Make plans to be safe

Just three months after near-record flooding swamped much of Jackson County, Gov. Mitch Daniels has proclaimed Sept. 7-13 as Indiana Preparedness Week.

State officials are urging residents to take four steps to be prepared in case of an emergency:

Make a plan.

Get a kit.

Be informed.

And get involved.

"Every family needs to know what to do in an emergency, whether it is a terrorist attack, a natural disaster or even a house fire," Joe Wainscott, executive director of Indiana Department of Homeland Security, said. "Sit down with your family today and make a plan. Be sure to include the needs of all family members, including pets."

Recent storm damage across the Hoosier state shows the urgent need for families and communities to make plans before a disaster strikes, Wainscott said.

An emergency plan should include meeting as a family to discuss what to do before and after a disaster, identifying an out-of-state contact and a family meeting location, determining what to do with pets and coming up with an escape route.

Planning an escape route and a meeting point are two things Seymour Fire Department teaches to area third-graders on an annual basis, Battalion Chief Jeff Montgomery said Friday afternoon.

State Health Commissioner Dr. Judy Monroe said "all Hoosiers need to think about what to do if they or their family are involved in an emergency or natural disaster."

It could make the difference between survival and tragedy, she said.

She recommends that Hoosiers develop a disaster kit that should contain at least a three-day supply of the following nine items:

Battery-powered or hand-crank radio.

Bottled water (one gallon per person per day).

Canned and packaged food (enough for each member of the family).

Clothes.

Essential prescription medications.

First aid kit.

Flashlight with extra batteries or a hand-crank flashlight.

uHygiene items, such as toothbrush, soap and toilet paper.

uAnd a manual can opener.

Andy Miller, director of the Indiana Office of Disaster Recovery, said long-term recovery planning is also essential.

"Often the hardest part of an emergency is the process of recovering," Miller said.

That's something local residents affected by the June 8 flooding are still witnessing. Jackson County United Way is acting as a liaison with local residents and groups as recovery efforts continue.

"Taking simple steps like placing copies of home and car titles, loan papers and other important documents in a secure location can help individuals get the help they need and recover from a disaster more quickly," Miller said.

As of Friday, there have been 17,630 storm victims in Indiana who applied for federal assistance through the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Miller says the state is continuing in its efforts to help those affected by the late spring storms to recover, including Project Aftermath.

Project Aftermath, which is provided through the Division of Mental Health and Addiction at the Family and Social Services Administration, provides crisis counseling and emotional support to those who have experienced a loss or trauma as a result of a disaster.

For information or assistance from Project Aftermath, you may visit www.indianaprojectaftermath.org or call (866) 679-4631.

Miller also encouraged Hoosiers to get involved by volunteering to help with the continued storm recovery efforts and by becoming an active participant in their local community preparedness efforts.

United Way Executive Director Ruth Ann Rebber said Friday that anyone interested in long-term recovery efforts may attend one of the steering committee's meetings. The next one is set for 3 p.m. Sept. 18 at the Community Agency Building, 113 N. Chestnut St., Seymour.

Volunteers can help with things such as reconstruction, remodeling and helping people furnish their homes, Rebber said.

The steering committee is also working to develop a long-term disaster recovery program for Jackson County, which must be completed by December 2009 as part of a Lilly Foundation grant that is assisting recovery from June's flooding.

"What we're finding is the local emergency preparedness folks are well-prepared for the emergency and the first two or three weeks, but as a county we don't have a plan in place for long-term recovery," Rebber said.

Working to create such a plan are individuals and groups from across the county, including governmental agencies, law enforcement departments, the faith-based community, nonprofits and other volunteers, as well as state agencies, Rebber said.

If you go

What: Long-term recovery steering committee meeting

When: 3 p.m. Sept. 18

Where:  Community Agency Building, 113 N. Chestnut St., Seymour.

The meeting is open to anyone interested in local long-term recovery efforts.