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Recently I had the opportunity
to talk with several survivors of the Southern California fire storms.
Although earthquakes in North Dakota and hurricanes in Arizona may
never happen, we can all learn from the experience of fire victims,
because fires can happen anywhere.
Several years ago friends of ours lost
their barn and shop to a fire. This was definitely not as devastating
as losing a house with all of its possessions and memories, but
it was nonetheless a very traumatic experience. They lost all their
tools (he is a wood shop teacher), lots of supplies and materials,
their camping equipment, sports gear, and most of their food storage.
From that experience I learned the importance of having good credit
and a cash reserve. They were told they would need to replace lost
items at their own expense and then submit the receipts to the insurance
company for reimbursement. What a mess!
I really couldn't believe they would
be required to do that. Oh, and of course there was one more condition.
They only had a year from the date of the fire to finish purchasing
their lost tools and equipment. Anything they forgot, could not
be replaced later. Where do you come up with that much cash and
credit to accomplish that in just a year?
Then only a year ago, other friends
lost their home to a simple, but totally devastating fire. They
were almost newlyweds, so everything they started out with is gone.
Fortunately they were gone for the evening so they were protected
from harm, but that also meant they had no chance to save any of
their possessions and family mementos. They are still making inventory
lists to submit. The insurance company will not pay for anything
until the lists are all complete. Again, the restoration of what
was lost is only as good as their records and memory. Forget something
and you are out of luck.
Have an Inventory
The lesson here? Have an up-to-date
household inventory. My friend told me her best piece of advice
is to check your insurance coverage yearly. They had just done that
and because they had done it, they will be able to rebuild and replace.
Had the fire happened prior to updating their policy, they would
be facing a much more difficult time and would probably have to
settle for less of a home than they had previous to the fire. Because
of all the paperwork involved and the other responsibilities of
life, they have still not begun to rebuild.
A fire storm such as that in Southern
California in October 2007 presents one more aspect of emergency
preparedness that an individual house fire does not — evacuation.
When interviewing survivors I learned
a few things about evacuation. You may wish to review the Meridian
Magazine article Prepare
to Evacuate.
Kelli, mother of 2 small children —
San Diego, California — wrote me as follows:
We had a half hour notice to evacuate.
A friend called when he was called by a friend who received a
reverse 9-1-1 call. My initial thought was, this is a drill, we'll
be back tonight, we'll be the only ones on the road. All of these
assumptions were wrong. My husband grabbed the kids and told me
to grab a few things. What did I grab? Makeup! Of course when
he came in and saw me I woke up to the important things. We ended
up taking three days worth of clothes, photo albums, camera, computer,
file documents, journals, scriptures, 72-hour kits, and the kids
each picked one toy. There was no forethought; I just grabbed
what I could, what was visible.
I wish I had taken past journals,
letters from my mission, my wallet, CDs and movies for the long
drive. A drive that would normally have taken an hour took three
times that long. We did not take food, so our 72-hour kits were
used to supply snacks in the car.
I now have a plan, an updated box of important documents is ready
to go in the garage, and we always have at least a half tank of
gas.
The experience affected my children
more than I thought it would. The smoke was very scary for my
son, and he still talks about it. He still pretends to put out
fire in our grass. My daughter still isn't sleeping well. I know
they had feelings of displacement and confusion. We went to Toys
R Us when we were in LA that night. Toys and food are what they
needed.
The first night we just followed
the crowd north and got a hotel in Newport. Then I took the kids
to Arizona so they could run around and feel safe at the grandparents'
house — the next best thing to home. We stayed there for
four days.
We were lucky. When we returned home
there was ash everywhere, trees blown over, smoke-filled air (it
smelled like a cheap motel room). The scariest things were the
military vehicles and soldiers surrounding our neighborhood. But
we did not lose our home.
A Tale of Two Fires
Jacque, an empty nester and new grandmother
of one, wrote of her experience in Southern California:
In October of 2003, we had notice
of about 15 minutes, the sheriff drove through the neighborhood
with a megaphone announcing that people had to evacuate.
In October of 2007 we never received
notice. We were watching TV news coverage all day and as we heard
the progress of the fire coming closer and closer we decided to
leave as we were concerned if evacuation routes would become congested.
We have two ways out and one way was already out of the question
because the fire had already hit.
In October of 2003, I thought "Oh,
no this can't really be happening. What will we do if we return
to nothing?" Feelings of helplessness were there, but we
were fairly confident that we had a plan in place as far as possible.
