AREA HAS PLANS ON ICE FOR STORM LIKE ARKANSAS'

Across the south-central United States, ice storms have cut power to more than 600,000 homes and businesses since Christmas Eve. Trees and power poles alike have snapped under the weight of the ice. Because even natural gas heating systems use electric ignition systems or electric blowers, those without electricity probably have no heat as well. Water supplies also have been affected by the lack of electricity to run pumps.

About 46,000 homes and businesses were still without power Monday morning. The number was 58,000 in Oklahoma.

The scenario raises the question of how Cape Girardeau and the surrounding counties would fare in a prolonged siege of ice.

"It would be a mess," says David Hitt, the county's director of emergency operations.

But Michael Miller, Cape Girardeau's city manager, thinks a similar storm would be handled much better locally. "Arkansas isn't prepared as well as we are," he says. "They have much less equipment."

What wouldn't work

Until power was restored, traffic lights would not work. A few government buildings would have backup power, but none is big enough to hold many people.

Travelers on the interstate highways would be most dramatically affected when the ice storm hit. Motels would fill up immediately even though they would have no heat until power was restored.

The county would depend on the Red Cross to provide emergency shelter, Hitt says. The organization has agreements with a number of churches to use their facilities in a disaster. But these buildings have no way of producing heat if power is cut. For most residents, moving into a shelter would not be preferable to staying home.

"What's the sense of moving to shelter with no power?" asks Ron McCubbin, operations coordinator for the American Red Cross Southeast Missouri Chapter.

If the Red Cross did set up a shelter, about 450 cots plus hot meals would be available.

Another group who would be most vulnerable to the cold are residents of nursing homes. The Missouri Veterans Home is the only nursing facility in the county that can sustain itself if electricity is lost, Hitt says. Chateau Girardeau and the Lutheran Home both can generate enough power for medical uses, but not for heat.

"If all the nursing homes lost power, there is no way St. Francis and Southeast could take all the patients," said Chuck Keppler, director of human resources at Southeast Missouri Hospital. "That would be problematic."

Both Southeast Missouri Hospital and St. Francis Medical Center have their own backup generators to power essential operations and enough reserve diesel fuel for about a week before needing more.

The new county jail also has its own generator.

Problem dispensing water

The county might have to truck in water, but in icy conditions the problem would be dispensing it. "People would have to conserve water and get by on their own," Hitt said. Canned juices would be one option to drinking water.

Each city would be on its own to handle the situation unless it asked for help. Cape Girardeau has a backup power source for water and is building one for its wastewater treatment plant. The police and fire departments both have their own backup generators. But most of the city would be dependent on AmerenUE to restore power.

Jackson generates its own electricity and pumps its water from wells. The city has backup generators which would enable it to generate power in a series of rolling brownouts for a limited period.

Like the county, both cities have emergency management plans. If the cities asked the county for help and it could not respond, the next step would be to go to the state level. The county does not have the power to call out the National Guard.

Much of the ice-plagued areas in the south-central U.S. have been declared federal disaster areas.

Getting ready for an emergency is the best way to handle one, McCubbin says. Stores of food and water are recommended. Having an alternative source of heat such as a kerosene heater is a good idea, though kerosene heaters can be dangerous unless properly ventilated.

Most people and businesses cannot afford the prohibitive price of having their own generator.

"The best thing for people to do would be to be prepared," Hitt says, "to think about where they would go if the power went off, where they might have extra blankets and water. Just like in an earthquake."

But, he admits, "There is no magic answer."

He says the ice storm in the South should provide us lucky ones with a lesson in how much we take for granted.

"We have become so accustomed to flipping a switch or turning up a thermostat," he says. "If we had somebody come up from Little Rock they might be able to enlighten us."