Galveston County Hurricane Awareness Program “The first casualty of Ike was Common Sense” Garret Foskit Sept 14th 2008

MAKE A PLAN BUILD A KIT STAY INFORMED

Priorities LIPS Life/Safety Incident Stabilization Property Preservation Societal Restoration

We are #1 in Texas

What’s in your Kit? Don’t Procrastinate

Preparation Have a plan /where are you evacuating / is it safe there Have a checklist/go bag/important must haves ready to go Do you or family members need assistance to evacuate Sign up on 211, sign up on County or City mass notification system Do you have the items you need to survive for 10 days or longer (food, water, medicine, pet food and…) ½ tank of gas during Hurricane Season Is your insurance current Take photos of the valuable items/home for documentation

Survival Kit Contents (the Basics) Water (1 gal/person/day) – including water for your pets Non-Perishable food 14 days - including food for your pets First Aid Kit ( including wipes/towelettes for personal hygiene) Medicine 14 days worth with prescription information Cash (ATM’s with out power don’t work) Matches, batteries, flashlights, hand tools Identification/Personal Papers/Important documents Safety equipment (fire extinguisher, whistle, hand crank radio) Personal Protective Equipment (proper clothing and tools)

Evacuation is based upon Surge, Wind, and Individual Needs (you don’t have to wait)

Evacuation Will be by zip codes Please leave if we tell you to evacuate - we may not be able to respond based upon weather conditions/access Sign up with the county GCOEM.org /city for notifications (now) Call 2-1-1 now if you need a ride for any reason (spread the word to others) – Pets go with you If you have functional needs and require a caregiver then a caregiver must come with you STEAR.dps.texas.gov txdps.state.tx.us/dem/stear/public.htm Be ready to leave when the ride arrives to take you to the bus

Evacuation Kit (in your vehicle) Food (for you and your family, pets) Water ~ 2+ bottles of per person (don’t forget your pets) Medicine At least 7 days worth including the prescription so it can be refilled prior to returning (pharmacies may be closed when you return) Diapers and other essentials

SHELTER Galveston County does not shelter pre-landfall Refuge of Last Resort Shelter Wikipedia. Noun[edit]. last resort (plural last resorts). (idiomatic) The only remaining, often least-desirable, option when all others have been excluded. May Have? Red Cross or other trained staff coordinating management Should have Cots Food Showers Facilities for Pets Communication Etc.

When Leaving Turn off propane tanks, natural gas Think about emptying the refrigerator and freezer Notify your family members where you are going Text (safely) instead of calling it doesn’t tie up the phones for emergency calls Secure any outside items which may become projectiles and damage you and/or your neighbors’ homes Anticipate water service being cut off/turn off water at your meter if possible

Breaker Boxes When Shutting off a Breaker Box Turn off the Branch breakers first (1 Breaker at a time) Then the Main Breaker which is normally on the top or bottom and is much larger than the branch breakers When Turning on the Breaker Box First turn on the Main Breaker Then turn on 1 Branch Breaker at a time This minimizes surges in the home

Have Reasonable Expectations Galveston County and or your City rely upon other agencies for assistance (we have to follow their rules and requirements) In a large scale disaster we are competing with other counties for the same assistance We strive to provide the most accurate information as possible Stay informed Facebook: facebook.com/GalvestonCountytx Twitter: @galvestoncountyoem or @galvcotx YouTube: (search Galveston County, Texas channel) www.youtube.com/channel/UCwJExm_jVHvMMJrhr_Nm4lw Blog: www.galvconews.com

Coming Back Monitor local media, GCOEM.org, galvestoncountytx.gov, social media etc., your city’s website Report utility issues (gas, power) to the local fire department, (water and sewer) to utility company, and the county/city Be prepared to show proof of residence or ownership/reason why you are there (tax, utility bill, etc.) Food, water, medical support, fuel, etc., may not be available including prescription refills In areas impacted by surge/flooding do not turn on home generators without your electrical system being evaluated

Cleaning Up Wear/have proper protective clothing to prevent injuries Have any open wounds treated promptly to prevent infection medical care may be limited or unavailable Monitor the county for debris clean up information (we will use multiple outlets to push out the message Separate your debris types (C&D, Vegetative, whitegoods, household garbage, etc.) Debris Rules Don’t pile it over mailboxes, fire hydrants, water or gas meters (anything that shouldn’t be removed with the debris) Don’t bag your debris (not approved for disposal by FEMA)

Other Helpful Websites GCOEM.org http://gis.centerpointenergy.com/outagetracker/index.html http://www.etrviewoutage.com/external/mobile_tx.html http://www.tnmp.com/customers/outages/map.htm www.weather.gov

Seeking Shelter

Sheltering In Place Hazmat Incident-Notify Get inside, turnoff the (AC/Heat) Central or Window units Hiding from the wind (Tornado) Get inside away from windows and either get in a door way or bath tub for additional protection (do not go to the window or go outside taking photos) Pay attention to local news and official social media Contact your local police/fire/ems or emergency management office for additional details if information about the incident is not forthcoming

Threshold for Financial Assistance State of Texas (Governor and Presidential Declaration) Must have $33 million to state/county infrastructure Galveston County (Judge Declaration) PA must meet or exceed $1.051 million (county infrastructure) IA must have ~800 homes destroyed w/o insurance SBA Loan must have 25 uninsured homes destroyed If possible have insurance including flood insurance even if your not in a flood zone !!!

Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) galvestontxcert.com Help yourself Learn and implement helpful skills first aid, ICS, search and rescue, teamwork Help your family Help your community Help your County Provide various forms of assistance Provides matching funds (volunteer hours help offset matching costs)

Will you be prepared?

Thank you Garret Foskit Galveston County Office of Emergency Management O – 281-309-5002 C – 409 – 682 - 4031 garret.foskit@co.galveston.tx.us “If you don’t like the rumor you hear, start one you like” Garret Foskit Bolivar 2009