Hurricane Irene, One Month Later

Hurricane Irene was a wake up call. A large hurricane making landfall over such a densely populated area so far north of the equator is a rare reminder that nature's awesome power can affect anyone at any time.  The urban walls of man's creation are no match for the concentrated forces of nature. Hurricane Irene woke us up from our complacent sense of security, reminding us of our vulnerability.  

Thankfully, the worst predictions portrayed in the media did not prove accurate, and the cost in human life was minimal.  What was learned and hopefully will be remembered is that when a disaster strikes the time for preparing is past.  Just ask those who could not find food and supplies in the stores as Hurricane Irene approached.  The Lesson learned?  Don't wait until you need food, water, emergency shelter, or emergency supplies. Get them now and store them away for any catastrophe that may come. There is nothing more satisfying than the peace of mind that comes from knowing you are prepared.king heads did not

Looking back on Hurricane Irene one month later, one of the amazing developments was the volume of traffic on social media Internet sites. People were able to connect in an unprecedented way as the storm struck. The amount of information and the overall accuracy of the texts and posts was amazing. In analyzing this and other events and circumstances relating to Hurricane Irene, a blogger at Code Name Insight, came up with the following 10 tips gleaned from recent experience:

1. Stay informed. With some disasters, there is no warning, but hurricanes, wild fires, flooding, and other disasters usually provide for ample warning. Pay attention to the news and plan accordingly.
2. Always keep your home stocked with food, water and other necessary items. It never fails, right as a disaster is scheduled to arrive, the news crews are out videotaping people trying to stock up at the grocery store, fill their cars up with gas, and buy plywood to board up their windows. Don't be one of these people.
3. Use social media to get the latest info on what's happening. Face Book, Twitter, Reddit, text messaging, and emails were the most common way to get immediate information on what was happening. The hurricane even got it's own Twitter handle.
4. Expect that parts (sometime many parts) of the infrastructure will break down. In [the case of Hurricane Irene], people were left without electricity, roads were closed, and emergency response was not as quick as usual. Plan accordingly.
5. Consider evacuation and have a plan to do so. Mandatory evacuations are generally...well...mandatory, however there were plenty of people in mandatory evacuation areas who researched the risks and calculated worst case scenarios and decided to stay. Whichever you decide to do, you of course should take full responsibility for your actions. And again, plan accordingly.
6. Be ready to evacuate, just in case. This includes everything from having a full tank of gas ...to being able to grab critical items (cash, ID, prescriptions, food, water) and being ready to head out the door at a moment's notice.
7. Make a pre-event checklist for disasters that are likely to happen in your area. Add to the checklist any items that are unique to your situation. In the case of a hurricane, items on the list may include: tie down or bring in things that could fly away outside (garbage cans, outdoor furniture) and keep your yard free from items that could cause a problem (i.e. cut down dying trees, route potential flood waters away from your home, etc.). Additionally if you are responsible for a sick or elderly relative, their needs should be on your list as well.
8. Realize that disasters can strike anywhere. An earthquake in Washington DC? That's pretty rare but it just happened. A hurricane in Connecticut? Again, rare but it happened... A tornado in Maryland? Ditto.
9. Work within the limits of technology. Just a few decades ago, there would be a disaster and people would sit in their cold, unelectrified homes and read a book to pass the time. These days, if people aren't online 24/7 they go into withdrawals. Some hints: send text messages instead of making calls on your cell phone right before, during, and right after a disaster since text messages will go through but phone calls won't when the cell towers are overloaded, use the Internet on your phone instead of Internet at home (with no power your modem probably won't work anyway), and have a way to charge your electrical items in your car should your house be without power for a long time.
10. Check your insurance coverages...many homeowners impacted by Hurricane Irene won't have the proper insurance coverages to pay for damage done during the disaster...

As it turned out, much of the media coverage ahead of Hurricane Irene may now seem over the top.  The storm itself did not live up to its billing.  But despite Irene being a relatively minor storm compared to several other hurricanes in recent memory, her effects have been significant and widespread. While the level of destruction and loss of life may not be as severe as with many other major storms, the scope of Irene’s influence on the people living in her path has been anything but insignificant. Large scale flooding, interference with transit, shortages on supermarket shelves, and power outages have effected millions of lives.

In terms of power outages caused, Irene ranks above Katrina and several other much more deadly and destructive storms. It was several weeks before electricity was fully restored. Perhaps one of the most important lessons we can take from Irene is that we need to be as prepared as possible for anything, independent of the hype, and always skeptical that government, the utility company, or the supermarket can save us from the difficulties that even a relatively mild storm can cause. 

Being aware of how others have prepared or failed to prepare properly is an important part of our own preparation. Whenever disaster strikes, the stories of real people affected by it can teach us something about ourselves. Hopefully we can gain inspiration from the very best in humanity that often shines forth in times of great tragedy or loss. Hopefully too, we will heed the warnings that the tragedy itself provides to anyone who is paying attention.

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