Ice Storm Revealed Oklahomans Not Prepared

Emergency managers reach out to the "missing link" in disaster preparedness. <br/><br/>23 of Oklahoma's 77 counties are recovering from an ice storm that has so far cost, nearly $40-million. About

Wednesday, January 24th 2007, 10:09 am

By: News On 6

Emergency managers reach out to the "missing link" in disaster preparedness.

23 of Oklahoma's 77 counties are recovering from an ice storm that has so far cost, nearly $40-million. About a-quarter of that money went toward emergency management.

News on 6 anchor Tami Marler explains who was "not" prepared.

As the ice storm began to make its mark, Oklahomans braved freezing rain to stock-up on the essentials. It did get bad, heavy ice knocked out power to about 125,000 people. Many went without light, heat, or water. Public shelters in rural communities filled-up with people, waiting for crews to repair their utilities.

Emergency managers the News on 6 spoke with in the counties we visited said they were shocked at how many people were not prepared for a disaster.

The storm wasn't as bad in Tulsa as it was in other parts of the state, but it could have been. "What saved Tulsa from that storm is it didn't directly hit us." Tulsa Area Emergency Management director Mike McCool says preparing for disasters is what Tulsa area emergency managers do everyday. From healthcare to first-responders to communication to shelters, they were ready to respond. But between his team's preparation and emergency response is a gaping hole.

"The missing link is the citizen at large in any community who is not aware of how to be prepared for a disaster whenever it gets here. Dependence on the emergency response infrastructure to come rescue you is not where you should be," McCool said.

He says take care of yourself and your family, with a ready-made kit of at least three-day's worth of essentials. "A person needs a gallon per person per day of water. You need sufficient food for several days; maybe a week or two."

Throw in a battery or crank-powered radio, a flashlight with fresh batteries, a first aid kit, some gloves and handwarmers. And consider a generator in case you lose power. They're online for a couple-hundred dollars, hardware stores starting at about $400, or plan ahead and find a place that rents them by the day or week.

McCool says disaster "will" strike and there's alot of winter ahead. "They've just, they've got to get it."

Tulsa's Citizen Corps has a more complete list of emergency supplies; you can find more at www.citizenscorpstulsa.org. Experts recommend you pack your kit and don't touch it, except to swap out expired items, until there's a disaster.