HURRICANE PLANNING
Posted July 25, 2010
The following is extracted from “Hurricane Planning for SLCCV (Revised July 2010). The plans therein have been reviewed by Neighbors-Helping-Neighbors and others involved in the original efforts. The emphasis below is for that period immediately after a storm hits SLCCV. If you have suggestions or comments please send them to wbmccur@YAHOO.COM
THE COUNTY, THE SHERIFF, COP AND CERT PLANS
BEFORE THE STORM
■ The County will determine when a mandatory evacuation order is to be issued for manufactured home communities.
■ The COP (Citizens Observation Patrol) car will be recalled to a central location.
■ There are several CERT (Citizens Emergency Response Team) volunteers who are residents in the community who would be available if assigned.
■ The County should receive any special needs shelter applications by August.
AFTER THE STORM
■ The County & Sheriff will make an assessment of damage county wide. Results will guide the county’s response and the Sheriff’s actions related to SLCCV.
■ The County & Sheriff will be making decisions on allowing any traffic in the Lakewood area. Afterwards decisions will be made on curfews.
■ As soon as possible after the storm passes a patrol car may be posted at the entrance to control entry. Residents should carry personal identification with them. The new SLCCV picture badge would be very helpful. The Park Manager plans to provide the Sheriff’s car with one of the park’s two way radios to link with the park’s command center and to link the park with the Sheriff if other communication is out of service.
■ When the COP car is returned to SLCCV it’s communications resources would add to resources available in the community.
■ If conditions warrant the Sheriff will order COP to do a complete house check in SLCCV. This would follow strict guidelines and might involve calls for a deputy backup and other resources (e.g. Red Cross). NHN information, especially on households at risk, will be made available to assist in the house check. NHN volunteers would need to be available to assist. Coordination will be facilitated with COP and CERT having a table at the Longevity Center command post. Checking “Red Tagged” homes would be a priority.
PARK MANAGER’S PLANS
BEFORE EVACUATION:
■ Preparedness steps will be taken. The command center will be set up in the Longevity Center. Power outages and phone service outages are probable.
■ The Park has bull horns that could be used, e.g. with golf carts to ensure that all residents still here are notified that mandatory evacuation has been be ordered and when it would take effect. There would be a need for 4 to 6 golf carts, each with a team of two.
AFTER THE STORM
■ Once any leaks have been handled the water supply would be turned on. A 72 hour boil water order will then be in effect.
■ The Longevity Center will act as command center. The Park manager, his staff, COP, CERT members and NHN personnel would be assembled and ready to respond. The building has a generator to supply power. All key park personnel will have a special two way radio. The center will have provision for a NHN desk to coordinate their activities. It will also have a desk for the SLCCV Web Site and associated computer. That computer would also provide access to NHN data and Recreation Department data (e.g. emergency contact information.). Having all of these groups physically close to each other will facilitate rapid response to changing circumstances.
■ It would be highly desirable to have up to 6 to 8 golf carts, with two person teams, available for running errands and to help locate and assess damage.
■ The club house will be opened as soon as possible as an information center. They will try to have coffee and may be serving meals to park workers.
RECOVERY
■ There were major problems experienced in the past related to contractors and the permitting process. In response, there will be a Park Managers plan to certify that contractors appearing in the park after the storm have signed in and have presented identification that they are licensed. If a contract is signed there will be a strong recommendation to residents about the amount to put down as a deposit for repairs and rebuilding
Representatives from the county building department will be asked to describe how residents can now apply and obtain permits quickly for common problems (e.g. storage sheds, car ports) without the necessity to pay a contractor for securing a permit. Such generic plans and permits should facilitate getting bids from contractors and speed the process of repair and reduce costs. The life for the generic plans will be 6 – 8 months after the evacuation is called.
NEIGHBOR-HELPING-NEIGHBOR (NHN) PLANS
BEFORE ANY ALERT
■ It is urgent to contact any homes that have not yet been surveyed. If possible get the survey filled out. .
■ Residents should be urged to prepare for evacuation and to evacuate when it is ordered. (See below for situations where residents will not evacuate.)
■ Develop an Information Display for the Club House and/or Longevity Center.
■ All NHN areas need to have completed their plan for emergency communication. Adjustments will likely be needed for the summer and those plans need to be known centrally.
■ Contacts are needed with the 40 plus households identified as probably eligible for the special needs shelter. Encourage them to register promptly if they might need to use it. NHN Coordinators should report problems to Bill Brown, Betty Yon or Bill McCurdy
■ Contacts are needed with households without a car who may be here during hurricane season to encourage preplanning and to assist them if needed. These individuals can register in advance with the county for emergency transportation to a shelter. (This uses the Special Needs Registration form.)
■ Contacts are needed with the other households at risk who may be here in the event of a storm to urge preparations and to assist them if possible.
■ Everyone needs to know that there will be a 72 hour boil water advisory after evacuation and after water is restored. A three day supply of drinking water should be available. Power, phone service and cable service outages are probable.
