Preparing For The Hurricane Season

  The early stages of the hurricane season are here with the greatest threat still ahead of us.  It is not too early for church disaster teams to start readying their equipment and finalizing training and for homeowner’s to make necessary preparations.   Last year was quiet but this spring has not been with the tornados, microbursts, violent thunderstorms, and wildfires in Georgia.

  The high-risk months for hurricanes are represented by a bell-shaped curve of August, September, and October, thus September has, historically, the greatest number of large hurricanes.  These severe storms produce a coastal storm surge sometimes combined with high tides from a few feet to thirty or more feet high and may do damage from few blocks inland to several miles inland along bays and rivers, wind and rain cause further damage both along the coast and farther inland, and then there are tornados that may be spawned by the storm.

  Much farther inland there is the potential of damaging winds and large quantities of driving rainfall that may lead to downed trees and power lines, blowing debris damage, damaged roofs with corresponding water damage, and a secondary effect of flooding as was experienced in Cobb County several years ago with damage to about fifty homes.

  Early response teams are the first church organization, “second responders”, to be called and must make the most preparation for the callout after the storm.  First there must be an invite from the Conference Bishop for the area with damage and second a local church or agency to work as an extension of their ministry by performing chain saw, tarping, and debris cleanup assistance as well as assisting victims with the trauma that they have experienced. 

As the concept of early response teams is to be totally self sufficient during the first or second week after the destruction occurs, they have to provide all their food, shelter, water, fuel for use plus at least 100 miles of driving as there is no power, little or no communications, and no where to buy anything. . 

  In addition to the above, there has to be adequate supplies of spare saw chains; sharpening tools; chain lubricant; oil/gas mixture; various sizes of tarps; buckets of tarping nails, strips of 1x2’s and nails for the strips; and other tools to assist with flooding.     

 The next teams called are disaster work teams, cooking teams, and care teams that do not need to be self sufficient or only to a limited degree as some of the community services of power, water, sewage, and food service begin to be restored.  Often these teams sleep in church Sunday School rooms and eat in church kitchens or field kitchens. 

  Homeowners are not exempt from preparation of their own.  Every family should be prepared for two conditions: 1. Three to five days of being on your own, without any assistance, after major disaster events and power outages and 2. possible evacuation.  In the case of local tornados, the response delay may be an hour or two or the next sunrise.  However, you might be asked to leave the area while search and rescue is done, and utilities are handled for a period of hours or days.  In the case of damage over a wide area, the delay is going to be much longer.  So your home kit should consider sufficient quantities of water and food (many pantries have enough to eat, just not the greatest menus); methods of heat in cold weather and cooking; tools; addressing specials needs of family members such as medications, toys and games, and special equipment; and a first aid kit. 

  For evacuations, reduce the amount of water and food to some bottled water and snacks, a gas tank that is at least half full, the special needs items from above, a change or two of clothing, your favorite pillow, books or games to occupy your time if the traffic is moving slowly, cash or credit cards, and the first aid kit.  Lodging would be hotels or Red Cross shelters which would be opened during circumstances of this nature. Generally such shelters would be as close as practical to the disaster area. 

  So if you are a member of a Methodist disaster response team, the time is here for preparation as well as the preparation for your family.  Disasters sometimes happen without warning and other times with only a day or two of warning.