Hurricane Matthew

As of this writing, Hurricane Matthew is headed back out into the Atlantic to vent its energy at sea as it moves up the eastern seaboard.  News accounts have the death toll at 17 on U.S. soil and somewhere between 300-900 in Haiti.  Damage reports are still being tallied as the post-hurricane flood waters are still rising.  

Millions were evacuated from their homes and businesses were closed as the winds and rain bore down on the region.  Some of the video showed people stocking up on supplies, groceries and one shopper had a cart full of gasoline cans, obviously for stocking up.  Other pictures showed bare shelves in stores indicating that last minute preppers were making a run on necessities.  We see similar pictures every time a hurricane or major storm threatens the populace.  

I’m a bit puzzled by a couple of things.  First, for several days ahead of a major storm making landfall, the news media is all over it.  Meteorologists are experts at gauging estimated wind speeds, the intensity (Category 4 or whatever) and if and where the monster is expected to make landfall.  With all of this prediction, and fairly accurate prediction I might add, why do people wait?  Wouldn’t a reasonable person hear the news and call home?  “Honey, the newsman just said we’re going to get hit by a hurricane in two days.  Round up the kids and I’ll be home in a half hour, we’ll get our kit and head for your mother’s in Ohio.”  Seems like most folks would rather than wait until the last minute and be forced to compete for gasoline and groceries then fight gridlock as everyone else is leaving town with you.  During Hurricane Katrina, the officials actually reversed the traffic flow so that all lanes led out of town.  Still there were so many things wrong on so many levels during the Katrina that over 2000 lives were lost, mostly due to procrastination.  

Secondly, why are the store shelves bare?  If everyone would stock up, even just a little bit, it would save on that last minute “hopefully they still have some peanut butter” shopping rush that we see on all the news channels.  It’s really not expensive to put some extra groceries aside.  Shop the sales or try the warehouse stores for the best deals.  Get in on the “buy one, get one” offers and learn to use coupons.  

Prior planning can save your life.  At the very least it can get you ahead of the crowd when everyone else is scrambling for their supplies and trying to get out of town.  

Winter weather is coming.  There will be blizzards throughout the land, and for those of us in the Pacific Northwest we will see wind storms come in off the ocean with accompanying heavy rain.  This is the season for which we prepare.  Gasoline for the generator.  Extra groceries when the road to town is flooded.  And for those in blizzard country, an extra blanket or two in the car, some water and even a couple of cans of Spam for that time when you slide off the road and have to spend the night in your car.  Remember it is just as expensive to run your car on the upper half of the gas tank as it is on the bottom half.

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

Flood Evacuation

I woke recently to a flood evacuation announcement for Cedar Rapids, Iowa.  I don’t live anywhere near Iowa so I wasn’t alarmed, but I could empathize with those folks who are packing their stuff and heading for safety.  Eight years ago Cedar Rapids suffered billions in damage from a flood that caught everyone off guard.  This time I read stories of folks dismantling their basement furnace and loading it into a trailer.  Also a group of volunteers removed the seats in a theater and moved them to higher ground to avoid damage.  

With all the flooding in the news these past few weeks it’s time for folks to think about what to do in the event they are required to evacuate.  

In my corner of Oregon, we often get flooding with our winter rains, but since the planning folks don’t allow building in the flood zone, it usually doesn’t require evacuation.  Ranchers however,  graze their livestock on the fertile bottom land and they routinely have a plan to get their critters to safety.  

However, if you live in a flood-prone region, it is only wise to have a plan in place for evacuation.  The mantra of all preppers is this:  Get a Kit, Make a Plan, Be Prepared.  A kit is important.  Extra supplies and all manner of pantry items are invaluable.  But as important as it is to have a well-stocked kit, it is even more important to have a plan in place.  Plans avoid confusion, stress on the family and set the expectation for what everyone will be doing when the time comes.  The first order of business is to determine your flood risk.  The best resource is your local Department of Emergency Management, usually affiliated with your local Sheriff’s Department or other local governmental authority.  You could also ask long-time residents, “Does it ever flood here?”  Listen to advice of the old-timers.  It’s also a great way to build relationships with your neighbors.  

Make an actual plan for each member of the family for every possible scenario.  Having the entire family together, at home, when disaster strikes is almost too much to ask for.  Make a list of all the “What if?” questions.  Where will you meet, how will you get there?  What method of communication does everyone have?  Do you have an out-of-state contact and does each family member have that information?  What if cell phone, internet and landline systems are down?  All these questions should be addressed if your plan is going to cover all possible events.  For more information, go to www.ready.gov.  There are templates to print off for each family member and for a variety of situations.  

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