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AHEAD OF THE STORM

Planning is the key to surviving a hurricane. Have a destination in mind and make arrangements for your loved ones, pets and home. Then when a storm threatens, leave.

By Mark Schleifstein
Staff writer

New Orleans-area emergency officials have some simple advice for how to survive a catastrophic hurricane: Get out.

"At some point you have to accept some responsibility for helping yourself," said Deputy Fire Chief Terry Tullier, acting director of the New Orleans Office of Emergency Preparedness. "You have to understand that this could happen, and whether it's the second or third time you've been asked to evacuate this year . . . you have to get up and go.

"The alternative is unacceptable," he said.

For Col. Jesse St. Amant, director of the Plaquemines Parish Office of Emergency Preparedness, that means: "Every person who fails to leave is going to be a search-and-rescue mission, either a casualty, injury or death."

That's because few buildings in the area are capable of withstanding the winds from even a relatively moderate storm. The New Orleans building code only requires houses to withstand winds of 100 mph, meaning that a strong Category 2 storm, with winds between 100 and 110 mph, would heavily damage or destroy most homes.

The Red Cross has decided that operating shelters south of the Interstate 10-Interstate 12 corridor is too dangerous. Recent studies by Louisiana State University engineering experts indicate that public refuges of last resort cannot be guaranteed to withstand winds from a major hurricane.

Heavy rains or storm surge can cause sudden flooding that cuts off escape routes and could leave people stranded on rooftops or in trees for days -- if they survive the storm.

The time to map out your evacuation is now, not when a hurricane is threatening the city, said Kay Wilkins, executive director of the southeast Louisiana chapter of the American Red Cross.

"You want to plan now, because you need to be able to think out in advance where you're going to evacuate to without the pressure of a hurricane coming at you," Wilkins said.

Wilkins and others say these factors need to be considered in an evacuation plan:

# Make sure your evacuation vehicle will survive what could be a slow trip to higher ground. Officials estimate that at the height of an evacuation, reaching a safe location could take four times as long as normal. That means it could take eight hours to reach Baton Rouge, 16 hours to get to Alexandria and 20 hours to reach Shreveport. Because of the additional congestion from a Mississippi Gulf Coast evacuation, reaching Jackson, Miss., could take as long as 24 hours.

# Have an out-of-state contact for family members to call in the event you are separated during the evacuation. Being outside the area affected by a hurricane, the contact will be more likely to be able to receive calls.

# Families with elderly, ill or disabled relatives should leave sooner to avoid extended travel time and consult with doctors and caregivers to make sure medications and other special needs are addressed.

# Prepare a disaster supply kit that includes water, food, sleeping bags, a first-aid kit, flashlight, battery-powered radio and extra batteries.

# Important papers should be in the disaster kit, kept separately in a waterproof container. Documents to take during an evacuation include insurance policies, a property inventory of your home, birth certificates and passports, and an up-to-date list of medications family members are taking.

# Pet owners should make sure a place for their pets will be available. Red Cross-operated shelters in Louisiana don't allow pets, but most will have contacts with local veterinarians or kennels for evacuees to call when they arrive.

# Keep trees and shrubbery trimmed during hurricane season; make sure lawn furniture, trash cans, toys and other objects can be easily stored within a secure building; ensure that storm shutters are in good working order or that 5/8-inch plywood window coverings are cut before the first storm warnings are issued.

Now also is the time for people to make sure their homeowner's insurance coverage is in order, said Frank Pagano, a National Flood Insurance Program official.

Homes damaged by hurricanes can be covered by two separate insurance policies. One, a traditional homeowner's policy, pays for damage caused by wind or falling trees, and for water that leaks into a house from the roof. Most of those polices now require a deductible equivalent to 2 percent of the value of the home, unless a higher premium is paid.

A separate policy issued under the National Flood Insurance Program pays only for damage from floodwaters. That policy includes a $500 deductible on damage to the building and a separate $500 deductible on damage to a building's contents.

In the New Orleans area, officials say some homeowners have decided against buying flood insurance because their home isn't located in a mandatory flood insurance area.

That's not a good idea, said Ron Castleman, regional director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency. In the event of a catastrophic hurricane, which could put 20 feet of water even in areas protected by hurricane levees, homes without flood insurance will not be covered for water-related damage.

Mark Schleifstein can be reached at (504) 826-3327 or mschleifstein@timespicayune.com.

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