North County prepares for next emergency one year after massive thunderstorms

By Brian Flinchpaugh, as published in the Northeast County Journal, the Northwest County Journal, the North Side Journal, the North County Journal, the Overland-St. Ann Journal, and the Hazelwood-Bridgeton Journal .

It was an ill wind that blew on July 19, 2006, followed by another two days later.

Two thunderstorms a year ago left nearly 650,000 AmerenUE customers without electricity. Tens of thousands of North County residents were without power, some for as long as nine days.

Was that ill wind also a wind calling for change?

Was it a wake-up call for government, emergency responders, and utility companies to address their disaster planning efforts? Are residents who were in the dark last year taking care of their own emergency preparedness?

As the storms' anniversary approaches, all of these groups seem more aware and focused on emergency preparedness.

But just how well prepared they are may not be known until the next disaster strikes.

The July 19 storm was unpredictable.

After temperatures reached a high of 100 degrees, a cluster of thunderstorms formed across northern Illinois.  The mass began to push southwest toward central Illinois and eastern Missouri.

"It was the wind that came in backwards," said Capt. Robert Young, commander of the St. Louis County Police Office of Emergency Management.

Storms like that don't happen often here. The prevailing winds often are west to east, he said.

Trees have grown to bend with those west winds.  Fifty-to-90-mph straight-line southwest winds and downbursts, however, are rare.  Branches and trees broke under the strain, many of them falling on power lines.

After the July storms, as well as a December 1 ice storm, a public debate ensued over how much AmerenUE was to blame for the extent of damage.

That debate culminated last week with AmerenUE's announcement that it would invest $1 billion to gird up for future storms.

The storms also resulted in a greater awareness among residents to prepare themselves, say emergency responders and North County government officials.

That's supported by an American Red Cross St. Louis Area Chapter opinion poll of more than 400 St. Louis-area residents that Fleishman-Hillard conducted in May.

Nearly half of the respondents - 47 percent - felt they were more prepared for a disaster, compared to 40 percent the year before.

Hurricane Katrina also may have heightened awareness.  Katrina's aftermath brought home graphic television images of what can happen during a disaster.

"People realized that 'it can happen to me,'" said Jessica Willingham, executive officer of marketing and communication for the local Red Cross.  "It changes perspectives."

Willingham said people want more information about how to prepare.

The local Red Cross chapter has been promoting a "Be Red Cross Ready" public awareness campaign that stresses three steps for individuals and families: Create an emergency kit, make a plan and be informed.

But it is still hard to gauge whether residents are making specific preparations for the next disaster situation.

Dave Otto, co-owner of Handyman True Value Hardware stores in Florissant, spent an evening last year loading portable generators in 30 to 35 cars in a dark parking lot after the storms.

Otto said last week that demand has dropped off.

"We'll sell one occasionally," he said.

Even if they don't stock up on supplies, what people went through last summer could help them deal with future emergencies, Otto said.

It's helped him and his staff, he said.  Not that he wants a repeat of last summer.

"Business was good," Otto said, "but it drove us nuts. You work 15 hours, and you can't go home to an air-conditioned house."

Cliff Harlow of Overland spent nine days without power after the July storms. Harlow kept his cool last year with help from a next-door neighbor who had electricity and ran extension cords to power a refrigerator and fan.

Last week, Harlow said he hadn't bought his own generator. He thought about it but reasoned he wouldn't use it that much. And it would be cheaper to throw out spoiled food and buy new food.

Harlow was almost fatalistic about the prospect of another disaster.

"If it's going to happen, it's going to happen," he said.

Fatalism isn't a virtue for emergency responders.

They continue to stress a "72-hour rule." Residents should have a radio and a first-aid kit, and try to have enough nonperishable food, water, flashlights and batteries to survive on their own for at least three days.

Overland Police Chief James Herron said those precautions make more responders and resources available to deal with more immediate, life-threatening situations.

Black Jack Mayor Norm McCourt said people tend to move on after a crisis.

"If you solve the issue at hand, you tend to forget about it until next time it happens," he said.

For McCourt and other government officials, forgetting is not an option.

In Black Jack, the hauling away of downed branches and tree limbs finally ended last month.

Florissant is still trying to figure out what to do with mountains of mulch from ground up limbs. The piles can catch fire as combustible material decomposes.

Reviewing what happened and preparing for the next potential disaster has also begun.

Black Jack, Ferguson, Overland, Florissant, and other cities are installing portable generators to provide power to city facilities.

The Metro North Fire Protection District, which covers Dellwood, parts of Moline Acres and unincorporated St. Louis County, is putting a larger generator in its new firehouse.

Florissant Mayor Robert Lowery said his city plans to have generators for the city hall and its two community centers.

More than 400 residents used the John F. Kennedy Center as a shelter in July.

Lowery said the city would continue to work with the Salvation Army, which provided food and other supplies promptly. Herron said Overland officials are storing more food. Young said 10,000 cots are now available.

The Red Cross now has 600 shelter locations and more volunteers, Willingham said.

Some holes remain in the planning process.

Dellwood City Administrator Tom Zak said his city and others are still trying to find out where residents on ventilators and other lifesaving equipment live.

"These are people most vulnerable in the event of a power outage," he said.

SIDEBAR:

The St. Louis Chapter of the American Red Cross recently polled about 400 area residents about disaster preparedness.

• 47% felt they were more prepared for a disaster, up from 40 percent in 2006
• 25% said having emergency supply kit is part of preparing, up from 13 percent
• 20% said they should have food on hand, up from 12 percent
• 18% said they should have water on hand, up from 10 percent