Irene looked like a doozy on Friday, but thankfully, appears to be dying down on Saturday. That might be good news for the East Coast, delivering less of a serious blow than it looked like it was going to. But that opens up another can of worms.
The Hurricane That Wasn’t can mean that people evacuated according to official orders, but nothing really happened. Sounds good? Maybe not. Many of those evacuees really couldn’t afford their time away from their home, and spent money otherwise designated for essentials such as loan payments, rent, utilities, groceries, etc. They lost income from jobs because they weren’t there. Some may have lost their jobs because they elected to evacuate rather than work. Now, if Irene turns out to be the hurricane that wasn’t…they’ll feel like it was a waste, a totally unnecessary precaution.
So then comes Hurricane #Two. This one is a real hurricane, that really packs a punch, and unlike Irene, doesn’t loose it on the way there. It strikes with all of its force, perhaps choosing New York, New Jersey, or even Maine as it’s point of entry. Maybe it decides to go traditional, and heads straight for Ellis Island, arriving as a category 3 or 4, maybe even a 5.
Evacuation orders were given, and ignored by almost everyone. Storm surge strikes from Norfolk, Virginia to Portland, Maine. In its center, it’s in the same range as Katrina, delivering a thirty foot surge, and it extends for hundreds of miles on either side. With howling winds, driving rain, wandering tornadoes, and rising waters, people are doomed. There is no escape and their shelters have become useless or a death trap, as people are unable to escape, drowning in their homes or the raging waters outside. Other buildings collapse, unable to fight the combination of water and wind, taking their occupants with them in a tower of cascading debris that has now also become lethal projectiles in the wind.
It moves on, dying as it moves inland, carrying rain and wind with it. In its wake, there are the bodies of its victims, many lying on streets and lawns, amid the muck and debris. Thousands more are missing and presumed dead. Body bags are needed by the thousands.
Entire families are dead, it’s nearly impossible to identify the bodies. Entire neighborhoods are gone. For those that do survive, life has turned into an exercise in horror, as they step around bodies and seek food, water, shelter, and clothing. FEMA and Red Cross don’t respond any faster to this situation than they have to previous ones. Police and fire departments are devastated, with many of their own among the dead. Hospitals became death traps as well, and their halls are muck filled halls of horror with the dead littering them.
Thousands dead, millions without power, water or sewer. Raging fires and no way to fight them. Thousands of displaced people wandering the devastated streets in search of basic necessities. Thousands of looters running rampant, and no one to stop them. People murdered for a can of food or bottle of water join the other dead, and their murderers walk off, loot in hand. The National Guard moves in to restore order, arriving several days before the relief does, and finds themselves faced with desperate and thirsty survivors.
Sound far fetched? It isn’t really. It’s happened before, but the death tolls stayed in the hundreds, largely because of lower population densities of the past. It is virtually impossible to forcibly evacuate an area, as the cooperation of the citizens is necessary to accomplish the evacuation in the designated time frame. Even with this hurricane, there were no buses or trains offering residents a ride out of the hurricane’s reach, and that was in an area where a very low percentage of residents own a motor vehicle of any kind. Instead, public transportation systems were being shut down early to protect the operators and employees from the hurricane’s wrath.
With the difficulty of evacuation, the cost of evacuation, and then add in a previous “wolf cry” if Irene turns out to be much ado about nothing…next time, an even lower percentage of those asked to evacuate will do so. It’s been a long time since the upper Atlantic coast was even threatened seriously by a hurricane, and the memory of the masses is short sometimes. The masses will simply not see any reason to go through the hassles of evacuating in the future.
The wise thing is to have a plan for future storms, and if evacuation is ordered, do so. Many people may find that evacuation even when it isn’t an ordered evacuation is wise–we’ve all seen government agencies fail to order evacuations in the past, as they choose to stick with their statistics and computer models instead of being regarded as excessively cautious. Hurricanes have played tricks before–even Katrina started out doing one thing…then suddenly crossed Florida to enter the warm Gulf of Mexico waters and continue her path of destruction. Hurricane Ike was slated for a New Orleans vacation, and suddenly hung a right and headed to Florida’s Emerald Coast instead. That unpredictable nature is part of the reason NOAA’s cone projections exist…to cover the entire possible area.
