Nassau County Legislator Judi Bosworth sponsored a hurricane preparedness presentation and FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) flood update on Wednesday evening, July 30, at the Cumberland School. FEMA's recent re-evaluation of flood maps has placed many residents who were previously in low hazard flood zones into high hazard zones. The new FEMA flood preparation guidelines strongly recommend flood insurance even for those not residing in designated flood zones. Flood insurance purchased now will be grandfathered in at the lower hazard rate (even if the property is now considered to be located in a high hazard zone) and is transferable to subsequent purchasers of homes (which may serve as a good selling point). Flood insurance may be purchased through an insurance agent or by visiting www.floodsmart.gov, the official site of the national flood insurance program.

Hurricanes are violent storms that bring intense winds, heavy rain, a storm surge, floods, coastal erosion, landslides, and tornadoes. Hurricane season in the northeastern part of the United States generally falls between mid-August and late October. In recent years, early tropical storms have developed off the Carolina coast, a disconcerting fact because of the proximity to Long Island's shores and the fact that storms move faster as they move north. A hurricane on the North Shore of Long Island would flood between a quarter to a half mile inshore before water stops coming inland. Since the exact time, place and force of hurricanes are hard to predict, a coastal town such as Great Neck should be educated, informed, and prepared.

Greg Caronia, deputy commissioner of the Nassau County Office of Emergency Management, gave an in-depth lecture on the importance of being prepared when disaster strikes. "Your preparedness is going to save your life," he urged. Hurricane Gloria, which struck in 1985, nearly leveled portions of central and eastern Long Island. The Office of Emergency Management (OEM) watches potential storms to calculate severity, project paths, determine the cone of error, and calculate timing (which will affect the tidal surge).

The call to evacuate a particular area is made by local officials based in part on the information from the OEM. Approximately 48 hours before the expected landing of a hurricane, health care facilities are evacuated. The public is evacuated 36 hours before the arrival of 55 mph winds. Mr. Caronia believes that the most intense hurricane that Nassau County could face is a Category 3 hurricane, which consists of 111-130 mph winds.

Nassau County's legislators have recently passed "Swift Reach" whereby a minimum of 300,000-400,000 calls are made in approximately four hours to notify residents that evacuation is required. Although there are 25 shelters in Nassau County, Great Neck has no evacuation routes. It is important, therefore, to plan ahead in case of downed electrical wires and trees. Residents should seek high ground outside the evacuation zone. A Category 3 hurricane in Great Neck would mean a 17-20 foot tidal surge. One must reach about 35 feet above sea level in order to stay safe from a tidal surge in a Category 3 hurricane. Sea level determination can be found at www.earth.google.com. Flood zone situation may be found at www.nassaunyfloodmap.com.

Mr. Caronia stresses how fortunate this area is to have "the best and finest apparatus and rescue workers in the country." That, however, he says "will not save you. Only you can save yourself by being prepared."

American Red Cross volunteer Rich Schneider spoke about the importance of customizing disaster preparedness kits with enough cash on hand, non-perishable nutritious food and purified drinking water (one gallon per person per day) for each member of a family for five to seven days. A kit should contain first aid items, medications, personal items, written instruction on how to turn off electricity, gas and water if advised by authorities to do so, important family documents secured in a waterproof, portable container (including deeds, wills, tax returns, insurance, birth and marriage certificates, credit card and bank account numbers, social security cards, family photos and, of course, insurance policies). A crank radio, crank cell phone, flashlight (with extra batteries) and a NOAA Weather Radio are also imperative. The American Red Cross has established a "Safe and Well" Website which is available at www.redcross.org, as a secure, free location to post messages to loved ones worried about your well-being.

Knowing simple first aid and CPR can save a life during an emergency. To that end, Nassau County Executive Thomas R. Suozzi is offering a new, community-based initiative called the Nassau County Community Emergency Response Team (CERT). CERT volunteer Robert Yenis spoke to the audience about this team of highly trained volunteers who are coordinated under the direction of the Nassau County Office of Emergency Management. CERT training is free of charge and includes basic fire suppression, triage, search and rescue, basic first aid, disaster psychology, terrorism issues, and community and family safety. Over 1,000 people in Nassau County are trained CERT volunteers who go door-to-door, and man the shelters and the commodity distribution points (PODS) during emergencies and disasters. The eight week training entitles CERT volunteers to provide immediate assistance to the local community through a coordinated and collaborative effort. For more information about becoming a CERT volunteer, go to www.nassaucountyny.gov/agencies/OEM/CC/CERT/signup.

Nancy Lynch of the non-profit Pet Safe Coalition, Inc., (Pet Safe) addressed the audience on the importance of planning ahead for the safety of pets when disaster strikes. "We are responsible for the well-being of our pets as we have bred out all of their self-survival instincts," she urged. As the Nassau County Animal Response Team keeps pets supervised in crates, Mrs. Lynch pressed the importance of planning ahead so that pets can stay with their owners in happy and healthy environments during an evacuation. Accompanied by her collie, Jester, Mrs. Lynch spoke about the importance of creating a pet disaster kit with enough food, water, and medication for five to seven days, and a copy of a pet's license and rabies certificate (so the pet will not be required to be revaccinated). In Hurricane Katrina many people did not evacuate their homes because they did not want to leave their pets behind. According to Mrs. Lynch, there are 620,000 dogs and cats in Nassau County. "Plan ahead to avoid having to be separated from your pet," she said. For more information about Pet Safe, log onto www.petsafecoalition.org.

In closing the evening, Legislator Bosworth said that she "was pleased to host a forum to help inform residents about the actions we need to take in case of an impending hurricane, or any other threat to the safety of our community. We are fortunate that there are many in our local government, as well as in Nassau County, who are dedicating so much time to help us understand the efforts we need to take to protect ourselves and what options are open to us in case disaster strikes. The fact that so many people attended tonight points to the fact that our residents understand the importance of being prepared."