■ The SLCCV Web Site (SLCCV.ORG) will have information on communicating with SLCCV after a storm.
AFTER AN ALERT, WARNING OR WATCH
NOTE: NHN Volunteers should give priority to their own plans for response. They should not delay implementing their own plans to remain longer than they would prefer.
■ Although everyone should be watching for warnings and evacuation orders, NHN volunteers should alert as many people as possible when these are issued.
■ Urge evacuation! If NHN volunteers are aware of someone who will not evacuate, urge them to tie a length of emergency tape to their door handle. This will be a signal to first responders to check on persons who have stayed. (Tape will be available at the desk in the club house and from coordinators.)
■ Try to check with households at risk to be sure plans are working out for them. (We still need to identify resources that could help if any household appears to have serious last minute problems, e.g. confusion, sudden illness. A 911 call is one response.) Please note: The County EOC has assured us that there will be a phone contact a few days before a storm with those who have registered for the Special Needs Shelter to learn their current situation and transportation needs. If this call does not come someone should check with the County EOC (461-5201)
■ Shut off water to your unit and throw main circuit breaker.
AFTER THE STORM
NOTE: NHN volunteers should give priority to handling serious problems found in their own homes.
■ NHN volunteers are urged to check in at the club house when returning to the community. An effort will be made to keep all NHN people informed on the evolving situation. Please check in even if phones are working when you return. Also, be especially alert to any observed water leaks and report them immediately to the Park command center in the Longevity Building.
■ Check on the situation of homes in each area and communicate results to NHN volunteers at the club house. Do not, however, risk going through debris. We will need up to 6-8 golf carts with teams of two to help evaluate damage and to meet other needs. If there is significant damage (as in 2004 & 2005) and if golf carts and volunteers are available, NHN is prepared to do a full survey of visible damage. This information would enable us to respond to questions from residents about the condition of their homes as soon as communication is possible.
■ Before telephone service is reestablished, NHN volunteers are urged to check in at the Club House to get updates to be able to inform neighbors. Also, consider ways to relay requests for emergency assistance to the Command Center at the Longevity Center where links to county services should be available (e.g. through the Sheriff), If cell phones are working, and if individuals with them are willing, establish ways for your area to use them in the event of an emergency
■ Volunteers will be needed at the Club House and Longevity Center. Volunteers will be needed to support Robyn at the Club House, to assist NHN activities and to assist the Park Manager e.g. handling phone calls. If possible recruit neighbors to help.
■ Touch base with other NHN volunteers in the area to update your area’s plan for communication. Please relay these plans to the NHN desk at the Club House.
■ Volunteers may be needed to assist those at the entrance who will be controlling who may enter the community.
SLCCV WEB SITE PLANS
BEFORE A STORM
■ Test and dry run the plans described below. These steps will be completed by August 1st.
■ The Web Site is SLCCV.ORG and has information on how to use the site effectively. This information will change if SLCCV is threatened with a hit.
AFTER THE STORM
■ SLCCV’s Web Site has the potential to provide significant help to the Park Manager, to the Wynne Corporation, to residents who are away and to concerned out-of-town relatives of residents who may be here. This potential is illustrated by what was done in the instance of Hurricane Frances in 2004. (See Appendix A)
■ Space will be provided in the Longevity Center to operate the Web Site until park-wide power, cable and phone service are restored. In the Center there will be power for a computer and access to cable service when these are available in the Center. When power and cable are available to homes the site may be run there. At present there are three individuals who can serve as operators (Bill McCurdy, Frank Buzzelli and Jim Brooks).
■ The same computer will also store all the information now in NHN’s data base, in other data bases maintained for SLCCV and in data bases maintained by the Recreation Department. This would facilitate quick retrieval of key information if needed in the recovery phase.
APPENDIX A
This is based on our 2004 experience with Hurricane Frances. This happened because one of us was in Maine and was able to run the site from there and to receive Emails and phone calls.
Using email addresses we have on the site we alerted residents that the web site would be open during and after the storm. As status reports were received (e.g. from residents who got into the park quickly and could phone or Email or after calls to the Sheriff) they were published on the web site. . As Emails or phone calls were received raising questions about the condition of homes and residents they were published on a continuous, “Last Received, First Listed” basis. These were date and time stamped and Email addresses (and/or phone numbers) were included. Similarly answers to questions (from Email or phone calls) were posted. At its peak these pages were published two and three times daily.
Park status reports (e.g. on phone service, power and water status, access status, etc.) and management communications were published as received (by phone or fax.) Links to other sites (e.g.TCPALM.COM) were posted and updated as information came in. Over a 7-8 day period we received an average of well over a hundred emails a day and dozens of phone calls. In one day alone we had over 1,000 hits on the site. A key aim was to provide a way for individuals who were on the scene to respond directly to those with questions on homes and people. We have heard of many instances where information was sent directly to the person asking.