It boils down to personal responsibility. It is YOUR responsibility to ensure that both you and your family are safe, whether that means evacuation or maintaining your emergency supplies. Learn how to use the NOAA website and track the hurricanes. Learn what those cones mean in terms of the projected path. Have an evacuation plan. Keep your gas tank full during storm season (June 1-Nov 30) and be ready to evacuate. Storms typically have about a 3 day warning before landfall, but once the announcement has been made, supplies such as water, canned foods, and gasoline become scarce and the lines are long. The closer the storm, the heavier (and slower) the traffic. Motels and campgrounds fill early, forcing evacuees to move further inland in search of shelter.
Being prepared sometimes means being prepared to leave on very little notice with just the personal items that will fit in your car, motorcycle, bicycle, or be carried onto a train or bus. Know how you will leave and what you will take ahead of time. Know where you will go, and also have a secondary plan in mind. During emergencies, it’s often necessary to adapt to changing situations and obstacles.
Inform your family and friends of what your contingency plans are. Try to have a mutual contact out of the affected area, to enable you to re-establish communications with those that are important to you in the event that cell phones fail, are lost, etc.
Make digital copies of important documents and family photos. Store them with an online service or a friend/family member who lives in a different region of the country.
If you have pets, be prepared to take them with you. Have vaccination records and other important documents ready. For dogs and cats, have a carrier (many motels and shelters will require the carrier and vaccination records) and put them in a sturdy plastic bag that is then taped to the carrier. Update them each year after their annual vaccinations are completed. Put a second copy in the glove box of your car. Keep a third copy in your filing cabinet at home. This way, no matter what, you are probably going to have a copy where ever you are, and they won’t be forgotten when you evacuate.
Have a file of important documents in a “grab n go” container. It can be anything, as long as it will hold the paperwork! (Even a shoe box) Insurance, education, medical records, children’s vaccination records, school documents, birth certificates, social security cards, professional certifications, etc. should all be in the box. Also include a digital video of both the interior and exterior of your home, motor vehicles, expensive items you have insured, etc. in case you need it for the insurance company. This box should also contain recent photos of all family members, including pets, in case they are necessary.
If possible, take your computer towers, external hard drives, laptops, tablets, and netbooks with you. These items, even if your home is undamaged, could provide a potential thief or looter with far too much personal information about you and lead to identity theft.
During Katrina, almost all evacuees had taken three days worth of clothing and medicine with them, believing they would return in that amount of time. Don’t be foolish–take all of your medication on hand, and at least a week’s worth of clothing, if possible. It may seem frivolous, but include both a swimming suit and jacket. You may find yourself with access to a pool, and recreation can do a great deal towards alleviating stress as you wait to return home.
Many motels will have microwaves, and they’ll all have electricity. Evacuations are expensive, and being able to prepare your own food helps reduce restaurant expenses. Slow cookers, electric fry pans, and even your coffee pot can make life a lot more pleasant and less expensive while hunkered down. Even in a shelter, food can be scarce. Bring along some canned foods, coffee, filters, etc. Don’t forget the can opener! (Ramen noodles and instant rice can actually be cooked by pouring hot water over them, and letting them sit, preferably covered, for a few minutes. For other “hot water” meals, check out websites that have ideas for low-cost backpacking.)
Try to bring some toys and games for the kids, and don’t forget the adults. Sitting in a motel room can be horribly tedious, and after Katrina, watching the television just increased my stress. Having something to occupy yourself with can help make those tedious hours pass much better! Cards are a good choice, as they are compact and you can often find other evacuees to join in games with you, or play alone. For kids, keeping them occupied while enduring the tedium of a motel room can be challenging. Crayons, paper, games, and other toys can make it a lot easier.
Remember. It’s not the government’s job to keep you safe. It’s yours. Think. Plan. Be prepared.
Filed under: Emergency Preparedness | Tagged: emergencies, emergency preparedness, evacuation, evacuees, false alarm, hurricane, Ike, irene, Katrina | Leave a comment »