The response to hurricane Wilma. Lessons learned by the

The response to hurricane Wilma. Lessons learned by the
water and sanitation services in Cancun.
G. Aguilera Soriano*, H. Contreras Zepeda, R. Robles**, J. M. Audic*
*Suez Environment, CIRSEE, 38 rue du président Wilson, 78230 Le Pecq, France
**Aguakan, Ave. Nader No. 35, SM 2, MZ 9, Centro, 77500 Cancun, Quintana Roo, Mexico
Abstract: The city of Cancun in Mexico is frequently subjected to the impact of
hurricanes. Hurricane Wilma which passed through the city in 2005 has been the
most devastating in the history of the Yucatan peninsula. The water and sanitation
services operator of Cancun, Aguakan, has developed a manual of crisis procedures
through which a risk management and crisis strategy is established. Through its
experience in dealing with hurricane events, Aguakan has derived a series of lessons
that have contributed to the rapid response and recovery of the water services.
Among the lessons learned, the support to the staff and their families, the provision
of a specific crisis fund and the signature of cooperation agreements with institutions
and companies outside the disaster area have been key to the reestablishment of the
water and sanitation services. The objective of this work is to present the lessons
learned by Aguakan through the preparation, response and recovery from hurricane
events and in particular to hurricane Wilma. The lessons learned constitute a
contribution towards the development of a preparedness, response and recovery
framework for hurricane-disaster scenarios.
Keywords: Hurricane; preparedness; response; recovery.
INTRODUCTION
The Yucatan peninsula in Mexico is frequently subjected to hurricanes. Although today’s
projections are not reliable enough to predict whether or not there will be more hurricanes in
the 21st century as a result of global warming, those hurricanes that do occur expected to be
stronger and have significantly more rainfall than under present day climate conditions
(World Meteorological Organization, 2006).
In October 2005, the municipalities of Benito Juarez (Cancun) and Isla Mujeres in the
Quintana Roo state suffered severe damage caused by the passage of hurricane Wilma
(category 4), the most devastating in the history of the peninsula. For more than 36 hours
winds with a speed over 210 km/h hit the central and surrounding urban areas of Cancun.
Besides the devastating winds Wilma brought large amounts of water causing floodings, as
about 1000 mm of rainfall occurred during the passage of this hurricane (1 m3 of water/m2).
The damage caused to the city infrastructure was as follows:
•
The electricity infrastructure was considerably damaged leaving the city of Cancun
without electricity for more than 4 days and Isla Mujeres for more than 6 days
•
Water and sanitation services were disrupted due to the lack of electricity
•
Floodings in the urban area
•
Thousands of houses, as well as shops and schools were damaged
•
30% of the hotels suffered structural damage
•
Motorways were flooded, ports were destroyed and the airports damaged
•
Bank services were interrupted
As a result of the implementation of a coordinated strategy the water and sanitation
services were fully reestablished in a very short time as can be seen in the following figures
Water Practice & Technology Vol 3 No 3 © IWA Publishing 2008 doi: 10.2166/WPT.2008057
Figure 1. Image of hurricane Wilma before its arrival to the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico.
The operator of the water and sanitation services, Aguakan, prepared and
implemented this strategy with the support of the public electricity company (Comision
Federal de Electricidad) and the regulator (Comision Nacional del Agua), all the participants
were coordinated through the Civil Protection Committee. The objective of this work is to
present the lessons learned by Aguakan through the preparation, response and recovery from
hurricane events and in particular to hurricane Wilma. These lessons will constitute a
contribution towards the building of a preparedness, response and recovery framework.
PREPAREDNESS: A MANUAL OF CRISIS PROCEDURES
In order to prepare a risk management and crisis strategy specific for hurricane events,
Aguakan developed a manual of crisis procedures (Aguakan, 2007). This manual has guided
the response and recovery actions to be undertaken whenever a hurricane threatens and passes
through the municipalities of Benito Juarez (Cancun) and Isla Mujeres. The manual is a
dynamic tool that is improved and updated every year by all the members of a large
committee bringing together all the government institutions and entities involved in the
recovery of water services.