In October of 2007, I had the same
kinds of feelings and also the feeling of, “Wow, I think
this is something we are going to have to live with if we stay
here,” and the feeling of “Wow, we were okay last
time — will we be so fortunate this time?”
Both times I began loading my car
early. My feeling was if everything is okay and I have to unpack,
that is fine. I took family documents — important papers,
family photos, kids’ art items and cards, mementos, my silverware,
some porcelain ceramic items of personal value, computer, school
yearbooks, family photo albums, dog food for the dog, dogs blankets
and some toys, dog dish.
The first time I forgot extra clothes
and personal care items — toothbrush, make-up, and so on.
The second time I had these items. I also had organized my photos
and family heirlooms so they were easier to grab and load. In
the time between the fires I had begun my genealogy in earnest
so had lots of one-of-a-kind documents to take. I also had acquired
a separate hard drive that had all my work on it so I had to grab
it as well. In the interim between fires I had made a list of
items I wanted to be sure to take if I ever had to evacuate again.
Things I am doing to prepare for
next time include organizing items that are critical to grab and
take with me, taking photos of items for insurance purposes, extra
bedding, and a change of clothing always in my car.
I have pets — a dog and a tortoise.
Part of my plan includes having items they need, like food, blankets,
water. Due to their needs, it makes going to a designated shelter
difficult. Fortunately we always have some cash available for
"emergencies" for a motel. We also feel designated shelters
are more suited for those folks who don't have any extra cash
or income for unexpected shelter costs. In 2003, we evacuated
to a hotel that allowed pets. In 2007, we evacuated to the home
of our son and daughter-in-law.
In 2003 it was very frightening when
we returned. It looked like the end of the world. Everything was
burned on one hillside and we could see where houses once stood.
As we rounded the corner to where our home was we both had a concern
as to what we would find. Fortunately, we experienced great joy
and relief to find our home still there.
We learned that one of our neighbors
had stayed behind and had put flames out on our fence! It still
bears some of the burn marks! The fire came really close, as a
home five houses up was burned. I felt joy and relief that my
home was okay, and sadness and empathy for those folks who returned
to nothing. Weeks later I experienced "survivor’s guilt"
and felt such a feeling of helplessness at the random nature of
the houses that were affected.
In 2007, upon return my feeling was,
did we make it a second time? Thankfully, yes we did. I also took
assistance to those affected far more seriously at Qualcomm Stadium.
I am so very proud of the way our community and town have reached
out to help one another.
Recommendations to others would be
to prepare early. Begin loading your car even if others think
you're crazy. Make a list of what you want to take. Take photos
of important and precious items. Think ahead about what you will
do. Where you will go. Plan for the needs of your children and
pets. Completely fill your cars with gas if you have enough warning,
just in case you are stuck in traffic for hours or gas stations
are closed. Have a box in your car with bedding, change of clothes,
personal car items.
I never thought it would happen to
me and it did, so never assume you can't be affected. I think
if you plan ahead, it doesn't catch you so off guard. Emotions
go crazy when you are in the middle of it and you don't always
think as clearly and rationally as you normally would. Do what
fire officials and law enforcement recommend!
If you are minimally affected, reach
out and offer help and assistance to your neighbors and community.
I have a 72-hour kit. No, I don't
have important papers in it, but that is a good suggestion and
I have now made photocopies and put them in it. I also now have
prepared a kit for my dog.
Taking the Wrong Things
Ruth, a friend of Jacque, wrote about
her experience in 2003:
We had about 15-20 minutes’
notice to evacuate. A police car came on our street with a loudspeaker
and said, "If you can hear my voice, you are in immediate
danger and must evacuate now." We thought it would be just
a temporary evacuation and that the fire department was probably
on their way.
We took our pets, cars, photo albums,
and home videos. We didn't really have a clear plan. I remember
thinking about the kids' photos and vacation videos and telling
my two kids to hurry and get their important things from their
bedrooms. We took very little — our three cars were mostly
empty. We panicked and hurried. I took no clothes.
I wish I had taken clothes, my important
papers and files (passports, birth certificates, living trust,
and so on), all my work-related files and materials, our coin
collections, Disney collections, and the kids’ baby items
that were handmade by my Mom, my wedding dress, my kids' letterman
jackets, and the 25th wedding anniversary gifts from my family.
We now have three evacuation lists,
prioritized by how much time we have to leave. We have all our
important papers in one easy-to-reach place, we don't keep anything
in the attic (which is where all the kids' baby things used to
be kept). Our attic burned first.
We have a dog and two desert tortoises.
A friend took care of our dog for the 13 months while we lived
in an apartment, and my Mom took the tortoises.
