In Case of Emergency
One of Donna Brazile’s sisters was missing for seven days following Katrina. After Brazile made an appeal on CNN, her sister was located and rescued. Photo courtesy CNN.
For Donna Brazile, a political consultant who managed Al Gore’s 2000 presidential campaign, Hurricane Katrina hit home in the worst way: the New Orleans neighborhood where 90 percent of her family lives—including her diabetic dad—was inundated. At the time, Brazile, who has eight siblings, was on vacation. “I rushed back to D.C., figuring my relatives would start calling,” she says. “They didn’t; it was a nightmare. I felt helpless.” It was seven days before Brazile—using her contacts at CNN to make an on-air appeal—was able to get help finding and rescuing one disabled sister.
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So how can you prepare for a crisis this big? Brazile believes every family should have a communications strategy in place that will keep everyone in touch, even if your city’s very infrastructure is collapsing. Here, her seven tips:
- Sketch out an evacuation strategy. Pick a place for the family to regroup in an emergency. Ideally, you’ll have two alternatives and a clear plan for how to get to them.
- Make a list of assets. This doesn’t just mean financial, Brazile says. Write out a list of emergency contact names, including neighbors, friends, and out-of-town relatives who can help you relocate. Make sure everyone (including kids) carries this list with them. In addition, write down the names of relatives’ neighbors. “I knew my father and sisters’ neighbors, but I didn’t know their numbers or the numbers of their next of kin,” she says.
- Keep two-way communications open. “During Katrina, when the power went down, people were still able to text-message on their cell phones, so we need to all know how to do this,” Brazile says. In addition, keep an old-fashioned landline phone at home (one that’s not dependent on electricity). During storms, that line may be your only connection to the world.
- Invest in a phone debit card. “I have one on my key-chain with 120 minutes on it,” she says. “Traditional phone booths were working in the Superdome so anyone with a phone card could have called their relatives.”
- Consider walkie-talkies. These $50 battery-operated gizmos usually work in a five-mile radius. “If you’re near a highway, you can radio in your information through truckers,” she says. A wind-up all-weather radio or battery-operated transistor radio also can help you stay informed.
- Keep cash on hand. If your money is in a local bank with no branch outside your city, it will be impossible to withdraw much-needed cash if it’s shut down. “Cash was king in New Orleans,” Brazile says. Keep enough on hand for a head start during an emergency. Consider buying a big gift card now from Target or Wal-Mart. “If something happens, you’ll be able to redeem it for food or clothing.”
- Gather your papers—and medications. Before disaster strikes, make copies of important papers, put together your prescription drugs, and keep them in an easy-to-reach place. “Only one sister got out of her house with her insurance papers and valuables,” says Brazile.
About the Author
Lambeth Hochwald has written for Marie Claire, Parenting, and New York Lawyer.
This article first appeared in NRTA Live & Learn, Fall 2005.
