Planning Ahead

Storm Plan Phases:

Preparation, Activating plans, and Long Term Recovery.

In order to help prepare for damage that Sandy could cause, the NJ Emergency Management Team opened 5 shelters, housing about 3,000 people.  Additionally, they opened a medical shelter to house those that need around the clock medical care.  This allowed for hospitals to be better prepared to help those injured in the storm.

Sandy did cause 3 fatalities.

Additionally, the Emergency Management Team had 150 trained volunteers to help in rescue missions, in running shelters, etc.

The last major hurricane before Hurricane Irene had not hit NJ since 1894.  So, this is the first time NJ has ever had to enter their Long Term Recovery plans.

This is why volunteers are such an essential part of the recovery process.  Ed Conover, Deputy Coordinator for Emergency Management of Atlantic County, had talked to a homeowner of a house that had recently been worked on by a group of volunteers.  He said this person was the happiest person in Atlantic County that he had seen, and it was all because of the work the volunteers.

Volunteering really shows a community that we care and really helps to boost morale.

All it takes is to ask "How can we help?"









(-Special thanks to Ed Conover for sharing this information with us.  more of what we learned from Ed to come)