing millions of dollars in damage. Hardest hit that day was Xenia , Ohio . Nicknamed "the Finger of God," by many observers, the F-5 tornado that struck Xenia laid waste to the town in a matter of minutes.

Thanks to the quick thinking of local officials and WHIO television weatherman Gil Whitney, who was monitoring Channel 7's new weather radar system, people were given a few minutes of warning. Essentially, the city was far more fortunate than people realize because of the decisions of a select few.

Since then, Xenia has been hit twice more and decisions about when to issue warnings could not have been made at all without the information provided by the National Weather Service and NOAA. Even the weather radar, something that most people now take for granted, was developed from the military's version and adapted to other uses through government funding.

What happened in Xenia is a mere microcosm to what could occur on a larger scale and early warning for the population is only part of the problem. Even larger are issues surrounding post-disaster infrastructure; how will people get food, water and medical attention? How well prepared are power plants, water management facilities and other vital services?

In Japan , the government spends a great deal of money on forethought. Much of the damage following California earthquakes has been caused by fire sparked by ruptured natural gas lines. Aware that future earthquakes were imminent, the Japanese simply installed more cut off valves on public utility lines. Fuel is contained more quickly in an emergency and any threat of fire or explosion minimized - a simple solution to a complex problem.

Instead of sitting in their safe, dry Washington offices looking at figures on a piece of paper, it might behoove congressional Republicans to make a trip to Japan and have a look at what could happen here. Cutting the budget of vital infrastructures is not a way of eliminating big government spending; it is instead signing the death warrants of thousands of Americans who will, over time, die as a result of arrogance, complacency, and an unimaginable ignorance to the power of nature.

Gery L. Deer is a freelance columnist and business writer based in Jamestown, Ohio . Read more at www.deerinheadlines.com.