Being an advocate for emergency preparedness, fire protection, and living life safely is a role that I take very seriously. It probably started shortly after I graduated from high school, as I became a volunteer fireman in my hometown. During a railroad career spanning 23 years, I witnessed many serious derailments and crossing accidents, and natural disasters of all types.

Inevitably, it seems that people are never prepared for the different types of emergencies that seem to enter our lives so often. I was reminded of this during a major snow and ice storm that hit the Pacific Northwest in mid-January. We all knew it was coming, as the forecasting models promised that the warm rains would override cold air streaming down from the north and would result in unspecified amounts of snow, wind and potential icing.

This was not the first time that snow has been predicted here, as heavy snows usually occur three or four times a decade in this area. Unlike the Midwest and Northeast states that see heavy snow every year, Washington State and its numerous cities on the western side of the Cascade Mountains have very few snowplows or sanding trucks. We do have steep hills that make many streets and highways impassable whenever they become covered with snow or ice.

Despite the warnings, many people were completely unprepared when this year’s series of storms arrived as predicted. There was the usual rush at the grocery stores and hardware outlets as people stocked up on snow shovels, salt, sand, water and last-minute grocery items. Because we have so much rain in this area, most people felt that whatever snow might arrive would be short-lived. Unfortunately, that was not the case this time.

Those of us who are disabled face greater challenges when it comes to being prepared for and remaining safe during the type of weather disasters that occurred here. We need to take special heed of the warnings and inventory our supplies to make sure that we will not be caught short if the situation extends several days or even weeks, as has happened in the past.

Like all good advocates for emergency preparedness, I keep a good supply of water, food and other emergency supplies in the house at all times. This year I went a step further and purchased an emergency generator that would be able to power up my refrigerator/freezer,furnace blower, microwave and television set if the power went out. With any amount of wind, ice and snow, power outages are a sure thing in this area since we are the Evergreen State and surrounded by huge trees in all directions. When their limbs become heavy with snow and ice, these trees lose those limbs or topple over; they block roads, pull down power lines and become a danger to anything beneath them.

My wheelchair van has basic emergency supplies stowed in the back, just in case I should ever be trapped somewhere by ice and snow. Tire chains, portable ramps, a snow shovel, first aid supplies, granola bars and a blanket can come in handy when stranded by any type of storm. As long as my attendants can reach my house to get me up in the morning and put me to bed at night, I am prepared for just about anything. Fortunately my primary attendant has a vehicle with four-wheel drive and tire chains, so I was covered in that area. That turned out to be a good thing, as I was unable to get out of my house, or out of my driveway, for eight days due to the snow and ice.

People in the Pacific Northwest stay glued to their television sets watching round-the-clock coverage of major snow or windstorms much as the people of southern California are transfixed by frequent police chases on Los Angeles freeways. Our local news media dress up in color-coordinated storm jackets and supersede all national programming with their constant updates on traffic conditions, weather radar, flight cancellations and stories about tragedies that have struck individuals or whole communities.



(Photo credit: Spokane's KHQ-TV)

The news stories pointed out the risks to people with disabilities by actually showing a home that was hit by a fallen tree and that was occupied by someone who was quadriplegic. Fortunately no one in the home was injured when the tree blew over. Another news story covered a family that was walking over a mile with gas cans to fuel the generator that was powering the ventilator that was keeping their father with ALS alive. The snow, ice and trees laying across the roads had made them impassable, and made it impossible to get him transported to a nearby hospital or other facility with a reliable power supply. In some communities, power outages made it impossible to pump gasoline, so those who were unprepared faced the prospect of their generators being unable to provide emergency power.

This was, of course, a disaster that impacted everyone--not just people with disabilities. Despite the forewarning, numerous accidents and clogged roadways were caused by people trying to drive without tire chains or four-wheel drive. A few people who left their stranded vehicles to walk for help were struck by other cars, with disastrous results. Side or residential streets were not plowed until days after the initial storm, and at one time about 350,000 homes were without power. For some people, those power outages lasted almost two weeks. In at least one instance, someone ignored the broadcast warnings and brought a barbecue into the house to warm their family. Fortunately those family members ended up hospitalized, but alive.

Don’t get me wrong. This was not a disaster on the scale of Hurricane Katrina, or even the flurry of tornadoes that ravaged the southern United States last year. Most of the residents of the Pacific Northwest made it out alive, and with a few exceptions our property will be restored to its original condition by next summer. Hopefully those who were unprepared have learned a few lessons from this relatively minor brush with disaster.

This storm had its positive aspects too. There were literally hundreds of people who took in friends and distant family members whose homes were without power or heat. Neighbors who don’t speak throughout the year checked up on or delivered food to those nearby who were elderly or unable to leave their homes for other reasons. Bands of young people armed with snow shovels wandered the sidewalks looking for opportunities to help people who had not been able to shovel their own walkways and driveways. Those who helped others despite their own challenges epitomize the spirit of preparedness, as few of us are able to survive real emergencies without some help from others.

The rains have now washed away the snow, but we should not forget the lessons learned during this snowy January.
Are you and those you love and care for, whether relatives or not, fully prepared for whatever new challenges this year might bring? If not, perhaps you should get prepared so you won’t become a victim when the next disaster strikes—as it surely will.

© 2012 Michael Collins