Some of the most relevant elements of the risk management strategy developed by
Aguakan are shown in Figure 2. This strategy clearly provides an answer to the questions:
what to do?, when to do it?, and where to do it?. In this strategy, planning is an ongoing
activity required to identify the actions to be undertaken in the subsequent phases. The lessons
learned with every hurricane event are incorporated to the planning phase to maintain a
learning cycle with continuous improvements.
According to the manual of crisis procedures (Aguakan, 2007), crisis management is
conducted in two main steps. Prior to the event, preventive and monitoring actions are
conducted in order to reduce the risks and to set priorities for action in collaboration with the
government institutions and municipal authorities. The main measures taken prior to the event
are as follows:
•
Protection of infrastructure and building sites where works are in progress. All office
buildings are protected and building sites are temporarily closed.
•
Protection of data basis and information technology systems. It is ensured that all
electrical and electronic equipment is turned off and stored in designated areas.
•
Water storage. A water storage scheme is implemented according to which water is
stored in Aguakan storage tanks but also in those of the hotels, shops and houses with a
large capacity (the use of these tanks for water storage requires the prior establishment
of an agreement with the owners). The inventory of all the tanks is made and kept by
Aguakan. The tanks are filled with water prior to the arrival of a hurricane.
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•
Collection and storage of equipment and spare parts. Equipment such as electricity
generators and water production units are collected and stored at strategic locations.
The main spare parts of equipment required to restore water supply are also gathered
and stored at these locations.
DISASTER APPROACH CYCLE: WHAT TO DO?
AREAS OF INTEREST: WHERE TO ACT?
Planning
Employees
ÂStaff and their families
data base
ÂBe aware about the potential
risks
Installations
ÂUpdated inventory
ÂRisk evaluation & identification
Services
Financing
Communication
& coordination
Prevention
ÂFood storage and
provision
ÂFamily protection
ÂPayment of salaries in
cash and in advance
Reestablishment
of services
ÂBalance of the situation
of the employees and
ÂSupport for the
their families
recovery of the family
ÂPayment of salaries
wealth and property
in cash
ÂFood provision to staff
and their families
ÂProtection of equipment, ÂDamage survey
infrastructure, building sites ÂPriorities setting
in progress
ÂCollection and storage
of equipment & materials
ÂWater storage
ÂDisaster response tests
pumping stations
ÂInsurance policy
ÂDisaster funds
ÂResources and cash
provision
ÂDamage assessment
ÂEvaluation of unearned
income
ÂAdvice for the care of
people and for the
protection of installations
ÂIndications about the
situation of the water
services.
ÂHealth and hygiene
advice
ÂW ith population to make them
aware of the situation
Permanent
ÂReconstruction
ÂReinforcement
ÂPriorities setting
ÂRisk evaluation & identification
ÂAlternatives identification
ÂAction plan
ÂInventory of private and public
water storage points
ÂW ith civil protection entities
within the 3 government levels
Reconstruction
ÂEmptying of sewage
Imminent arrival
of event
ÂTemporary water
supply with tankers
ÂLocal operation
with generators
ÂDrinking water quality
monitoring
First hours after
the event
ÂOperating tests
ÂReconnection
by steps
ÂMonitoring of the
network operating
conditions
ÂFunding (insurance,
government support
ÂRational financing
strategy
ÂRequest of support to
normalize the situation
Following
weeks
PERIODS OF ACTION: WHEN TO DO IT?
Figure 2. Main elements of the risk management strategy contained in the Manual of Crisis
Procedures.
•
Implementation of a communication strategy for the population. Communication should
be a continuous activity and should start well before the arrival of the event. Its
objectives will vary as the event makes its progress. Its initial objective should be to
make the population aware of the risks. Secondly, it should be geared towards
informing the population about what to do. During the event and during the
normalization period communication should serve to alert and inform people about the
risks as the situation evolves.
