As we start into the new year it’s a great time to review your personal disaster preparedness plan. Here are some important lessons learned following the recent California wildfires.
The fire seasons of 2017 to 2019 were some of the most destructive in California history. Years of drought, record heat and winds, faulty infrastructure, and forest mismanagement created a perfect ‘fire storm’ in which over 145 people lost their lives, thousands were injured, and over 45,000 structures were damaged, many of those were homes and small businesses. Hundreds of thousands of people were affected by evacuations and property damage, loss of work, and medical bills.
The California Department of Insurance in early December 2018 put the official tally for losses from that year’s major wildfires at $9.05 billion… and that was only the insured material losses. That number doesn’t include uninsured losses or the economic and psychological damage done to the people involved in those terrible events. Sadly, this is only a small window into the destruction caused by natural disasters throughout our country every year.
The demand for land and affordable housing in this country has created situations where homes being built in flood plains, on the sides of mountains in earthquake prone areas, and in thick forests where potential fire dangers are ever present are increasingly common. Often roads into and out of these areas are few, limiting escape routes and restricting emergency personnel access to high-danger areas. Questionable building codes and lax restrictions are adding to the problem of safe and affordable housing.
Infrastructure for utilities and roads in most communities is also growing older and can be faulty, with money allocated for repairs scarce and environmental regulations often creating more roadblocks to fixing the problems. In addition, the public relies heavily on emergency communication services for fast warnings and help, yet those services are also underfunded, and in some locations unreliable. When the 2017 Tubbs fire in Sonoma began, county officials decided not to send an alert because they wanted to avoid causing panic and traffic jams. As a result, many people learned there was a fire in the region when they awoke with their homes in flames. In other areas services like earthquake and tornado warnings are still in their infancy, and can be unreliable or only offer a few minute’s warning of disaster coming.
In the light of this, how can you be prepared to protect your family, your home and your finances when emergencies arise? Here is a list of 6 things people learned (some the hard way) from the recent California fires to get you started.
Do your research before choosing a home.
Before moving into an area to rent, and especially when purchasing a home, investigate the area for potential hazards like accessibility, flooding, landslides, fires, earthquakes, high winds, or other environmental and natural hazards. Does your future home meet building standards for those issues? Will your home and family be as safe as possible from unexpected natural disasters that may occur in your area?Do you have the resources needed to maintain your home if you choose to live in a high-risk area?
Purchase home or renter’s insurance.
You should always have insurance, but it is even more important if you are in a potential risk area and if you are, insurance premiums are going to be high. Shop around to find the best coverage for your needs and make sure that you have purchased enough coverage. Minimum coverage will save money every month but it may not cover all of your needs if you ever have to start over. Insurance is even more important if home repairs are expected. It may seem crazy to spend a little more every month on a better plan for a ‘just in case’ situation, but it will be a blessing if you ever need it.
Have an evacuation plan.
Make sure that you know two or more ways to exit your neighborhood if needed. Not only by car but also on foot. During the 2019 Kincade fire in Sonoma 185,000 people had to be evacuated from an already high-population area quickly, that’s a lot of panicked and distracted people on the roads trying to get to safety.In the 2018 Paradise fire, tight mountain roads, limited access to the area and fire dangers cause problems for both people trying to evacuate and emergency responders trying to enter the area. Some people who attempted to flee but ran into impassable areas because of downed trees or fire blocks, abandoned their vehicles in the road which then had to be cleared before fire trucks and ambulances could gain access. In a panic some people became confused and took wrong roads to try to avoid congested or fire areas and ended up in even more trouble and GPS services, which were already limited in the area, were further damaged by the loss of cell towers from the fire or when the power was cut. Always know your area exit routes and side streets and keep a paper map handy because GPS isn’t always reliable in a widespread emergency. You need to know how to navigate and safely leave the area quickly if necessary. https://www.ready.gov/plan
Shelter is a priority.
You will also need to know where to go for shelter once you leave your local area. If you have family and friends willing to open their doors to you be prepared with a way to communicate with them and reach them safely. If you don’t have friends or family near you, locate affordable motels outside of your area that you could go to. Also learn the locations of local emergency centers, hospitals, and churches which might open their doors should the need arise. You can find a list here: https://www.disasterassistance.gov/information/immediate-needs/emergency-shelter
In some cases it’s better to plan to shelter in place. Sometimes evacuating the area isn’t possible or necessary. If you are able to stay in your home it’s a great idea to have ample stored water and food on hand, as well as battery operated communication devices and first aid supplies. Emergency services, if they can even get to you, will be stretched to their limits and unavailable for all but the worst-case issues. If you have children, make sure you understand their school’s emergency shelter-in-place and pick-up plans for students. If you want more information about community preparedness plans you can contact your city’s community council emergency committee or the national CERT (Community Emergency Response Team) which offers classes and training. www.ready.gov/cert
Electricity is a luxury.
Due to faulty electrical equipment which started the devastating 2018 Paradise fire, many local electric companies opted to turn off power to hundreds of thousands of their customers during high-winds in the 2019 fire season with limited notification. Reports came in of rescue and evacuation efforts being greatly complicated by the lack of light, power, and communication access in the area. A few deaths were attributed to loss of electrical power to life-saving medical equipment. Once the power was restored, damaged equipment and multiple downed power lines took days, and in some cases weeks, for crews to repair leaving some people without power in their homes and businesses for extended periods of time.
As you make your emergency preparations make sure that you take in to account light, warmth, and communication issues such as loss of phone service, the inability to charge electronics and a lack of cable internet connection that will happen if the power is cut. If you have medical needs like insulin which requires refrigeration, or an oxygen machine that needs power to run, be sure you have an adequate gas-powered generator and fuel on hand to last a week or more.
The same goes for water.
If your local water company or your home uses an electric pump to purify and pressurize water, or pumps water directly from a well, a loss of electricity could also affect your water supply. Community water restrictions can also go in place for broken or damaged water lines. That means not only drinking water, but also water for toilets, and watering systems will also be out. Have water storage on hand as well as purification tablets for treating water if the existing supply is deemed unsafe. Here is more information on protecting water sources. https://www.epa.gov/watersense
Knowledge is power.
Disasters can happen anywhere and in an instant. No one is immune. The problems could happen to just your home, your entire community, or even your region. Taking time to make sure that you are ready for the worst-case scenario will give you the extra boost of confidence you will need if a disaster hits you. In addition to preparing your home and finances, you should also prepare yourself. Learn some emergency skills and how the emergency system in your area is set up so that you can take full advantage of it should the need arise. You can visit the Federal Emergency Management Agency website to learn more about how you can be ready when disaster strikes: www.fema.gov
Natural disasters come in many forms and at varying degrees of severity, but you don’t have to be a victim. Take some steps today to prepare for unexpected situations and if the time ever comes that your preparations are needed… you’ll be much better off.
For more information on preparing yourself personally and financially for unexpected problems visit our Tips and Tricks area on our website at www.FFEF.org.