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Apr 2006 Issue
by Lori Nawyn
If there’s one thing my sister-in-law says people should stock up on it’s water.” Sharon Cote Merritt, who last fall headed an effort in northern Utah to gather and ship supplies to hurricane victims in Louisiana, is quick to relate what her family learned in the aftermath of the storms. Merritt’s brother and sister-in-law, Jeff and Roxanne Cote of the Alexandria, Louisiana Stake, said that in the days and weeks following both hurricanes Katrina and Rita the most valuable commodity was indeed water.
Water, Water, Water
“You just couldn’t get any,” said Roxanne, who points out that what is normally taken for granted — turning on the tap or driving to the grocery store for bottled water — were both out of the question. Though the Cote family was able to remain in their home, procuring water for necessities became a constant concern. “Our water system went down. If you didn’t have water, you couldn’t even flush your toilet.”
Both Jeff and Roxanne Cote, who say they plan on doubling or tripling their water storage in 55-gallon barrels in preparation for the next hurricane season, also stress, “Keep cash on hand. If electricity is down, stores won’t take credit cards or even checks. Many people tried to leave the area but if they didn’t have cash they were stuck.”
Fuel- Gas, Propane, Batteries
The Cotes advise, “Never let your gas tank go below half full. Our stake president had been telling us that and we were glad we listened. The gas pumps were empty. If you didn’t have any gas, you couldn’t drive to get water. Temperatures were hitting around one hundred and ten degrees. Because we did have gas, we were able to get the kids into the van and drive around to get some air conditioning.”
Brother Merv Beckstrand, from Meadow, Utah, serves in the Slidell, Louisiana Bishop’s Storehouse as an employment specialist. When Katrina hit the area, a flood surge from Lake Pontchartrain inundated parts of Slidell with up to 17 feet of water. Brother Beckstrand echoes the call to pay strict heed to keeping vehicles ready to go. “Always keep the tank full of gas. You had to have gas in your car to get out of town.
In the extreme heat, battery operated camp fans (which can be purchased for around $12 and run on 8 D size batteries) were also essential. Roxanne Cote said, “They made a big difference in the morale of the family.”
Battery Operated Goods
Other items the Cotes said are preparedness must-haves are emergency radios, battery operated lanterns (as opposed to propane, which can’t be used indoors due to ventilation issues) and a large supply of batteries. “You couldn’t find batteries anywhere in any town,” said Roxanne. “We know now we need to plan to have at least one week’s supply of batteries. And, one little flashlight is not enough.”
Sharon Dohm, Young Women’s President in the Slidell Ward, is another person who advocates storing batteries. “We had three teens with us when we evacuated. They had games and radios with them. Having batteries was important to keeping them occupied.” Sister Dohm added that good maps are crucial for evacuations. “We waited to leave until it was almost too late. We had to take back roads. It was important, and we were very thankful, that since the main roads were blocked we knew side streets and roads less traveled.”
Generators
The Cotes also listed generators as vital items for daily living and suggest generator owners consider converting the machines to propane, rather than gas. “The propane cans last longer and propane was easier to find than gas. If you didn’t have a generator, you didn’t have air-conditioning. If you did, you could also plug in your refrigerator and run it for few hours a day.”
Elder Peterson, of the Louisiana Baton Rogue Mission, agreed generators and the gasoline to run them were vital. “If you didn’t have a generator, you didn’t stay. It was very hot and you don’t know what its like to not have air conditioning until you don’t.”
Sister Virginia White, a member of the LaPlace ward who works in the Metairie, Louisiana Family History Center said her family’s generator was vital to being able to live a week without electricity. Her future hurricane preparation will include stocking up on more gasoline for the generator and more ready-to-eat canned goods. “We couldn’t eat our dried food. We wished we would’ve had more canned food, along with candles and batteries.”
72-Hour Kits & Tents
Like other missionaries in the area during the hurricanes, Elder Peterson assisted in rescue efforts near New Orleans. He indicated that though not many people he helped had 72-hour kits, those who did were, “very appreciative to have them.”
When the Cote’s stake center was turned into an evacuation center, with families living in every room except the chapel, Roxanne Cote said that those who arrived with 72-hour kits fared up better than others. New Orleans member Don Scott said he and his wife always keep their kits near the door during hurricane season, which can run from May through November. When they were told to evacuate, Brother Scott said they drove six hours to stay with family in Houston and that they were most thankful to have clothing, household papers, food, and medicine.
Sister Dohm points out that it’s important to know where you will evacuate to in the event of a disaster. “We knew we would go my parent’s house in Dallas. We had our kits packed with food, 1st aid, water, blankets, important papers, and genealogy. But, if we plan to evacuate to a shelter or church, what we prepare for is different. My mind set in hurricane season is, ‘How bad is it going to be?’ How bad it is dictates where we will go and what is in our kits. We unpack stuff like axes and tents for more room in the van if we go to my parents. But if we have to go north, we’ve learned there are no hotels — they’re booked up — and tents come in handy.”
Important Papers
She said that most helpful during last year’s storms were her important papers. “Even though we were gone for a long period of time, the bills still kept coming. I had a list of addresses and phone numbers and insurance polices. I was able to maintain my household though we were gone over a month. I didn’t want the bills to become overdue and get on my credit report.”
With eight evacuees living in her parent’s house in Dallas for a month, Sister Dohm said the food in their 72-hour kits was very helpful. “Using food from our 72-hour kits helped out with the food budget. We had packed what we liked and we ate it all. Nothing came back. I wished I’d packed more candy — more chocolate!
“Shampoo and soap were really important,” she continued. “We packed what we liked and used so we would be more comfortable and it would be more like home. We took a cat and a dog and packed their food ahead of time and a leash. Also, we got our medication ahead of time. It’s a big hassle to get prescriptions refilled. We stay prepared all the time.”
Communication
Lack of communication was another issue that Sister Dohm said was very stressful. With no electricity, and cell towers knocked down by high winds, evacuees didn’t know if friends and family left behind were safe, or alive. “There was news coming out of New Orleans but not Slidell. There was a satellite phone at the Bishop’s Storehouse and it was the first communication we had. One of the girls that left with us didn’t know if her mother was okay for eight days.”
Don’t Forget the…
In the weeks following the storms, Sharon Cote Merritt received thanks and feedback from some of the people who received the supplies she helped to gather. The hurricane victims listed denture cleaner and pain medication, extra propane for gas grills, charcoal briquettes and lighter fluid, and a large supply of matches among the items they most wished they had stored. Thankfully, many related that they were blessed with what they needed. Sister Marbely Barahona of the New Orleans 2nd Spanish Speaking Ward shared the following experience with Sister Merritt:
“When we left our house with our three children, the Saturday before Hurricane Katrina, my little 11 month old did not walk yet, so I did not bring any shoes for him. We did not know we were going to stay out of our homes for more than a month . . . my son made his first birthday while we were in the church shelter and he started to walk. We received donations from very generous people and I kept on the look for shoes for Jared until we received your box from Utah. I found these beautiful black boots that were exactly his size, perfect to go to church.
“I know that material things are not important, but at that moment, I felt like my Heavenly Father was going to take care of all our needs, not only the temporal things but also our spiritual needs. Jared’s little boots were like a symbol that our Heavenly Father took care of us, even through the very small things, and that he used his very special children (like you all) to deliver His Mercy. I can tell you that we were really blessed during all that time, our testimonies got better, stronger, and, once again, we confirm that we are in the true church — the Church of Jesus Christ.”