Thereafter, actions are undertaken during and after the hurricane mainly to reestablish
water supply:
•
Water supply reestablishment. After the event actions are taken with the objective of
reestablishing a minimum water supply for specific public institutions (i.e. hospitals)
and for the population, according to a defined order of priorities, i.e. drinking water
production mobile units are used and distribution pipes are installed. Agreements
established with the independent water sellers before the event prevent abusive
practices and allow for an efficient water distribution.
•
Provision of food to Aguakan employees and families and payment of salaries in cash.
Food provisions sufficient to survive for several days are provided and salaries are paid
in cash after the event.
•
Ensure the security of Aguakan employees and families. Support is provided to the
families of the Aguakan employees through the provision of food and protection.
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•
Coordination of actions with public entities and contract of specialized services for the
provision of equipment outside the disaster zone
The implementation of the above actions and as previously mentioned the implementation of
a coordinated strategy allowed Aguakan to fully reestablish the water and sanitation services
in a very short time after hurricane Wilma hit Cancun (see Figure 3 below):
•
Drinking water. Full operation of the 144 wells and the 40 water pumping stations was
achieved in only 7 days after the hurricane stroke, allowing Aguakan to reach its
average water production of 160 550 m3/d and to distribute it among the served
population (595 500 inhabitants).
•
Sanitation. 8 days after hurricane Wilma passed, the 53 sewage pumping stations and
the 7 sewage treatment plants were all in operation. Aguakan collects and treats in
average 40 000 m3/d of sewage corresponding to a served population of 459 600
inhabitants.
Sanitation services in operation
Water Services in operation
120%
100%
80%
60%
40%
20%
0%
25-oct
26-oct
27-oct
28-oct
29-oct
30-oct
120%
100%
80%
60%
40%
20%
0%
25-oct
26-oct
27-oct
28-oct
29-oct
30-oct
31-oct
Figure 3. Progression in the reestablishment of the operation of the water and sanitation services in the
aftermath of the passage of hurricane Wilma in Cancun.
LESSONS LEARNED
In the aftermath of a hurricane event rapid recovery of the water and sanitation services is
essential to prevent epidemic outbreaks. In developing countries rapid recovery of water
services is also of extreme importance to prevent independent water suppliers from selling
this vital commodity at excessive prices (well above its real cost), thereby creating social
tensions, and to reduce the risks of damage to the water infrastructure by the population in
their hunt for water.
In the particular case of Cancun a rapid recovery of the water and sanitation services
plays a very important role in reestablishing the tourist industry and therefore the local
economy.
The major lessons learned by Aguakan throughout its experience with hurricane
events that have allowed for a rapid response and recovery of the water and sanitation
services are described below.
Coordination mechanisms
The establishment of coordination mechanisms among all the participants is at the heart of the
preparedness, response and recovery actions following a disaster event (hurricane). These
mechanisms need to be clear and efficient in order to facilitate taking action during the
emergency and reconstruction phases.
In Mexico substantial progress has been made in this direction through the civil
protection committees. This is particularly true in the state of Quintana Roo where a disaster
prevention culture has developed as a result of its continuous exposition to hurricanes.
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In Cancun, Aguakan has played a decisive role within the local civil protection
committee by means of which all the parties involved converge to decide the actions required
for the reestablishment of water supply. As the water services operator, Aguakan has set clear
operational priorities to the electricity services operator (Comision Federal de Electricidad,
CFE), the water and sanitation regulator (Comision Nacional del Agua, CNA) and the
national army. Today it has become clear for these institutions that the main priority is the
reestablishment of the water supply.
After the passage of hurricane Wilma, in a highly coordinated effort the electricity
services operator (CFE) dedicated 2500 technicians to reestablish the lines required to put
back in service the wells, the pumping stations and the treatment plants. As part of this effort,
the water and sanitation regulator (CNA) provided 15 mobile electricity generators and
18 mobile drinking water production units and coordinated federal, state and municipal
government teams to support the reconstruction tasks.
Safety and security culture.
