joplin tornado response/recovery: promising -
TRANSCRIPT
Joplin Tornado Response/Recovery:
Promising Practices in Caring for Missouri’s
Seniors and Adults with Disabilities
Don Atteberry
Courtesy of Associated Press
Photographer: Charlie Riedel
Introduction:
Charity J. Hunter
Disaster Response Coordinator
Missouri Department of Health and Senior
Services, Division of Senior and Disability
Services
573.526.8560
Peace-time Activities Play Important
Role in Disaster Response: Committees and advisory groups:
Governor’s Faith-Based and Community Service
Partnership for Disaster Recovery/Citizens Council
and subcommittees of this council
Access and Functional Needs Committees
Strategic National Stockpile Advisory Council
Public Health Preparedness Advisory Council
Department Continuity of Operations (COOP)
Workgroup
Exercise Design/Steering Committees
Peace-time Activities Play Important
Role in Disaster Response:
◦ Educate, train, and exercise
Emergency Response Team members
Division field staff
Encourage involvement in local emergency planning
commissions/meetings & long-term recovery committees to
build the relationships that are needed locally
Central Office staff
Peace-time Activities Play Important
Role in Disaster Response:
◦ Regularly work with partners Area Agency on Aging Directors and Disaster
Coordinators
State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA)
Missouri Voluntary Organizations Active in Disasters (MO VOAD)
Independent Living Centers & Councils
Associations and other organizations (i.e. Missouri Alliance for Home Care)
◦ Continued training and research for advancements and current trends &knowledge
Missouri Disasters 2011
Blizzard 2011 – statewide
◦ 1st time I-70 was shut down across the whole state from Kansas City to St. Louis
◦ 18 inches in Jefferson City, some up to 24 inches
Good Friday Tornado
◦ Hits four communities in St. Louis, including the St. Louis International Airport
◦ Missed a level 2 trauma center with over 400 patients by only ¾ of a mile.
Missouri Disasters 2011
Mississippi River Flooding◦ US Army Corp of Engineers blow the Birds Point
Levee for the 1st time since 1937
◦ Floods 130,000 acres (including 12 cemeteries)
◦ Relocate two of our field offices and staff
National Level Exercise 2011◦ New Madrid Seismic Zone event
◦ Planning this event for three years
◦ 8 states, HHS, DOD, FEMA, local and state agencies
Joplin Tornado – May 22nd
Missouri Disasters 2011
Multiple other tornados
◦ Sedalia, Rolla, Kansas City and other smaller ones
Missouri River Flooding
◦ Long-standing flood with residents out of their homes still – several months now
Excessive Heat Wave
◦ Longer than three weeks straight
◦ > 35 fatalities being investigated as heat related
Joplin Tornado, May 22nd,
Sunday 5:41 PM Picture of Destruction:
In about 2 minutes time total
◦ ¾ to 1 mile wide for about 14 miles
◦ Level 2 Trauma Center completely destroyed
◦ Many doctors’ offices, clinics, dentists’ offices destroyed
◦ 14 child care facilities
◦ 4 Home Health and 1 Hospice agency destroyed
◦ 1 Dialysis Clinic destroyed, 2 without power or electricity
Joplin Tornado Destruction Cont.
1 Residential Care Facility completely destroyed Total licensed beds = 28
Census at the time of the tornado = 17
17 residents required relocation to other facilities.
1 Skilled Nursing Facility completely destroyed 14 residents lost their lives
2 Skilled Nursing required complete evacuation Total Skilled Nursing Facilities Licensed beds = 332
Combined Census at the time of the tornado = 265
251 residents required permanent relocation to other facilities
Joplin Tornado Destruction Cont.
> 8,000 residences and businesses
destroyed (homes, schools, places of
employment)
Total of 160 lives lost
>1,000 injured
All in about 2 minutes
Response/Recovery Activities:
Connecting with those on the ground◦ Texting & social media
◦ Coordinate one point of contact with your local partners
◦ Use the Incident Command System flow of information
Reach out to those who have been there◦ Alabama gave us amazing information Big issues
Provided forms & information already created
State leadership and federal agency reporting: ◦ Track the numbers
Response/Recovery Activities:
Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) Overall Response:
◦ Activated Department Situation Room (DSR) and staffed the State Emergency Operations Center (SEOC)
◦ Division of Community and Public Health:
◦ Division of Regulation and Licensure
◦ Division of Senior and Disability Services
A small piece of the larger response
Must be the voice for the seniors and adults with disabilities
Division of Senior and Disability
Services Activities◦ Received and responded to 85 hotline calls
◦ Located and checked on priority one clients
◦ Provided staffing back up at resource centers
◦ Assisted the Area Agency on Aging (AAA)
providing and gathering information
applying for disaster assistance grant
coordinating resource needs
monitoring the overall well-being of seniors in the
community and their needs
Lessons Learned:
Generation of our seniors – they are resilient
◦ They make do, and figure out a way
◦ They do not reach out for help, it doesn’t even cross their mind
◦ They have long memories and remember old reputations
◦ Fear: Of using disaster aid funds
Of losing their social security, Medicaid/Medicare, welfare, etc.
◦ They are private
◦ They do not want to leave their home; they guard their possessions
◦ They need to be a part of recovery and rebuilding
◦ Extra push to register with FEMA for disaster aid
◦ Go to where they typically go, don’t wait for them to come to you, because they won’t come until they have no other option
Lessons Learned:
“Caring for Missouri’s Legacy” Media
Campaign
◦ Used those previously built partnerships for
assistance in footwork and hanging posters
◦ Take the info to where they frequent
neighborhoods, grocery store, banks, senior centers,
libraries, social security office, laundromats
Lessons Learned:
GIS mapping of priority clients◦ Worked well, but need to make some
improvements here Have it in place prior to a disaster
Make it “field friendly” - without use of Internet
ma4 Donation Website◦ http://www.ma4web.org/spotlight/join-with-joplin-
donate-online-today
◦ Less restrictions – fill in the gaps
◦ Provides opportunity for those donating to determine where their donation goes/who it helps.
Lessons Learned:
AAAs and Senior Centers are not emergency response agencies…but, are so vital for recovery◦ Can assist with non-emergency medical
transportation (i.e. dialysis patients)
◦ Can assist in locating vulnerable populations and persons that may have no others checking on them Home-bound clients
Congregate meal attendees
◦ Able to be a trusted source for information
◦ Can assist seniors with paperwork that they get overwhelmed with or need assistance reading Insurance policy paperwork
Mortgage paperwork
FEMA registration or denial [email protected]
Lessons Learned:
Multi-Agency Resource Center
◦ Make it a true “one stop shop” for survivors, if possible
◦ Think about the survivors’ needs and abilities
Transportation
In shock, what could they not be thinking of right now?
Know who/what is available in the center and walk them there
◦ Provide direction and resource lists/training for those that staff the center
◦ Provide some stress relief [email protected]
Lessons Learned:
Pre-designate what waivers you will need
in disasters, so you can act quickly
Multiple official and unofficial social media
sites
◦ They show up quickly
◦ How are you going to use them to help,
communicate, rescue, recover, etc.
◦ Think about this in advance…nearly too late
after a [email protected]
Still Big Challenges:
Donated used goods
Unsolicited donations
Unsolicited volunteers (medical and non-
medical)
Questions?Charity J. Hunter
Disaster Response Coordinator
Missouri Department of Health & Senior Services
Division of Senior and Disability Services
573.526.8560