Expert tells I.P. residents importance of readying for hurricane

Oceanside/Island Park Herald
By ALEX COSTELLO August 21, 2008

The potential for a major local disaster would be very real if a Category 3 hurricane were to come ashore, an expert on hurricane preparedness told Island Park residents at a meeting last week.

Residents attended an Island Park Civic Association meeting at the public library on Aug. 12, at which Rob Dexter, an emergency management consultant in the village and 25-year member of the Island Park Fire Department, outlined what people should do in the event of an emergency such as a hurricane. According to Dexter, if a Category 3 hurricane were to hit Long Island, everything from Long Beach north to Sunrise Highway would be underwater.
“There’s nothing to come back to here,” Dexter said. “I’m not trying to be obnoxious, I’m not trying to use scare tactics – I’m being a realist.”
Dexter’s presentation highlighted what people need to know in order to be adequately prepared for an emergency. The most important thing residents can do, he said, is plan for an emergency now. “The time to prepare is right now,” Dexter said. “It’s not when you hear the storm is coming, it’s not when the storm is banging on your door, it’s not when the water is rising in your house. Because at that point in time, you have so much going on that you can’t think straight.”
Dexter emphasized that people should plan not only for a huge disaster, but for a small emergency as well. If caught in a small flood surge, it might make more sense for residents to evacuate their homes and head for the middle of town, instead of moving north to the middle of the county, as they would to get out of the way of a major hurricane.
Those who are forced to evacuate their homes, Dexter said, should be sure to turn off their gas and electricity before leaving. “Because if you leave them operating and something does happens, it’ll make it that much worse to get the systems up and running again,” he explained. “Also, if you shut the gas lines down, [there's] less chance of a fire happening.”
Dexter encouraged residents to learn basic first aid, so they can deal with problems as they arise and not have to count on emergency workers, who may or may not be able to get to the area. First aid courses are available in many places, and the American Red Cross gives them frequently. “Take these courses,” Dexter said. “It is worth the few hours of your time to save a loved one’s life.”
Dexter also advised residents to keep cash handy and gas in the car, since neither ATMs nor gas pumps will operate in a blackout.
Perhaps Dexter’s most important point was that every family should have a “go bag” containing emergency supplies in case of an evacuation, including flashlights and batteries, a radio, blankets, rubber gloves, surgical masks (for protection from airborne pollutants), any needed medications as well as regular over-the-counter drugs, copies of all important documents (house deed, insurance, passports or other personal identification) sealed inside waterproof containers, matches, whistles, flares, a compass, maps of the area, canned food that doesn’t need to be cooked and water.
“Each person in the family needs at least a gallon of water per day,” Dexter said. “If you must ration something, ration food, not water. Make sure everyone gets their take of water.”
The most common mistake many people make, according to Dexter, is thinking that they can just ride the storm out and, if things get really bad, they can call the fire department to rescue them. That thinking is potentially lethal, he said. “There will come a point in time, if the winds reach 50 miles per hour, the fire department will pull all of its trucks,” Dexter said. “We have an evacuation plan of our own where we take all of our apparatuses to Uniondale, and that’s where we’ll be. So we’re not going to be here when you dial 911. We’re not coming.
“The local government told you to leave, and you didn’t leave – shame on you, you’re on your own,” he added.
The best thing for people to do is to make a plan early and stick to it, Dexter said. Tell someone where you’ll be going, and try to stay in contact with that person.
Patti Ambrosia, president of the Island Park Civic Association, applauded the presentation. “I think living over here on the water, we need to know that kind of stuff,” she said. ” … I learned to always have a half a tank of gas and to make sure you always have a place to go.”
Island Park Mayor Jim Ruzicka, who was also in attendance, reminded citizens that the village would use its new emergency notification system to let residents know if they should evacuate. Those who live in the unincorporated areas of Harbor Isle or Barnum Island would be notified by the Town of Hempstead. In case of an evacuation, Ruzicka said, citizens should listen to their radios to know when it is safe to return.

©Herald Community 2008