Ready Red Hook Day binds community, by Keith Klein

On October 29^th 2012, Superstorm Sandy decimated the neighborhood, with over 6,000 residents losing power for 3 weeks. There was catastrophic flooding everywhere. The financial destruction caused by Sandy has only been surpassed on a per capita basis by that of Hurricane Katrina. While the forces of Mother Nature can’t be controlled, it does not mean people shouldn’t plan for future weather or other disasters.

Environmentalism teaches us to think globally and act locally, bringing individuals together to protect habitats. While often the term of acting locally is aimed at protecting eco-systems and preventing climate change, other grass-roots efforts focus on knitting together communities to come up with a disaster action plan.

In the first hours and days after Hurricane Sandy, the community of Red Hook did come together organically and managed a first response. Everything from medical triage to food distribution was organized by anyone willing and able, until official government response and recovery arrived. The Readiness Plan is based on the experience of community members who were present in Red Hook during and after Superstorm Sandy. In addition to a hurricane emergency, the plan is designed for a wide range of events including winter blizzards, heat waves, power outages, large fires and earthquakes, among others.

Ready Red Hook is the community emergency readiness plan for the 72 hours before and after a major disaster. It takes what was done after Sandy and both formalizes and adds to it. The plan includes a detailed pamphlet which was developed by the community specifically for Red Hook. The purpose is to provide residents a single guide in preparation for the immediate recovery period of future emergencies in the critical time when local or federal government aid has not yet been deployed. This readiness plan is mostly an effort sponsored by the Red Hook Coalition.

On Saturday, September 13, 2014, the Coalition organized a practice event called Ready Red Hook Day. Four stations were designated as gathering areas for people to gather in a disaster event. To guide community members along to the various sites, a “passport” was stamped for each location visited: Food & Shelter, Communications, Health & Medical/Community Response and Utilities/Coordination. A shuttle bus helped people go from one location to another – although many participants simply walked.

Councilman Carlos Menchaca, was at one of the sites the day of the event. While at the Utilities and Coordination site at Ikea, The Councilman stated, “The 72 hours before and after are the most critical moments,”Regarding Red Hook as the geographically isolated but small, friendly area, he said, “This huggable community needs to have a plan.” Although, there was a safety net in place when Sandy struck, Menchaca mentioned “We can do better, and that’s what this day is about”.

Food & Shelter

Food and water will be distributed at the Visitation Church on Richards Street as will coordination for placement of individuals who are unable to return home or need assistance getting to their loved ones. I had the opportunity to speak with Sapni Advani, Coordinator of the Red Hook Coalition, who was assisting at the church. When I posed the question, “Shouldn’t all residents evacuate due to being a Flood Zone 1,”she responded, “due to high density development, it’s not always possible,” hence preparations such as the Food & Shelter station at Visitation Church and all other services are a necessity. In fact, evacuation is voluntary, and prior to Sandy, many chose to stay at home. One reason was that hype that preceeded the not-so-dangerous Hurricane Irene the year before. Another is that nobody really enjoys going to a city shelter. The city did provide for transportation to shelters but many buses left Red Hook nearly empty.

Communications

How and where to get information after a disaster is critical. Assuming there is no electricity or television, The Hub will act as strategically located public data system that will collect and display information based on community needs. The Hub will provide different kinds of information in digital and analog formats and the content will be reviewed by the Red Hook Initiative. At their headquarters on 767 Hicks Street, Tony Schloss was overseeing activities and explaining the plan to community members. Simply put, The Hub is a program that will spread information online and on traditional poster boards. As Director of Communication Initiatives, Schloss is collaborating with other agencies to develop a Wi-Fi network for Red Hook should conventional cable networks not be operable after a disaster. The Red Hook Initiative also pointed out that all communications with be offered in English and Spanish as well as Chinese (Mandarin/Cantonese) where available.  If one has access to Twitter, they should follow or tweet the hashtag #ReadyRedHook to post relevant information.

