Some folks were out of power for a few days and some were out of power from several days to a couple of weeks. The County radio system repeaters lasted for only a few hours on battery backup power and then went dead. The phones were out, the cell phones were out, and most of the rural water systems were out. Mena had water due to some forsight and planning. Gas stations had no way to pump fuel for the first few hours or days depending on which ones had generators and waiting lines at those were very long. In short most of us just weren't ready a natural disaster of that magnitude however if we learn from our mistakes we can be ready for the next one----and there will be a next one. It may not be as bad or it may be worse but it will come.
Here are some things you can do to get you and your family ready for the"next one".
Think about these things. What do I need to survive? Food, water, heat, light. You do not need TV, Internet, phones, or radio, but they are nice when you can get them to work.
Ok one at a time.
Water. Always have plenty of bottled water ready. Keep it rotated and fresh and have enough for several days. Remember--drinking--cooking--bathing--in that order. Sorry, it's better to stink than starve.
Food. Canned food that doesn't have to be refrigerated is a good choice. Food that needs a minimum of cooking is good too if you are concerned about conserving fuel for heating your home.
Heat. Central heat does not work without electricity. The fan has to run and in some cases the thermostat will not work either. You need back up heat if you have central heat, electric heat or electric dependant heat of any type. Be careful with this one. Space heaters, kerosene heaters, and other types of auxiliary heat can be dangerous. Not only do they pose a risk of fire but also a very real risk of illness or death from toxic gasses. They are usually not vented and are designed to work in well ventilated areas. Use them as they were intended and again be very careful.
Light. Always have flashlights and lots of batteries handy. Those florescent lights work really well, give off plenty of light, and the batteries last longer in them in most cases than in other types of lights. Candles and lanterns work well to but be careful with them because they pose a fire danger. Remember the phones might be out and calling the fire department by yelling "HELP" isn't very effective. Never leave candles, lanterns, or lamps burning unattended!
More stuff.
A generator is always a good idea if you can afford one---remember to have plenty of fresh fuel for it though and always store it in a safe well ventilated place. Never store gasoline or kerosene in the house! Oh! and if you use a generator for your house make sure it isn't putting electricity back into the power lines that come in to your house. You could charge them and kill or injure someone who is trying to fix them. The power company can tell you how to hook generators up safely. Check your home's requirements and don't overload the generator. Usually the essentials are about all you will want to run but you may want to watch TV, it's your fuel and generator. You will have to use your own judgment on what you want to power up but remember that power from a generator will kill just the same as power from your regular outlet. Again Be careful.
Games. Yep games! It gives you something to do and after about the first day that will become very important. Cards, dominoes, and board games are all good choices. Read a book!
Radio and batteries. Always have a radio and extra batteries handy for weather, news, and safety information-------oh yea, music too. That is if the radio station is on the air. Mena wasn't last time but DeQueen was. It's strange but when the power is off you can pick up a lot of distant stations that don't work when it's on. Electrical interference I suspect is the culprit. A battery powered scanner is nice too but remember that it is violation of the law to act directly on information you hear on a scanner unless you are called to do so. In other words you aren't supposed to drive down to the highway to see how bad the wreck is just because you heard it on the scanner! They can be entertaining though when there is nothing else to do and you can pick up road and weather conditions and use that information to decide whether or not it's worth going to the store or not.
Ok here is one that's going to be hard. Stay home. Unless you have to go somewhere or are part of the emergency, relief, or cleanup crews stay home. The road conditions may be bad, fuel may be in short supply, and you may get in the way of emergency workers. If you do not have to be on the road then just stay home. Driving on slippery or otherwise hazardous roads just to site see could make you part of the problem and the emergency services will most likely already be over taxed. If you feel the need to help contact the Emergency Managment Office at the Polk County Courthouse and offer your services, ahead of time if possible. They have a resource list and the best way to help in an emergency is to be on that list. The OEM and the Sheriff's Office are usually flooded with calls when something happens from folks wanting to help and in most cases it isn't a problem but during large scale disasters it can overload the communications network and cause confusion. It is much better if they know ahead of time who to call on in what areas so they can effectivly coordinate rescue and relief efforts. If you want to help call and volunteer today, don't wait for something to happen. With that said, we aren't telling you not to help your neighbor, by all means do so. Check on the elderly or sick and those with special needs. Share food, water and fellowship. Help each other with heat, fuel, supplies, and whatever else you can. That is the way we get through these things, by helping each other and being neighborly, but if there are police, firefighters, or professional rescue, relief, or disaster workers working on specific tasks stay out of their way and let them do their job. Don't be upset if you are asked to move along or are not allowed into a certain area. These things are done for your own safety as well as the safety of the emergency workers. And last but not least, if you see a way you can truly help, find the person who is in charge, volunteer and don't be surprised if you get put to work.
Well, I hope this information will help you prepare for the next disaster. We all hope it never comes but chances are that it will. The best thing is to just be ready when it does. There are a lot of things that aren't on this list but you can make your own list and be as prepared as you want to be. Remember, Water--Food--Heat--Light--Shelter--Extra batteries--Fuel--and whatever else you need. Make a list, keep it updated, keep your supplies fresh, be extremly careful, and don't panic. More information on disaster preparedness is available at the OEM Office or at the ready.gov web site at http://www.ready.gov/