The Cop Column
June 2008
Sgt. Rick Hord
Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office
What Not To Do For Hurricane Season
With another hurricane season upon us, you’ve probably seen plenty of checklists
and preparedness guidelines.
There’s no shortage of good advice, so rather than repeat what you’ve probably
heard and seen a dozen times, here’s my personal list of what not to do.
Don’t pay attention to those pre-season hurricane activity forecasts.
They’re meaningless for hurricane preparedness purposes. There
could 50 named storms this year, but if none of them threaten us, we had a “slow
season.” If there’s only one storm, but it comes in right on top of us, we had a
busy year.
Don’t panic.
It might be difficult to not panic, if you watch the saturation coverage of
24-hour news and weather cable channels. Panic, of course, makes any situation
worse, not better.
Don’t become complacent.
The flip side of panic is equally dangerous. It’s also a legitimate concern of
emergency planners, well aware of the “cry wolf” potential of unceasing media
coverage of every tropical depression.
Don’t rely entirely on government agencies to keep you safe.
Emergency Management officials do fantastic work in both in small communities
and metropolitan areas… but their success depends on the citizens they serve
making their own emergency preparations… and remaining informed and alert as
potential threats develop.
Don’t evacuate unless you need to.
If your home is both sturdy and out of any area that might go under water, your
best option is probably to turn your home into a shelter. Many communities have
experienced the evacuation disasters of too many people trying to leave at the
same time. Those who remember Opal in 1995 know all about that problem.
Thousands of Emerald Coast residents who would have been far better off to
shelter at home fled at the last minute, and were in danger of being stuck on
the highways during the storm.
Don’t get lost.
After a storm, you might need to use unfamiliar roads, and you might need to
visit locations that are not part of your familiar routines. A modern GPS unit
or a simple old fashioned street map will probable be very useful.
Don’t flag down power company trucks.
This has been one of the biggest post-hurricane complaints for many decades.
Residents desperate for relief, see a power company truck driving through their
neighborhood, and flock to it.
Power companies are incredibly efficient with the complex process of restoring
service after a disaster. Well-intentioned citizens interrupting crews at work
seriously slows the process.
Don’t run out of clean underwear after the storm.
Plenty of folks stock up on batteries, drinking water, food, ice, and other
supplies, and forget to do the
laundry just before the storm hits. Moral of the story: Don’t forget the simple
necessities of life. In first days after a hurricane, it may be difficult to get
baby formula, do the laundry, refill prescriptions, and tend to many other
routine tasks. I like to think of hurricane planning as preparing for a
week-long camping trip.
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