I recommend you grab things quickly
as though you are not coming back. Think of items that cannot
be easily purchased again (homemade things, pictures, wedding
items, and other treasures). We didn't take much, because we thought
we'd be back. Don't keep things of value stored in hard-to-reach
places like the attic or garage rafters. Take your computers and
hard drives, as well as your rolodexes (contact lists).
Brian Mainschein and his staff were wonderful. They set up a one-stop
shop at our community center where we could go for all our questions
and problems. It made things much faster and smoother. Our insurance
company was also very easy to deal with. Our builder was very
easy to work with. We only had problems with the phone company
and our homeowners association.
Our insurance company required an
inventory list so that we could be compensated for our internal
contents. The list was challenging because we had lived in our
house for almost 20 years and it was hard to remember everything
we had. It took us about six months to compile this 231-page inventory
list.
Take your video camera and take pictures
of everything inside your house and cupboards before you evacuate.
The insurance company asked for receipts as we purchased items
and paid our builder, but that was no problem. The insurance also
gave us money up front for living expenses and to get us started
in the rebuild. They were very cooperative. We had a new policy
and a good agent.
Now we have lists of what to take
and where everything is that we need to evacuate. We know to move
quickly in our packing and stay calm following the lists we've
made. We used all our lists during these last fires (2007) when
we had to evacuate. We had all night to pack and believe me, we
took everything this time (unlike four years ago in the Cedar
Fire). All of our important documents are in one place and easy
to get to.
Taking Folks In
Sandy has another perspective:
My mom and dad were evacuated and
came to stay at my home. They called at 7pm Sunday to say they
were coming down from Ramona to our house in Carmel Mountain Ranch.
By the time they got through traffic coming out of Ramona, they
arrived at our home three hours later, at 10pm. We had my mom
and dad and two cats. They thought it would be one or two nights,
but because the streets to Ramona were closed they had to stay
five nights, and went home Friday.
I wish I had activities like board
games and things to entertain all of us when we were stuck in
the house together. I also wished I had more comfortable sleeping
arrangements for guests. Having extra food on hand would have
been better, too. We had to go to the store a couple times to
get food, since there were extra mouths to feed that week. Now
we have bought many games to entertain us during the down times.
Remembering Prescription Medications
Fritz wrote:
We evacuated very quickly on the
recommendation of the TV broadcast. We grabbed a few personal
items and our dogs. There was no time to take things like our
pictures. We were not near a hill or brush and didn't think it
could happen here. It normally takes a half hour to get to town
but it took us a half hour just to go a block and a half. Since
the freeway was closed it took four hours instead of the usual
25 minutes to get to an open highway entrance. Gas prices went
from $3.37/gallon to $4.46/gallon — supply and demand. We
met our family six hours later at a restaurant, and they drove
us the rest of the way to their home.
We were only there a short time when
my wife fell. We took her to the hospital and at first they thought
she was okay and they sent us home to our son's. We had forgotten
some of our medications during the evacuation and were forced
to purchase more at the hospital.
A little while later the hospital
called and said they had seen something on the x-ray and we had
to return. She had broken her hip and had to have surgery. She
needed to go to rehab for three weeks and we needed to purchase
more medications, because they would not let her use the ones
from the hospital. After three weeks she was transferred to a
rehab closer to our home and again we needed to purchase new medicines.
If we had had our original prescriptions, the medicines would
have cost $30. Instead we spent $200.
We didn't think we were in danger,
but the fire jumped the freeway. In all, 107 homes around us burned,
but not ours. The fire skipped some homes and in one case the
garage, lawn and boat burned, but not the car.
Robin told me:
I spent time notifying my neighbors
after I was notified by a CERT coordinator. [Robin is a CERT trained
volunteer] I loaded my car with important papers, work papers, computer,
photos and other important items, only to be forced to take some
of them out because I could not fit my dogs in the car. I lost my
home and have been living in a hotel ever since.
Interim Housing
Housing is not always easy to come
by after a disaster and Robin has related her saga to me. Because
she has dogs, renting is especially challenging. She was able to
rent a home and things seemed to be on track until they discovered
a deadly strain of mold in the home. On to home number two, and
if can believe it, another mold problem was discovered just as she
was about to move in. It is now on to house number three, but while
she is waiting she is still living in a motel, four months after
the fire. Can you imagine the challenge?
Robin tells me she doesn't even have
a stapler so when she has paperwork that needs stapling, she has
to go down to the front desk to borrow one. You really can't start
purchasing new items if you don't have a place to keep them, and
a motel room is pretty limited on space.