The creation of a safety and security culture is a requirement for the efficient implementation
of the procedures described in the manuals. The implementation of disaster response tests to
ensure that all Aguakan operators have the capacity to respond in case of an emergency has
proved extremely valuable in the application of the procedures in a real situation. These tests
have been complemented with safety and security training schemes. These actions conducted
within the framework of Aguakan safety and security policy have contributed decisively to
create a safety and security culture which today is deep-rooted among the employees.
Emergency funds
Since the costs of disaster recovery could be very high it is necessary to count with
emergency funds, i.e. public and private insurance funds. Availability of emergency funds
will allow for a faster recovery. In Mexico a dedicated funding agency (Fonden, Fondo de
Desastres Naturales) was created several years ago to support disaster recovery. Funds are
obtained through the general tax system and used for any type of disaster in any part of the
country.
Despite the existence of public emergency funds, it is recommended that water and
sanitation services operators count with their own insurance funds. This will reduce the
dependency on other instances and could speed up recovery. Public funding allocation could
be slow and may result in higher recovery costs.
Support to employees and their families
In general little attention is given to the need of ensuring that the water services operators
have the minimum conditions that will allow them to be fully at work once a hurricane (or
any other disaster) has passed. So, among all the actions indicated by the manual of crisis
procedures (Aguakan, 2007) the provision of these minimum conditions has shown to be of
utmost importance. The provision of these conditions involves:
•
the provision of food and water to Aguakan employees and their families. The
prevention plan derived from the manual of crisis procedures (Aguakan, 2007)
considers the provision of food to the Aguakan employees and their families. Food
provisions sufficient to survive for several days are provided immediately after the
event. After the passage of a hurricane food is scarce or not available in the market, so
the provision of food will allow the employees and their families to feed themselves
during this period.
•
the payment of salaries in cash. The salaries of Aguakan employees paid in cash an in
advance shortly before the arrival of a hurricane. The fact that salaries are paid in cash
allows Aguakan operators to maintain their purchasing power. Otherwise, and due to
the fact that the banking services are interrupted during and after the event, the
operators could not buy any of the basic products they may require in the post-event
period.
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•
post-event family support until the situation becomes stable. During the post-event
period. Aguakan provides shelter (hotel room or other) for the operators families whose
houses are damaged and/or flooded. In this case Aguakan also requests government
support for the repair of the employees houses. Special support is also provided to sick
members of the staff or of their families (provision of medicine and medical services).
Financial strategy and reserves
A sound financial strategy is central to reduce the costs associated to a disaster (before, during
and after the event). The financial strategy should include capital reserves, the
implementation of an insurance policy and alternative financial solutions to the shortfall in
income resulting from the disaster event. The lack of financial reserves and the shortfall in
income in the aftermath of an event can put the continuity of the water and sanitation services
at risk. In Mexico this represents a great risk to the operators since the great majority of them
perceive a revenue only sufficient to cover their operating expenses.
Aguakan counts today with a specific crisis fund (capital reserves) that allows for a
faster response and recovery from hurricanes. Aguakan as part of an big industrial group has
the capacity to cover the immediate financial needs required to respond and reestablish water
services. For small companies this is not the case, for them the availability of capital reserves
becomes imperative.
In relation to the company insurance it is of great importance to carefully assess the
damage caused by the event and carefully prioritize the areas where available funds and
reserves should be spent. Development of a close relationship with insurance companies is
recommended in order to obtain a prompt response in a disaster situation when they are
flooded with demands from all affected parties.
Technical capacity
The speed of response and recovery to a disaster event also depends on the technical capacity
of the water and sanitation services operator. Professional service management, staff training
and the implementation of robust technologies are vital to guarantee the continuity of water
supply in the aftermath of disaster events.
Figure 4. Preparation of food provisions by Aguakan personnel. Distribution of food packages
to Aguakan operators and their families.
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Water distribution points
Soon after the passage of a hurricane it is very important to implement water distribution
points within the affected areas and to immediately inform the population about their location.
