Hurricane Sandy – Dealing with the Unimaginable
by Amy Fernandez
By now, you’ve probably heard more than enough about Superstorm Sandy. Even so, it’s hard to envision the surrealism of Monday, October 29. This incident might bring this disaster into focus. At the height of the storm, a little bar in Mill Basin, Brooklyn was ripped from its foundation, taken for a 30 mph Wizard of Oz voyage across the Belt Parkway to residential Madoc Avenue in Gerritsen Beach three miles away.
A night that gave us a decimated transit system, power outages to six million homes and businesses, and a 50-ton crane dangling 90 stories over 57th street, also gave us an instant zoning violation! Okay, that wasn’t so remarkable considering that we also got an oil tanker in the middle of Staten Island and a freight train on the NJ Turnpike. The amazing part is that this little watering hole arrived in perfect condition complete with a fully stocked bar and liquor license intact. The sudden appearance of a local tavern was not the biggest shocker in Gerritson Beach, which was transformed into a warzone overnight.
However, the resourcefulness of its residents foreshadowed New York’s response to a situation that rewrote the rules of disaster management. Rechristened Sandy’s Bar, by Tuesday it had become a haven of respite for stunned, displaced residents. It remained open for business until Saturday when police arrived to close it down.
There was no guidebook to prepare for Hurricane Sandy. If anything, it highlighted shortcomings of conventional emergency planning. The NYC Office of Emergency Management has the Animal Planning Task Force in place to coordinate pet safety during emergencies. Many of their recommendations proved inadequate. For instance, no one needed ongoing reminders to include their pets in emergency plans. About 325,000 residents were warned to get out by Sunday morning. They could bring pets to evacuation shelters or temporarily board them with volunteer groups outside flood zones in New York and New Jersey.
Unfortunately, many areas outside the flood zones also succumbed to this enormous, unpredictable storm. When Sandy made landfall in Atlantic City early casualties included the municipal shelters’ housing evacuees. Likewise, no one was prepared for secondary flooding from broken levees and massive fires from downed power lines and broken gas mains. Countless terrified residents got out without coats or shoes, often clutching a pet in their arms.
At first, the biggest pet-related problem was panicked runaways slipping collars, jumping fences, and escaping from damaged homes or temporary shelters. Which leads me to the next bit of shopworn advice. “If your pet is lost in a disaster, the first point of contact should be your local shelter.” As power and phone service evaporated, this possibility became increasingly unrealistic. The city implemented a 24-hour hotline to report pets trapped in evacuation zones. But that wasn’t a very common scenario. In Midland Beach, Staten Island, one of the hardest hit neighborhoods, several residents refused to leave without their pets. After the 12 foot storm surge left many of them perched on roofs, firefighters arrived in rowboats. When they were told to leave their dog, one stranded family sent their children with rescuers and spent the night on the roof with the dog. Everyone survived.
In the Rockaways, an ancient Labrador, ironically named Sandy, bolted during the brunt of the storm. Discovered later that night huddled in a hospital lobby, police dropped him at Animal Care and Control where he sat for two weeks. His microchip provided ID, but the Rockaways were toast and Sandy’s owners had no way to search for him. Finally, a frustrated volunteer packed him in her car and drove out there to find them. And yes, they were reunited.
Most pets lost during Sandy had chips or tags – another recommended emergency precaution. But this was no guarantee of a quick reunion. Many people didn’t even receive notification before their homes were condemned and bulldozed. Even if they were notified, owners often had no means of retrieving pets without mass transit, cars, gas, or access to many roads. Facebook, Twitter, and Craigslist became the go-to resource to devise solutions. Within hours of the storm, Twitter #sandypets and Facebook Hurricane Sandy Lost and Found Pets were launched. After the storm, they were used to coordinate rescues and organize relief efforts. Unfortunately, social media also became a platform for sideline judgment calls criticizing owners who were unprepared or separated from their pets.
Obviously, no one chose to give up their pets. But some situations force these hard decisions. The Sean Casey Animal Rescue in Windsor Terrace, Brooklyn was one of the few places with resources to care for exotics. After the storm they had 50 temporary boarders and anticipated at least 30 more from neighborhoods like Breezy Point and the Rockaways. Through social media, places like this got food, volunteers, and supplies to keep going.
