Earthquake, Hurricane Irene Remind Residents to Update Emergency Plans

and the looming threat of Hurricane Irene should make residents think about updating their personal disaster plans.

Hurricane Irene is expected to pick up speed and strength Wednesday as it turns toward the East Coast, according to the National Hurricane Center in Miami. The latest projections indicate Virginia could see significant rain and wind over the weekend, avoiding a direct hit.

Still, the 2011 hurricane season is young and, as Tuesday’s surprise trembler reminded us, disaster can strike at any time.

Online Resources

The City of Alexandria’s website features an emergency preparedness section with specific information for hurricanes, earthquakes and more. The site also features a brochure specifically focused on preparing for an emergency with your pets.

In addition, www.readynova.com has a suite of online tools to help residents and business owners prepare emergency plans and kits.  Creating a plan for your home or business should take just 15 minutes using this tool. A dozen jurisdictions in Northern Virginia, including Alexandria City and Fairfax County, launched the site with a Department of Homeland Security grant.

Supplies

The Red Cross recommends having the following items on hand:

• Water—one gallon per person, per day (3­-day supply for evacuation, 2­-week supply for home)
• Food—non­perishable, easy ­to ­prepare items; can opener (3-­day supply for evacuation, 2-­week supply for home)
• Flashlight
• Battery ­powered or hand­ crank radio (NOAA Weather Radio, if possible)
• Extra batteries
• First-aid kit
• Medications (7-­day supply) and medical items
• Sanitation and personal hygiene items
• Copies of personal documents (medication list and pertinent medical information, proof of address, deed/lease to home, passports, birth certificates, insurance policies)
• Cell phones with chargers
• Family and emergency contact information
• Extra cash
• Emergency blanket
• Communications and Transportation

Cellular phone access was extremely limited in the hours following Tuesday’s earthquake, but many people were still able to send email or text messages. People with land-based phones lines had more luck getting through to people.

The Public Safety Alliance told Politico events like these prove the need for a dedicated, nationwide communications system that won’t be impacted by overloaded public cellular and data networks. Alexandria City officials reminded residents Tuesday to only call 9-1-1 for immediate medical and other emergencies.

After people poured out of Federal buildings downtown, many decided to just head home from work. This led to very heavy traffic on the Beltway and other major roads and brought up renewed concerns about how—or whether—the D.C. area could be evacuated if necessary.

In some cases, it may be safest to just stay where you are rather than venture onto the crowded roadways and trains. Emergency and government officials frequently use the news media to let the public know the best course of action, so try to look for news reports before making a decision.