Pennsylvania investigation finds poor preparedness and communication lead to faulty response during winter storm | 02.23.2007 | 07:00:56 | Views: 4587 | ID: February 23 '07: According to an investigation promulgated by Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell, poor planning, preparation, communication and response was to blame for the hundreds of motorists who were stranded by the severe winter storms which hit earlier in February, a press release announced. State officials said that thought the storm was highly unusual because of the mix of precipitation, the state should "have been better prepared." The investigation compared the state's response to the winter storm to 11 other weather-related emergencies since 2003. Gregory C. Fajt, senior advisor to Gov. Rendell said, "Managing the storm would have been difficult even if all state agencies performed at peak efficiency, but in this case they did not. ... We didn't execute well in the storm's early stages." The result was the closing of Interstate 78 overnight while motorists were still on the road while snow and ice removal crews worked to rid the roadways of the winter precipitation. The investigation faulted the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency, and the Pennsylvania State Police. Officials from each of those agencies acknowledged the need for communication, preparedness and response improvement and said they were looking into ways of mitigating future disasters.
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