Evacuation by the Numbers

The recent heat wave in our region has been, at worst, an inconvenience for us.  Elsewhere in the Northwest there have been all manner of wildland fires resulting, according to one news report, in the loss of over 300 homes.  That’s at least 300 families who were ordered to get out and find safety elsewhere.  

The need for evacuation is rare in our region as we don’t have the hurricanes, tornados, or some of the other major weather events to which the rest of the nation is subjected.  But just last summer in the Glendale, Oregon, area wildfires forced the evacuation of several homes.

Here’s the scene:  Just imagine a lightning storm the night before, the news says 47 lightning strikes in our county have ignited 36 fires.  Some have been contained, but firefighters from all over the northwest are responding to several fires whose flames have been fanned by offshore winds and dry conditions aren’t helping matters.  You are aware there are firetrucks running up and down the roads, airplanes are flying low overhead and just as you are sitting down to dinner a Deputy Sheriff pulls into your driveway.  He seems rushed and tells you in a matter-of-fact tone that all the residences in your neighborhood are being evacuated.  You have two hours to gather your things and go to a safer location.

A million thoughts are flooding your mind:  Where should we go?  What should we take? Who does what?  Right here is where panic can set in and you literally accomplish nothing of significance!  Either that or you can gather your family and hand them each their assignments.  The evacuation is underway and you and your loved ones will make an orderly retreat to your brother’s place in the next county.

The experts tell us there are three levels of evacuation:  Level 1 is to be ready.  Residents are encouraged to move livestock and pets out of the area.  Evacuation is voluntary at this point.  Level 2 Residents are ordered to leave soon!  Roads are usually closed and entry to evacuated areas may be denied.  Residents may have time to gather necessary items, but will do so at their own risk. A Level 3 notice is an order to leave immediately, that imminent danger exists and there is no time to gather personal belongings.

Some evacuations are handled by giving the residents a sheet of paper containing some instructions.  This can include the 5 “P’s”.  The 5 “P’s” include People and Pets (and other livestock), Papers (important documents), Prescriptions, including hearing aids, eyeglasses and your medications, Photographs, so your memories are preserved and last is your Personal Computer.  There is often invaluable, irreplaceable data on your hard drive.

Of course, having a complete 72 hour kit at the ready is going to ease the task of what to take, but as always having a plan in place will eliminate a whole lot of confusion when the time comes to evacuate.  When you have a plan, the panic factor, not to mention the stress on the marriage, is greatly diminished.  Just keep in mind, the time to prepare is NOW, before there is an emergency!

As always send your questions, comments and even your evacuation stories to disasterprep.dave@gmail.com.  

  

Seasoned Preppers

    I have written this column for nearly three years hoping to raise awareness of the need to prepared in the face of a disaster. Tools have been provided, information made available and I find there is a widespread impact.  Although the forum is public, I find it curious that most feedback is from my, shall we say, fellow “mature crowd”.  Some exceptions are police officers, firefighters and medical professionals all of whom are of a “prepared” mindset as a matter of routine.  Their very livelihood depends on being prepared to respond to our private disasters whether it be a structure fire, medical emergency or matter involving the police.

    This week’s column is provided especially for our “seasoned citizens”.  As mentioned before, when disaster occurs, the first responders are overwhelmed.  Y.O.Y.O then becomes a reality.  (You’re On Your Own).   The American Red Cross recommends you create a Personal Support Network made up of several folks who will check in on you, ensure your wellness and give assistance if needed.  This network can consist of friends, roommates, family members, relatives, personal attendants, co-workers and neighbors. Ideally, a minimum of three people can be identified at each location where you regularly spend time, for example at work, home, school or volunteer site.

    There are seven (7) important items to discuss and implement with a personal support network:

1.  Make arrangements, prior to an emergency, for your support network to immediately check on you after a disaster and, if needed, offer assistance.

2.  Exchange important keys.

3.  Show them where you keep emergency supplies.

4.  Share copies of your relevant emergency documents, evacuation plans and emergency health information card.

5.  Agree on and practice methods of contacting each other in the event of an emergency.  Do not count on the telephones working.  (Dave’s note:  Check out FRS radios.)

6.  You and your network should always notify each other when you’re going to be out of town and when you will return.

7.  The relationship should be mutual.  You have a lot to contribute!  Learn about each other’s needs and how to help each other in an emergency.  You can even collaborate on making preparations to be ready for a disaster.  

As always email your questions and comments to disasterprep.dave@gmail.com.  

 

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J.I.T.

    Every few days we make a trip to the local grocery store.  Under normal circumstances we make our purchases and fill our shopping lists with nary a thought about how all those items came to be so plentifully available for our needs.  We want them and there they are!  Simple as that.  Unbeknownst to most of us, our grocers’ shelves are filled using a technology known as “Just In Time” inventory management.  Commonly referred to in the business as, “J.I.T.”  

Excess inventory is a waste of company resources, (translated: costs go up), while too little inventory is damaging to customer confidence.  “They NEVER have what I want!”  

To maintain that delicate balance of inventory, JIT is maintained with a set of precise and delicate shipping schedules from a variety of vendors to keep our stores stocked so we consumers always get what we want.  At the same time, the razor-thin profit margin is protected by this oh-so-fragile system we have taken for granted.

So lets pretend for a moment there is a glitch in the system.  A major cataclysmic event notwithstanding, say an ice storm in a major city which serves our area.  Highways are closed, trucks can’t get to the distribution points and our stores don’t get their inventory.  Most retailers know if their J.I.T. schedule is interrupted, their shelves would empty in 3 to 5 days.  

Just pretend you go to the store and notice some bare shelves.  Your curiosity kicks in and you ask an employee what’s going on.  “Oh our trucks can’t get here out of Portland due to the ice storm and we don’t know when we’ll get more supplies!  It may be two weeks or more.”

You, being a rational person decide stocking up right now would be a very good idea.  That is IF there’s anything left to stock up on!  As soon as word gets around, panic buying would soon follow!

Past experiences show during imminent hurricanes, or major snowstorms, the stores clear out within 3 to 4 hours. Now factor in an earthquake in our region and let your imagination run.  

In case you were wondering, there are no local, government warehouses stocked with emergency supplies set aside for our use during such an event. Even the food banks are dependent on donations from various sources, both public and private, but even they are not equipped to provide for the needs of the general populace in an emergency.  The only sure source of feeding your family is what you have on hand.  If the J.I.T. infrastructure failed, how long before you are in deep trouble?  

The best thing you can do is begin now by setting aside some of the items your family uses anyway.  Watch the sales.  “Buy one get one” sales are great for setting aside extra groceries.  One “coupon” person emailed me several months ago and let me know she had saved over $8,000.00 on their grocery bill over a years time by “coupon-ing”, and a by-product of that was she had accumulated a significant amount of groceries to be used in an emergency.  Which ever you choose to build your food supply, just do it!  (Thanks Nike!)  Before long you will have enough extra that if there indeed is an interruption in the supply chain, it will have minimal effect on you and your family.

As always send your questions and comments to disasterprep.dave@gmail.com.