Purdue Global natural disaster expert: Be prepared, have a plan and take action

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Greg Eaton’s career spans four decades, with more than 30 years as a leader in the U.S. Navy and seven years driving agency-wide improvement initiatives at the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Trusted by agency and private-industry senior leadership to direct complex disaster assistance support, Eaton has led large team disaster response and recovery operations across the U.S.

Eaton, an adjunct professor who teaches emergency management courses in Purdue Global’s College of Social and Behavioral Sciences, has broad background in reviewing, revising and implementing emergency management policies and procedures, and in driving collaborative partnerships with state and local agencies. Purdue Global offers numerous degrees in emergency management, criminal justice, public safety, environmental policy and more.

Eaton has a Master of Science in financial management in addition to his Master of Administration in homeland defense, with a thesis on improving risk management and resiliency. Eaton answers questions about emergency preparedness, steps to take following a natural disaster, and his experience at FEMA.

What does every citizen need to know about disaster preparedness?

Individual disaster preparedness is always based on your own needs. Individuals and families should start with three steps in their own disaster planning: knowing one’s risks, making a plan and taking action.

Your risks will drive your planning. Planning for a hurricane making landfall is very different from a tornado or flooding, which would be more common in the Midwest. For a hurricane, there is typically some warning time to prepare and then evacuate. That is different from a tornado, where you may have only minutes to take immediate action. 

It’s important to plan for how you and your family will respond. That ranges from what you need to take with you when you have to evacuate or where you go in your house in case of a tornado. But your planning should also include your situation if you have young children or elderly parents in your household.

Taking action should include practicing and considering your insurance needs based on the risks of your community. Financially, insurance will always be your first line of defense, so this should be a big part of your planning. Overall, taking action will help you be more in control of the situation, regardless of the uncertainty of the event.

What’s the most common mistake people make when warned about potential natural disasters?

The most common mistake is not having a plan at all, followed by not listening to local officials. The planning piece always helps you know what you have to do in the event of an emergency. It may be a plan you have to deviate from, but it will provide you a starting point of taking action. Second, listen to your local officials. If they are warning you about the need to evacuate, get ready to do so. Many people stay in their homes under evacuation orders and then become part of the emergency response instead of being safe away from the event.

What is/are the most important steps to take following a natural disaster?

Listen to your local officials. They will have a more comprehensive view of the situation in your community. Keep your family safe in working through your emergency plan. Second, and equally important, help your neighbor. Across the country, one of the greatest aspects of our nation is our ability to help our neighbors in both the immediate aftermath of an event or in the recovery from the event.

What is some of the work as FEMA’s federal coordinating officer and recovery division director you’re most proud of?

As I look back at my career at FEMA, I’m proud of our ability to help those in need whether that was a community, a family or an individual. This was in the financial assistance of FEMA’s grant programs or in direct housing, which was housing families after the loss of their homes, and supporting states and helping communities respond and begin the recovery process.

Just looking at grant funds, I was the federal coordinating officer for the largest, at the time, individual assistance event in FEMA Region 5, which was in Illinois for severe storms and flooding. I believe it is still the largest individual assistance event in the region. On the public assistance side, as the recovery director in FEMA Region 6, we averaged about $1.5 billion a year for funding public assistance, which was for repair to infrastructure. Every event is different in how communities respond and their specific needs. 

I just encourage people to be prepared. Having a plan to deviate from is better than no plan. Think through those things you can do prior to an event to be prepared. This will help in taking action to mitigate some of the risk and help in speeding up your recovery.

About Purdue Global

Purdue Global is Purdue’s online university for working adults who have life experience and often some college credits. It offers flexible paths for students to earn an associate, bachelor’s, master’s or doctoral degree, based on their work experience, military service and previous college credits, no matter where they are in their life journey. Purdue Global is a nonprofit, public university accredited by the Higher Learning Commission and backed by Purdue University. For more information, visit https://www.purdueglobal.edu.