By Karen Filchak
Being storm-ready means advance planning and preparation in the event of power outages, evacuations or property damage. Many in Connecticut have assembled a “Go Pack”, “Bug-Out Bag” or some other type of emergency grab and go bag that can be easily accessed in the event of a power out age or the need to evacuate your residence. These are important resources to have at the ready should you need them in an emergency. In addition to the items that will help sustain you in the short term, such as food, water, clothing, flashlights, etc., financial and household information and legal documents can be essential following a natural disaster.
Knowing your bank account numbers, having insurance policies and contact information, and having property records is just some of the important information that you should have with you should your home or other property be damaged or you be displaced for a period of time.
The University of Connecticut & University of Rhode Island Cooperative Extension received a two-year National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) grant to work to prepare communities and their residents for the impacts of hurricanes and flooding. There are six members* on the University of Connecticut team which is working with four Coastal towns. The towns are East Lyme, Old Lyme, Stonington and military families with the Navy base in Groton.
Among the goals of the project are to: Compile resources for individuals, families, businesses and- communities so they can design personalized emergency plans and be prepared for major storm events such as hurricanes and nor’easters, as well as information on adaptation strategies to reduce their risk or exposure in the future; develop an inclusive preparedness plan template for issues such as personal safety, health and community evacuation, finances and important papers, food and medicine, preparing and securing your house hold interior and exterior, and barn structure/pet/ livestock/crop safety resources; market resource information; and support the agricultural community through review of existing and planned dairy and livestock barns for storm preparedness.
In addition to the grant, UConn Extension has a website, the Extension Disaster Education Network (EDEN) which is part of the larger national EDEN effort. To learn more about how to prepare, visit http://www.eden.uconn.edu
*M. Welch, J. Barrette, K. Filchak, F. Griffiths Smith, D. Hirsch, J. Meader, R. Ricard.