In Rancho Bernardo, California —
Robin's hometown — there were 365 homes lost. Only seven families
have begun rebuilding, and 31 plans are waiting for approval by
the city. Most homeowners are still in shock and with all this they
are still having to deal with jobs and school and comforting their
children, neighbors and friends. Most people have never built a
home before, and all the decisions are really overwhelming.
Experience with insurance companies
has been everything from smooth to disastrous. One family posted
a large billboard in their yard, professionally done, reading, “Please
help our family. No help from the insurance company.” One
woman had always relied on her husband to know the details of their
insurance coverage. A few weeks after the fire he passed away and
now she is alone to try to figure it all out.
Using the Gift Registries
Because lists detailing losses have
to be so detailed, a clever trend has emerged. Families are now
"registering" at stores just like you would for a wedding.
When they are finished they not only have a list of the items needing
to be replaced but also the cost. I remember registering with my
daughters for their weddings, and it took hours! I can't imagine
how long it would take to record an entire household list of goods.
In the days and weeks immediately following
the fires there was plenty of help available. Community centers
were transformed into help centers for those who had been affected.
When I asked Robin what they needed from those of us wanting to
help immediately after a disaster, she asked that we contribute
to an established relief organization. They made gift cards available
for stores supplying everything from clothing to food. Some groups
have a specific purpose, such as the San Diego Foundation, who help
students with funds for college. Be sure to check around and find
an organization that is well established and meets the need you
feel you would like to support.
Robin said they really appreciated
gently used clothing, towels, toys for children and pets, food and
bottled water. These should be delivered to relief organizations
and/or shelters and not to individual neighborhoods.
Robin's neighbors returned to their
destroyed homes to find someone had dropped off sieves they had
made to help in the process of sifting through the rubble. Another
group brought lawn chairs so people could sit as they sorted. Groups
arrived with food and water and even gift baskets with gloves and
masks. These were the things most needed at the time, and didn't
add to these families' challenge to store or transport well-intentioned
gifts with no immediate purpose.
The Need Goes On
During the month of December churches,
temples and community groups held holiday parties for displaced
families. They handed out gifts and holiday decorations. All of
these things were appreciated gestures. That was then, but challenges
are still great now...
Four months later there is still pain
and grief. There is still a need for survivors to know someone cares
and understands that they are still suffering. I was amazed as I
heard of people making comments like, "Well, lots of us would
love to start over."
There are still many who need support
and a helping hand. There may have been 365 homes destroyed in Rancho
Bernardo, but there were also many in the area that were only partially
destroyed. These families have, in some ways, an even harder road.
They can, in some cases, no longer live in their homes, but it is
a huge fight to get the insurance company to pay enough to begin
rebuilding. I heard one story about a family with a teenage son
who were at a support center. All of the teens were being given
i-Pods, but because this boy's home was not totally destroyed he
was not given one. There is still much to do and much to learn from
these survivors.
The Importance of Preparation
If you are having a hard time getting
your family or spouse to understand why it is important to prepare,
share these stories. It could be you, and it may not require a fire
storm. A house fire can happen to anyone. Our friend whose home
burned in February 2007 had lots of support at the time, but they
are still not back in their home and everyone else has moved on.
After hearing these stories, having
a friend affected by a home fire, and recently a friend who faced
another type of tragedy, we have decided as a family organization
to take on a family service project each year. We know this will
help our grandchildren not only learn compassion and service but
also help them to understand that preparing for life's challenges
and emergencies is an important part of living a self reliant life.
There is still much that can be done to help those struggling to
rebuild their lives — not only in Southern California but
also in the Gulf States and other areas that have experienced disasters.
There is also much to be done in our
own homes to prepare. We can learn from the experience of others
and take emergency preparedness seriously. If you have not already
started a step-by-step agenda toward being prepared, check our Seven
Steps program, which is detailed in the TotallyReady
blog. Start with this week's steps or start at the beginning
and see how quickly we can get prepared by working together.
Note: If you have had experiences evacuating
or providing refuge during a disaster, please share those by emailing
me at: carolyn@TotallyReady.com.
I would also like to thank Jason, a
ham radio operator, who pointed out after my last article that the
Novice license has been discontinued. Since he alerted us, we visited
with some hams in Southern California and found that there is still
a relatively easy path to get licensed by the FCC to operate an
amateur radio station, which is extremely valuable to communities,
stakes, and wards during times of emergency. A good place to check
it out is at ARRL.org. Our 10 year-old grandson is now working toward
getting his license.
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