November, 2004
I just returned from a wonderful week in Central Florida (Yep, that's the bullseye of the Hurricane season this year) celebrating my mother's 80th birthday. Since I hail from that area of the country I made it a point to check out the damage from the FOUR hurricanes that have devastated that state this year. Suddenly, it was no longer seeing the damage on TV - it was personal. Even though I have experienced all types of natural disasters I had forgotten the enormity of the damage Mother Nature can cause. Seeing one of my best friends home with no roof on 2 of the bedrooms; seeing the abundance of blue tarps now substituting for roofs throughout the area; seeing the old community theatre of Jupiter (much like Capitola with a Florida flare), Florida, destroyed, rubble just piled there as life of the sleepy tourist town continued; seeing the water side of my favorite restaurant missing (think Zelda's without the outside eating area and no walkway on the seaside, in fact the beach is gone). It had been over a decade since Florida had seen such powerful storms and never 4 in one year.
It gives one cause to think about how quickly our lives can change - and those people had time to prepare, board up and evacuate. Here in Santa Cruz County we don't have those opportunities. Our natural disasters come quickly. Flooding rivers and earthquakes can't be tracked on radar; we don't get days and sometimes weeks of notice. They strike swiftly with very little warning, if any, so we all need to be prepared when that happens. If you or one of your family members has a disability, then that preparation may pose an even bigger set of challenges. For all those who remember the aftermath of the Loma Prieta earthquake, you know what I mean. Being prepared for emergencies can reduce the fear, panic, and inconvenience that surround a disaster. First, contact your local emergency information management office now. Many local emergency management offices maintain registers of people with disabilities so they can be located and assisted quickly in a disaster.
Create a self-help network of relatives, friends or co-workers to assist in an emergency. If you think you may need assistance in a disaster, discuss your disability with relatives, friends, and co-workers and ask for their help. For example, if you need help moving or require special arrangements to receive emergency messages, make a plan with friends. Make sure they know where you keep emergency supplies. Give a key to a neighbor or friend who may be able to assist you in a disaster.
Check for hazards in the home. During and right after a disaster, ordinary items in the home can cause injury or damage. Anything that can move, fall, break or cause a fire is a home hazard. Check for items such as bookcases, hanging pictures, or overhead lights that could fall in an earthquake or a flood and block an escape path.
Be ready to evacuate. Have a plan for getting out of your home or building (ask your family or friends for assistance, if necessary). Also, plan two evacuation routes because some roads may be closed or blocked in a disaster. People with disabilities have the same choices as other community residents about whether to evacuate their homes and where to go when an emergency threatens. Listen to the advice of local officials. Decide whether it is better to leave the area, stay with a friend or go to a public shelter. Each of these decisions requires planning and preparation. Know the location and availability of more than one facility if you are dependent on a dialysis machine or other life-sustaining equipment or treatment.
These are some general guidelines for emergency preparedness. Next month we'll
continue with this topic and get into some more specifics. Hope everyone had a wonderful summer
and always remember - Disability is a random event that can occur in any life, at any moment.
- Michael Bradshaw, Central Coast Center for Independent Living