Living two time zones away while hunkering through an arctic blast, it’s hard to truly comprehend the wildfires engulfing parts of urban Los Angeles. As of Thursday afternoon, there were four different wildfires burning uncontrolled in and around the massive city. The fires are consuming not just trees and brush, but suburban subdivisions, shopping centers, cars, condos and apartment buildings, iconic landmarks, highways, gas stations, and grocery stores.
Our hearts go out to this marvelous city, especially to those displaced and the emergency responders risking their lives to contain the fires. As an agency of planers, our minds go to defining what this disaster truly represents in terms of emergency management, regional collaboration, and infrastructure resiliency amid increasingly harsh weather patterns across the globe. What is happening in L.A. is, indeed, a weather-driven catastrophic event caused by the atmospheric phenomenon known as the Santa Ana Winds, which this year are extremely severe. Seventy mile-an-hour gusts coupled with a lack of rain and increased vegetation fueled the fires and continue to spread embers like unwanted glitter in a mixing bowl. Days before the fires broke out, meteorologists and emergency preparedness officials were predicting a disaster and already sharing alarms with the public. There will be much to figure out after the crisis subsides, but there are a few things that we, in St. Louis, can extrapolate from this situation to better plan and prepare for potential disasters.
- Wildfires are just one of several natural disasters that require advance planning in emergency response. So, even if a massive city fire is not as likely in our region, we must continually prepare amid the risk of other potential disasters, including major storm and river flooding, tornadoes, drastic temperature shifts, and earthquakes. It is clear the frequency of severe weather events is increasing across the United States, so preparation and planning is critical to protect our region.
- St. Louis has a regional response network called STARRS, the St. Louis Area Regional Response System. Based out of East-West Gateway, STARRS is a collaborative consortium of public and private organizations addressing critical security and emergency management needs in the St. Louis region. Work includes advanced planning to coordinate a regional response to possible disasters among police, ambulance, fire, EMTs, and military units across the region; sharing resources; collective purchasing; and grant procurement. This past year, EWG and STARRS organized a regional emergency response earthquake drill at Busch Stadium and other areas in partnership with the U.S. Army National Guard.
- Changing and more severe weather patterns are top of mind federally and locally when it comes to disaster response, infrastructure strength, and sustainability. This week, officials in St. Clair County learned they would receive $89.5 million in funding from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to help in its recovery from devastating July 16 flooding in the aftermath of 8 inches of rainfall in one day. In the transportation and community planning fields, the term “resilience” means the ability to predict, respond to, and rebound from major disasters, particularly weather-related events. East-West Gateway, as well as other jurisdictions are putting together Hazard Mitigation Plans that not only anticipate areas that are particularly vulnerable to natural disasters, but identify potential ways to mitigate damage to agriculture, commerce, personal property, and infrastructure, such as what was experienced in St. Clair County this past summer. This month, EWG is working with Missouri school districts, emergency management jurisdictions, and local governments to ensure they submit information that will qualify them to apply for millions of dollars in grants to help them strengthen their infrastructure and build resilience.
- Infrastructure such as highways, bridges, rail tracks, and ports, are vulnerable to increased wear and damage from severe weather events. Federal and state transit agencies are requiring increased study and remediation efforts that can better withstand natural disasters.
- It is important to have an emergency plan and a “go bag” in your household. The first step is to know where to go for information in your town or neighborhood when an emergency strikes. Research your local and county regional emergency response organizations. Bookmark their websites and social media to get the most accurate and up-to-date information. Families should plan on how to contact one another during an emergency and have alternative locations to meet up in case they cannot meet at home. Here are some important things to have in your “go bag” (a backpack or backpack on wheels will do) to help you survive in the crucial 36 hours after being displaced from your home:
- License, insurance cards, prescription cards, passports, and other key documents in a waterproof bag.
- Cash for gas, food, lodgings
- Protein bars and other snacks and light food to eat on the go
- Water
- Prescription medicine
- Basic first aid kit: bandages, over the counter pain medication, antiseptic, etc.
- Sanitary wipes
- Basic hygiene essentials
- Lighter
- Flashlight
- Batteries
- Cell phone cords and chargers and extra cell phone portable batteries
- Pet medication, leashes, and proof of vaccinations
- Portable radio
- Extra socks, gloves, layers, rain gear