When you hear the phrase ‘hurricane preparation’, how do you react?
Do you think of a box of supplies gathering dust in the back of your closet? Or does your mind jump with dread to the inevitable search for batteries when the power goes out? Or do you yawn and turn the page, sick of reading the same old advice yet again?
Or does your mind start racing, wondering how you will get by on your own once more?
How we react to news of an oncoming storm can depend very much on our personal circumstances. It’s one thing to know that, whatever happens, you and your family will be safely sheltering together. It’s another matter entirely if you are a senior living alone, a stressed-out single parent, someone managing a chronic illness that depends on constant access to oxygen, or a person already struggling with housing insecurity long before the first hurricane warning is issued.
“In a small community like Bermuda, many people are reluctant to ask for help, and storm season can be particularly challenging for those in our community who don’t have a strong support network,” said Red Cross disaster manager Diane Gordon.
“I can’t stress enough the importance of making a personal emergency plan for yourself and your family that details who will be responsible for each task and then sharing that plan, complete with all necessary contact information, with everyone in your circle.”
Ms Gordon said it’s critical to identify who will be responsible for your pets, who will be checking on your elderly relatives, and what children should do in any sort of emergency.
“It is also important to take stock of your hurricane supplies to see what needs to be replenished, or replaced, and to make sure that you have an adequate supply of necessary prescription drugs on hand,” she added.
CedarBridge Academy shelter
Whether you are elderly, medically vulnerable, homeless, pregnant or simply anxious about facing a storm alone, the hurricane shelter at CedarBridge Academy, staffed by Bermuda’s emergency support organisations, stands ready to provide help and reassurance whenever hurricane conditions threaten the island.
“In a severe weather situation, people tend to focus only on, or reach out only to, people or services they are already familiar with,” Ms Gordon said.
“But there is a lot more help available than they realise. The Salvation Army, for example, can pick people up who are alone or stranded without transportation.”
She advised setting your radio to 100.1 FM and listening for updates from the Bermuda Government
“The time to decide to go to the shelter is not in the middle of the storm,” she said.
“You really need to start heading there as soon as it has been announced that it is open.
The shelter is manned by representatives from the Department of Child and Family Services, the Salvation Army, the Department of Health, King Edward VII Memorial Hospital and St John Ambulance.
Ms Gordon added: “As soon as it is announced that the shelter has been opened, people are welcome to start showing up.
“There are a lot of services available at the shelter, including oxygen tanks, diabetic and medical assistance, showers, cots and extra clothing, and there’s even a family room.”
Emergency contacts
Child and Family Services: 296-7575
Red Cross disaster manager: 236-8253
Salvation Army: 292-0601
Emergency Broadcast Radio: 100.1 FM