If not informed the population will search for water to cover their basic needs at any
accessible point in the distribution network. In this way many of the pipes in the distribution
network could be vandalized and their reparation once water supply is back to normal could
entail heavy costs.
Controlled water distribution by tankers
Water distribution by tankers should be closely supervised and controlled to prevent
corruption and to make water available to all the population. Experience in Mexico has shown
that if tanker distribution is not supervised and controlled the owners will fill their tankers and
will sell the water at a hefty price.
Aguakan has tackled this problem by dedicating its commercial staff to the
supervision of water distribution. In a post-disaster scenario the customer services are
interrupted therefore the staff in this area can be dedicated to the supervision of water
distribution until water supply resumes.
Cooperation agreements with institutions and companies outside the disaster
area
It is recommended to establish alliances and agreements with suppliers of specialized
equipment and materials outside the disaster zone. In the aftermath of a disaster, the supply
of specialized equipment and materials could be very restrictive or non existent in the
impacted region. If available the cost of specialized equipment and materials could be very
high. To prevent abusive practices from equipment and materials suppliers it is required to
establish emergency agreements and conditions prior to the event.
Adjustment of the water services operator objectives to the post-disaster
conditions
In the aftermath of a hurricane of great magnitude, it is very likely that the medium and longterm objectives of the water services operator are no longer in adequacy to the post-disaster
reality. In these conditions the water services operator objectives need to be revised and
agreed in conjunction with the regulating bodies.
Figure 5. Arrival of specialized equipment to the disaster zone (power generators, pumping
systems, etc). Installation of a power generator.
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Risks sharing
Whenever a disaster occurs government institutions and organizations could be overwhelmed
by the large amount of aid that may be required. This is particularly true when a large region
is affected and several cities and towns are affected. In these situations public-private
partnerships represent an alternative way of sharing risks.
In Cancun and Isla Mujeres where Aguakan was responsible for reestablishing the
water supply, the government could allocate its human, material and financial resources to
other areas like health, food provision and security. In this way a great part of the risks were
transferred to the private sector, reducing government exposition and increasing its capacity
to deal with other areas.
Risks, financial health and tariffs
In order to preserve the financial health of (public or private) companies operating in cities,
towns or villages prone to disaster events, tariffs in these locations need to reflect the
associated risks, i.e. tariffs could be increased by certain percentage points according to the
associated level of risk.
Although Aguakan has no experience in this field, the implementation of this
recommendation should provide the water and sanitation services operator with the required
resources to give a prompt response and to instrument a fast recovery from a disaster. In the
long term it will contribute to the continuity of the water and sanitation services.
CONCLUSIONS
Through the hurricane events (in particular hurricane Wilma) that have affected the Yucatan
Peninsula in Mexico, Aguakan (Cancun water and services operator), has gained a wealth of
experience and has derived a series of lessons.
Among the main lessons learnt, the support to Aguakan staff and their families, the
provision of a specific crisis fund and the cooperation agreements with institutions and
companies outside the disaster area have been key to the response and recovery of the water
services. After hurricane Wilma left the city of Cancun, the implementation of the strategy
and measures described in the Manual of procedures and the response and recovery plan
allowed to:
•
reestablish 100% of the water supply in 7 days
•
reestablish 100% of the sanitation services in 8 days
•
customer services were reestablished in 8 days
Other relevant lessons that need to be considered in the aftermath of a hurricane, in
particular in developing countries, are the need to immediately inform the population about
the location of the water distribution points (this will prevent people from breaking and
causing damage to the network) and the control and supervision of water distribution by
tankers to prevent corruption.
The quick reestablishment of the water and sanitation services allowed for an accelerated
economic recovery of the tourist industry in Cancun.
REFERENCES
Aguakan (2007). Manual de procedimientos del comité operativo de control de riesgos y crisis por
huracan 2007. Aguakan internal document.
World Meteorological Organization (2006). Summary statement of the 6th International Workshop on
Tropical Cyclones. San José, Costa Rica. November.
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