Hurricane preparedness is expensive. Emergency managers and community leaders are looking for a solution.
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Peaton wants people to focus on what he calls “common sense prep,” which are simple, low-cost alternatives to the typical bulk purchase of hurricane supplies before a storm hits. For example, instead of buying bottled water, he suggests saving soda and juice bottles, filling them up with tap water and storing them well before the threat of a storm arrives. He also advocates for rotating extra food in and out of your pantry. Instead of spending a large amount of money to buy a seven-day supply of food you may or may not touch this year, he said to buy a little extra with each grocery trip, use it, and then replenish it over time. Peaton also said that keeping your yard free of debris and other large objects that can come loose is a zero-cost way of reducing the chance of damage to your home during a storm.
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“The family who cannot afford to leave has a longer haul to get to where they were before the storm,” but Safley wants Floridians to know, they are not alone. “There will be food; You should do a lot to prepare, but if you find yourself in need, we will be there on the other side of the storm.” Though large organizations like Feeding Florida can effectively serve a huge amount of people after a hurricane, smaller-scale operations practicing community-based hurricane preparedness can make a significant impact, too.
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The CEOC is a model of community-based hurricane response. Gunder has taken the model and trained other organizers on how to become first-responders in a storm event. For example, Gunder uses “wellness checks” in a natural disaster, in which organizers call local residents and ask for what supplies they need, and then contact the organizations on the ground to deliver those supplies.
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A combination of government and grassroots aid may be the answer to that gap in hurricane preparedness. Nkosi Muse is a third-year Ph.D. student at the University of Miami studying climate hazards, especially for vulnerable communities. He also sits on the Climate Resilience Committee for the City of Miami. He says community-based action such as sharing supplies, information, and hurricane education can make a more immediate impact than something on the municipal level.
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