Health, Medical & Community Response

At the Miccio Center on West 9^th St. were the Health & Medical and Community Response team. This is where triage and the collecting and disseminating of medical supplies would happen. Volunteers from Good Shepherd  distributed search and rescue forms. The “Neighbors Checking Neighbors” program enables anyone who would like to be checked up in the event of a disaster to register their name and address along with any medical issues. Forms will be entered into a database so during the critical time after a storm individuals will be checked on. Forms are available in English and Spanish.

Utilities and Coordination

IKEA serves as the base for all utilities support in the event of a service interruption. This includes help supplying or restoring electricity, water, gas, heating oil and telephone. Whereas the communication site at 767 Hicks will help supply up-to-date information, at IKEA there will be experts who can help identify where services are interrupted and coordinate with service providers to make repairs. Managing Partner of Emergency Management Methodology (EMMP), Noel Kepler, commented “IKEA has agreed to let us use this as headquarters” and while still under development, “Red Hook has developed its own stockpile” referring to items that will be distributed should disaster strike. IKEA will offer charging stations, generators, flash lights, blankets and Meals Ready to Eat (MRE’s). EMMP has been working on the entire disaster plan for the past year.

After Party at PS 15

The after party featured a culmination of the day’s events, complete with a fun BBQ and visit by Congresswoman Nydia Velazquez.  Some of the agencies had additional tabling and further information for the emergency readiness plan. There was even a raffle for those that completed their passport showing proof that all sites were visited. Ready Red Hook is part of a Long Term Community Recovery (LTCR) plan, a work-in-progress and collaborative effort of many volunteers, politicians, companies and non-profit agencies. It was at PS 15, where the Community Emergency Readiness Plan pamphlet draft was handed out. Red Hook Coalition Administrative Assistant, Nahisha McCoy-Freeman mentioned, “We need everyone’s feedback” and asked people to email any follow-ups that can improve the readiness plan and pamphlet to redhookcoalition@gmail.com.

Reflecting on if Red Hook is ready, Congresswoman Velazquez stressed that, “We now have the tools” to make this work and “I’m proud that Red Hook is the first community to develop a recovery and readiness plan.” Councilman Menchaca added, “Now we have a plan and this is a testament to the people of Red Hook”.

One must remember that sites visited on the Ready Red Hook Day were not just places for information on September 13^th, but these will be the actual locations where residents would go in the 72 hours leading up to and after any disaster.

Everyone is encouraged to visit readyredhook.org for further info.

Disaster and Hurricane Preparedness Tips

Be Ready

Some important things to know whether you are in Red Hook or any other part of NYC during a potential disaster include:

Be Informed & Know Your Zone

1. Should the disaster be a hurricane, residents should know which hurricane evacuation zone they live in, as there are different instructions to follow for each zone. Zones range from 1-6 with Red Hook being Zone 1, the most prone to flooding and the first to have mandatory evacuation.

Keep a “Go-Bag Ready”

• Important things to have ready to go include:

1. Copies of important documents in a waterproof container
2. Extra sets of house/car keys
3. Copies of credit/ATM cards and extra cash
4. Bottled water and non-perishable food
5. Flashlight
6. First aid-kit and a supply of all medications

Assemble an Emergency Supply Kit

• An emergency supply kit is different from a “Go-bag”. These are the things you will need if you are not ordered to evacuate and stay home. They include:

1. Larger quantities of food and water (One gallon of water per day per person)
2. Extra batteries for devices like flash lights
3. AM/FM radio

Know Where to Go if ordered to evacuate

• Have a plan on where you are going such as another family members home on higher ground or friends that live in a different evacuation zone should the event be a hurricane.
• Bring your go-bag!

Pets

• If you cannot care for your pet during an emergency, ask friends or relatives living in another area, otherwise pets are accepted at most city evacuation centers. Bring supplies for your pet including leashes, a carrier and food.