Another standard piece of disaster advice is to ensure that homes are safe and secure before returning with pets. Thousands of people went back to homes partially underwater, without power, frequently with major structural damage. These were the lucky ones who could return. When the extent of the damage became clear, many temporary shelters requested volunteers and supplies to continue providing free board for hundreds of temporarily displaced animals while their owners regrouped.
Hurricane Sandy revised protocol for emergency preparation and response. Networking and coordination became the crucial factors. It’s estimated that 2000 people perished after Hurricane Katrina because no one found them for days. We learned a lot from that, but connectivity and communication remained major challenges, and small, simple low-tech solutions were most effective.
Newspaper sales skyrocketed. Without power, and cut off from the outside world, this became the only information resource for many people. Those with power relied on social media for updates via phones and laptops. Many animal shelters had constant supervision because it was impossible to get out – or return if you did. Atlantic City was devastated, but Facebook and Twitter let everyone know that the Atlantic County Humane Society had staff onsite and the animals were safe despite major damage. Nearby, the Humane Society of Ocean City suffered only minor damage. Their animals were fine, but they were rapidly running out of food and cleaning supplies.
Spontaneous collaborations of volunteers spearheaded the first wave of rescue. They pinpointed devastated neighborhoods, got in with supplies, and acted much faster and more efficiently than major charities and government organizations. More importantly, they modified their objectives in response to the changing dynamics of the situation.
There was never a shortage of donated supplies for humans or pets. Timely, precise distribution was the key issue, and this got much worse when the gas ran out. Small groups had the flexibility to design unconventional solutions and utilize resources at hand. They got creative to coordinate the pickup and delivery of supplies to improvised distribution centers. One group that received media coverage was Occupy Sandy. Its predecessor, Occupy Wall Street, ran out of steam. But a year of living on New York streets taught them how to mobilize rapid response teams. In contrast, government agencies and major charities were hindered by their centralized infrastructure. FEMA and the Red Cross brought in their heavy artillery but many hard-hit neighborhoods didn’t see them for days. Poorly coordinated communication and management resulted in misdirected resources, waste, and bizarre decisions. They turned away droves of desperately needed skilled volunteers, inundated some areas with unneeded supplies, and forgot others. FEMA created a 15 million dollar tent city in Linden, NJ stocked with every amenity including TV, internet access, medical care and a full kitchen staff. No one knew about it, and it was rarely used. A few miles away Occupy Sandy fed FEMA workers.
A direct, immediate link between need and supply also became a great way for small groups to prove their legitimacy. Ongoing status reports allowed instant access to every phase of their recovery operation. Animal Haven on Centre Street in Little Italy posted a Youtube video of challenges of caring for their animals without power for days. When they asked for flashlights, lanterns, batteries, and cleaning supplies, you knew why. Images of the devastation also became a powerful incentive to donate, especially for animals. Some animal welfare charities were set up to receive Hurricane Sandy text donations before the storm left town.
Organized charities were created to ensure appropriate use of contributions. But success comes at a price. Many high profile nonprofits garner donations based on name recognition and reputation rather than actual accomplishments. Watchdog groups like Charity Navigator and Charitywatch have popped up to ensure useful rather than impulsive donating. But social media offers a way to bypass the middleman and give directly to valid causes.
The grassroots groups catalyzed through social media also redefined disaster response protocol. But they cannot turn on the power, restore mass transit, or rebuild devastated communities. And these are the sources of long-term suffering. But dog people are tough, something they confirmed throughout the ordeal. Some breeders evacuated all their dogs just minutes ahead of rising floodwater. Others face the prospect of permanently relocating with multiple dogs. Many weathered the storm and its aftermath like this Long Island breeder.
“That was one crazy storm! A tree fell on my house and came through the roof of my den, a bedroom and part of a bathroom. Several other trees fell on my property tearing up power lines and ripping the electric meter off my house. I had no power for 13 days, and no phone service most of the time. It was like camping. The fireplace was going strong, I had layers of clothing on, and all the dogs and cats wore sweaters. Xolos make very good bed warmers, although it did get a little crowded with six dogs and three cats in bed. It was quite an experience. Just thankful everyone is okay.”
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Posted by subschron
on Jan 10 2013. Filed under Current Articles, Uncategorized.
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