emergency

Are You Storm Ready?

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By Karen Filchak

Jonathan looking at leafBeing storm-ready means advance planning and preparation in the event of power outages, evacuations or property damage. Many in Connecticut have assembled a “Go Pack”, “Bug-Out Bag” or some other type of emergency grab and go bag that can be easily accessed in the event of a power out­ age or the need to evacuate your residence. These are important resources to have at the ready should you need them in an emergency. In addition to the items that will help sustain you in the short term, such as food, water, clothing, flashlights, etc., financial and household information and legal documents can be essential following a natural disaster.

Knowing your bank account numbers, having insurance policies and contact information, and having property records is just some of the important information that you should have with you should your home or other property be damaged or you be displaced for a period of time.

The University of Connecticut & University of Rhode Island Cooperative Extension received a two-year National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) grant to work to prepare communities and their residents for the impacts of hurricanes and flooding.  There are six members* on the University of Connecticut team which is working with four Coastal towns.  The towns are East Lyme, Old Lyme, Stonington and military families with the Navy base in Groton.

Among the goals of the project are to: Compile resources for individuals, families, businesses and-­ communities so they can design personalized emergency plans and be prepared for major storm events such as   hurricanes and nor’easters, as well as information on adaptation strategies to reduce their risk or exposure in the future; develop an inclusive preparedness plan template for  issues such as personal safety, health and community evacuation, finances and important papers, food and medicine, preparing and securing your house­ hold interior and exterior, and barn structure/pet/ livestock/crop safety resources; market resource information; and support the agricultural community through review of existing and planned dairy and livestock barns for storm preparedness.

In addition to the grant, UConn Extension has a website, the Extension Disaster Education Network (EDEN) which is part of the larger national EDEN effort. To learn more about how to prepare, visit http://www.eden.uconn.edu

*M. Welch, J. Barrette, K. Filchak, F. Griffiths­ Smith, D. Hirsch, J. Meader, R. Ricard.

Guide to Emergency Preparedness

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By Katy Davis

guide coverDid you know that September is National Preparedness Month? The State of Connecticut Department of Public Health has issued the Connecticut Guide to Emergency Preparedness, with tons of information so you can prepared during an emergency.

Also, The Connecticut Guide to Emergency Preparedness has come out in ten different languages! Those languages are English, Spanish, Brazilian Portuguese, Chinese, French, Haitian Creole, Italian, Polish, Russian, and Vietnamese. Inside the guide is a lot of useful information for any case of an emergency. There are different areas of emergencies such as natural disasters, pandemic flu, nuclear emergencies and even drinking water emergencies. There is also a chapter on what to do if you are in an emergency situation. The Connecticut Guide to Emergency Preparedness (in all ten languages) can be found at this link: http://www.ct.gov/dph/cwp/view.asp?a=3115&q=482616

Connecting with Emergency Preparedness Resources

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Article by Mary Ellen Welch

beach houseEmergency preparedness is an issue for an increasing number of people and families. No matter the season, take steps in advance, and be ready for storms or other natural disasters. Personal experiences with storms – Tropical Storm Irene (2011), Sandy (2012) – and conditions that produce snow, winds, flooding and storm surge, serve as reminders. Weather events can impair your health and safety, limit access to roads, cause property and tree damage and loss of electricity.

At the Universities of Connecticut and Rhode Island, a team of Extension and Sea Grant educators is addressing coastal preparedness through a USDA-NIFA Special Needs grant. UConn Extension has created a preparedness education program to help people, including those with pets and livestock, prepare for storm emergencies. UConn Extension’s EDEN (Extension Disaster Education Network) website contains a compilation of emergency preparedness resources designed by experts.

The collaborative team includes Mary Ellen Welch, disaster preparedness team leader; Robert Ricard, UConn EDEN team leader; Juliana Barrett, coastal preparedness; Karen Filchak, family and community development; Diane Wright Hirsch, food safety; Joyce Meader, dairy and livestock; Jenifer Nadeau, equine specialist; Faye Griffiths-Smith, family economics and resource management; and Pamela Rubinoff, University of Rhode Island, coastal resilience specialist.

Pamela Rubinoff is developing Rapid PACE (rapid Property Assessment of Coastal Exposure), a storm mapping, assessment and planning tool, so municipal officials, coastal communities and residents can assess potential storm hazards. The tool aggregates existing high resolution map data from multiple sources and will generate user friendly reports that summarize the potential impacts of storms upon specific parcels of land in coastal Rhode Island.

In Connecticut, focus groups met in four coastal communities – East Lyme, Old Lyme, Groton and Stonington. A diverse group of community representatives participated – fire marshals, emergency/health managers, social services, school and library personnel, housing/senior center directors and beach association members. Their knowledge about local residents and resources is guiding the team to reach audiences with functional needs; people living alone without family nearby; people with limited English proficiency; part-time residents or visitors; the large and mobile military service population; seniors and families.

Juliana Barrett is assisting communities with finding new ways to reach both their year round residents and transient populations who might be on vacation for a weekend or a couple of weeks. By developing flyers for rental units with pertinent information, she hopes to engage people in what to do and where to go should an emergency occur.

“Prepare your family now so they will feel in control when severe weather arises,” affirms Faye Griffiths-Smith. “Have emergency kits as well as a plan for communicating if you are separated. A pre-determined place you will go can make dealing with a stressful situation more manageable. Review these plans and your emergency supplies periodically.”

Karen Filchak recommends, “Think about and prepare for situations where property may be damaged, lost or destroyed. Do you have insurance information for repairs, records to prove ownership of a vehicle that floated away or documents to prove the value of the contents of your home? Having the appropriate documents and financial information will help in recovery from the impacts of a destructive event.”

Food and water safety/provisions is a health issue during and after storms. The UConn Extension Food Safety website has publications on: pre-storm shopping, whether you should keep or discard food during a power outage and what to do if garden produce becomes flooded. Interior and exterior household preparation may limit loss and can impact your health and comfort during storms.

The UConn EDEN website contains pet friendly advice about necessary pet provisions whether staying at home or away. “Livestock typically are housed in their barns during storms,” indicates Joyce Meader. “Keep barns in good structural condition so they will protect animals and keep them safe.”

“It is never too early to begin planning for the possibility of a disaster,” advocates Jenifer Nadeau. “Hopefully you never have to experience one, but being prepared is half the battle.” A microchipping clinic is being offered this fall as an additional way to help identify horses.