Five-minute warning to leave means being prepared

Early one morning, a loud pounding comes from the front door. A firefighter says a hazardous material spill means you have only a few minutes to pack up a few things and leave. No one knows when it will be safe to return.

That scenario isn't farfetched, area emergency and health officials say, considering the rail lines that crisscross Southeast Missouri and Southern Illinois, taking dozens of trains past thousands of homes daily. In Christopher, Ill., 20 miles north of Carbondale, the knocks came after 2:35 a.m. Dec. 4, when people in 70 homes were forced out by the derailment of an 83-car Union Pacific train.

The Southeast Missourian asked several area leaders who would be responsible for coordinating the response to a major disaster what they would take and if they were prepared. In most instances they had something ready -- but not always everything recommended for a grab-and-go escape.

"Most people haven't thought about it," said Charlotte Craig, director of the Cape Girardeau County Public Health Center. "I have at least thought about it, but I can't say I am completely prepared for it. I do have a big two-week or three-week disaster kit."

The essential items she would need to gather, Craig said, include regular medications for herself and her husband, an extra pair of glasses and contact lenses, cash, ID, a book containing essential telephone numbers, a radio, a flashlight and warm clothes. In addition, Craig has stowed extra leashes for her dogs because she couldn't bear to leave them behind.

"You need to have an ID in that go kit in case you don't grab your purse," she said.

Cash is essential, all those interviewed said. If a disaster disrupts electricity, as happened in St. Louis Nov. 30 and Dec. 1 when an ice storm disrupted power to hundreds of thousands and forced many from their freezing homes, using credit cards or withdrawing cash from an ATM may be difficult.

Emergency officials throughout the region have been studying the impact of a major earthquake along the New Madrid fault, including the possibility of hazardous spills stemming from a quake, in the year since hurricanes Katrina and Rita ravaged the Gulf Coast and sent hundreds of thousands scurrying inland.

For Cape Girardeau assistant fire chief Mark Hasheider, an order to leave his home immediately would mean grabbing a personal preparedness kit kept ready for such an event. Each kit should be light enough to move easily but complete enough to sustain a person for 48 to 72 hours.

Everyone should consider medication, contact information to reassure loved ones, clothing, hygiene items and cash. "First things first, and first is self-preservation," Hasheider said. "And that includes enough for any of my loved ones, and my animals are in my definition."

A quick evacuation scenario, Hasheider said, usually involves an immediate threat to health and safety. That means the likelihood of severe property damage is low, so he recommends leaving behind family photos and other personal possessions not essential to survival or comfort.

During an earthquake or other natural disaster, many people will be asked to remain home, even if that requires several days of rough living. But a man-made disaster such as a barge accident, train derailment or highway wreck threatening the release of volatile chemicals creates the likelihood of a fast getaway and uncertain return.

Residents in Christopher were allowed to return home late on the same day they left. But in 1979, a Canadian Pacific train carrying explosives and poisonous chemicals derailed just before midnight in Mississauga, Ontario. The resulting explosion was heard 60 miles away, and 200,000 people were forced to leave their homes for up to 10 days.

Cape Girardeau County emergency operations coordinator David Hitt has a satchel at home containing important documents, including insurance policies, land deeds, cash and unfilled prescriptions. He also has a change of clothing set aside, medications, a first aid kit, a flashlight and batteries, a radio, paper and pencils and food.

"The backpacks are located in an easy-to-reach area of my home," he said. "But regardless of how well prepared you are, you are not prepared enough."

The key is to have the backpack or other package ready to go, not to be stuffing things in a duffel bag when the word comes to move, said Cheryl Klueppel, executive director of the Southeast Missouri Chapter of the American Red Cross.

"What we educate people on is to be prepared for three to five days for each member of your home," she said. "Having the materials collected together so you can take it, access it easily, and have a plan for what you will do if this type of accident happens."

rkeller@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 126