There are families with children with disabilities in the path of Hurricane Irene (e.g., Long Island). They depend on power. Some families may have generators, other may not. In any event, they depend on powered medical equipment to keep the kids alive. They also have specialized diets and can’t eat anything except specialized formulas.
They are debating what to do. They can drive out of there.
I’m suggesting they get the fuck out now.
Agree?
Being from California, I don’t know the East Coast very well. If they go, how far should they go? I’m thinking west past Harrisburg, PA or Utica, NY.
I don’t know which direction is best. But anyone on Long Island who requires electricity to live, should leave today and not later. I say this because, as of today, NYC hospitals and nursing homes located in low-lying evac zones are being evacuated, in advance of any general evacuation order.
Potentially 250,000 people could be evacuated from low lying areas of NYC. You can’t get off Long Island without crossing through NYC. Do you want to be ahead of 250,000 worried people, or stuck behind them?
I did a quick Google search and found a number of organizations that offer evacuation planning guides for people with disabilities. (Here is the website for Easter Seals; you can request a kit from them to develop your own plan.
That being said, the needs of disabled children aren’t that much different from anyone else with special needs. I would imagine that families of the disabled have a safety plan in place if they have to leave, along with extra supplies. I also know that healthcare facilities will often have information about shelters and such that can accommodate these families and give instructions about how to proceed safely.
At this point, Harrisburg is going to be the westernmost point of Irene’s reach, if it even makes it this far. There are a few sizable cities west of here (Johnstown, for one, then Pittsburgh), but given the rather large car show scheduled for this weekend (and AFAIK, it hasn’t been cancelled), traffic on the Turnpike is going to be a bitch going through Carlisle.
The Long Island family is headed for State College, PA. That’s good.
Another family lives in a trailer park near the North Carolina coast. She decided to take her child over to her parent’s house closer to shore and ride it out. That’s not good. No generator, no long-term supplies.
Another family or two hasn’t really prepared and they are in the process of crapping their pants.
The needs of many of these kids I am taking about are such that if they are without power for any length of time or if the kids don’t eat (many are tube fed) for more than 4-6 hours, they can be at very serious risk. If there is flooding, the kids are basically immobile and then what?
Not all of the parents have sufficiently planned ahead and some of the parents are deciding to ride it out in the very thick of it, unfortunately, despite the pleading of other parents in the community. We can only hope they end up ok.
These people should head directly to the nearest Red Cross or local governmental shelter. People who cannot live without powered equipment always have a first priority, or will be sent somewhere else to be assisted.
Aside, what kind of condition necessitates a feeding every 4 hrs? just curious.
Not absolutely necessary, but form what I understand, in Spinal Muscular Atrophy, toxins build quickly and muscle mass begins to break down in many kids if they don’t eat for 4 hours. One of the last things you want in SMA kids is further loss of muscle mass because that muscle will never come back. This leads to further weakening of an already weak child.
Anyone currently in Irene’s path needs to head west. If you MUST have reliable power to stay alive the time to leave was probably this morning, if not yesterday. There is no way that ANY agency can guarantee the power stays on during a hurricane. Relying on a generator in such conditions is also dangerous, as going outside to service the device would be extremely hazardous.
I suppose if one had sufficient batteries of the proper size and power one could attempt it… but really, getting the f out of town is the safest option.