Preparedness Are you ready?

Our Family in July, 2005 Hurricane Katrina – August 29, 2005

Be Prepared Personal & Family Professional & Corporate Ward & Stake

Personal Preparation First evacuated in July 2002 to Mississippi Kept flood insurance on the home Identified key documents (home deed, passports, etc.) and centralized Cut boards for windows Built up our food and water storage Paid our tithing

Professional Preparation Company had a corporate disaster recovery team with executive participation Updated hotsite and coldsite recovery plans every year Emergency plan in place with clear lines of authority, contact information and responsibilities for each leader

Ward Preparation Ward Emergency Plan –Assignment and reporting directions –Evacuation locations –Families most at Risk Home Teaching assignments –All families assigned to a priesthood quorum for shepherding– High Priests or Elders Gathering of contingency information –Contact info: address, cell phone –Likely evacuation destination Know Your Sheep

Evacuation Saturday, August 27 – Got call at 11:00 AM Packed bags, documents, food for car Put upstairs: computers, photos, treasures Cleared lawn of loose toys/furniture Put Cabrio in the garage Boarded windows Saturday, August 27 – Left at 8:00 PM

Arrived in San Antonio Sunday at 8:00 AM 8:30 AM Monday, August 29, Katrina impacts New Orleans area Our house in St. Bernard Parish floods around 9:30 AM Came to my parents house in Utah the day after Memorial Day, enrolled kids in school Got job in Logan and moved to Cliffside 2 nd Ward in November 2005

Katrina Aftermath Thousands left homeless Major traffic arterial crippled (I-10 East Bridge) No cell phone connectivity Every home in the ward underwater Family trapped in the Chalmette ward building Sister left in the building alone for 12 days

June or July, 2005

November, 2005

Nov Water line picture

Nov Clock stopped at 9:38 (AM) *Note how high on the wall the clock is

Front Room Before Storm

Front Room After Storm

Garage after storm

St. Bernard Parish Recovery Timeline No one was allowed into the parish for about 1 month. No one was allowed to stay overnight in the parish for about 2 ½ months. Water and sewer service didn’t return until the middle of November (over 2 months) Electric and Gas service was even slower. About 5-6 months?

Steps We Took Secured physical safety of our family Gathered information about scope of disaster and decided on a family plan Moved to Utah and found new schools, doctors, lessons, etc. Filed claims with insurance, researched and applied for available aid Closed accounts in New Orleans and paid final bills

Worked Well - Personal We Listened to our local leaders, both religious and civic! –Found out ward and community disaster plans –Followed local recommendations for preparation –Paid attention to the news. Had insurance/documentation in place Prior experience evacuating –We knew what to take/protect and where it was. –We had boards cut and ready to put over windows. –We knew how to secure house and what to leave on/off (but it didn’t really matter)

Worked Well - Professional Company up and servicing accounts within 48 hours Organized ramp-up at the hot-site in Dallas Weekly all-employee call hosted by CEO addressing plans and needs Transitioned back to New Orleans in November

Worked Well - Ward Emergency Plan Rides for members wanting to leave communication Ham radio setup Bishop’s storehouse had food, water, blankets, etc. and began handing out to all affected community members Regular calls with Stake Leadership

Challenges - Personal Newborn Jason was not thriving after the storm. Needed doctor’s help. Julia frightened of natural disasters. Took over a year to dissipate. Mike commuted to Dallas, TX for 2 weeks at a time then had a weekend home

Challenges - Professional Coordinating back-to-work schedule for 600 employees Employee attrition to Dallas-based businesses Temporary housing for 600 employees Integrated work with home-based and alternative work location employees

Challenges - Ward Members spread from coast to coast (Maryland to California) No cell phone service for 2 weeks Family sheltered in the church Rescue of the sister from the church

“Too often we bask in our comfortable complacency and rationalize that the ravages of war, economic disaster, famine, and earth quake cannot happen here. Those who believe this are either not acquainted with the revelations of the Lord, or they do not believe them. Those who smugly think these calamities will not happen, that they will somehow be set aside because of the righteousness of the Saints, are deceived and will rue the day they harbored such a delusion.” (October Conference, 1980 Ensign, Nov 1980:32-33)

Preparedness is almost as much a frame of mind as it is physical exertion. If we think ahead as we live our lives we will be more likely to have the skills to survive, even if our physical preparations fall short. Do something, even if it’s small! Learnings

“Organize yourselves; prepare every needful thing; and establish a house … of God.” - D&C 88:119

“If ye are prepared ye shall not fear.” - D&C 38:30