Chief of Police - Duke
Pratt
252-638-1108 -- 252-636-2327 --
policechief@riverbendnc.org
1. Print out a copy of this River Bend Emergency Action Plan and post it in a conspicuous
place.CRAVEN EMERGENCY SERVICES COORDINATOR - STANLEY KITE
TOWN OF RIVER BEND - MAYOR JOHN KIRKLAND
SPECIAL NEEDS REGISTRY - VANESSA STRAYHORN
The Craven County Department
of Emergency Management and Craven
County Department of Social Services has set up a registry of persons with special needs or who
may require special attention or who may need transportation or temporary
shelter outside of their home. This includes (1) those on life support
systems, oxygen, or dialysis; (2) those dependent on electricity for medical
equipment; (3) those with severe mental handicap or mental illness.
A Special Needs Registry form should be filled out and submitted to the River Bend Police Department. They will forward it to the Craven County Department of Social Services. Attn: Vanessa Strayhorn, P.O. Box 12039, New Bern, NC 28561-2039. The submitted forms are reviewed by a team of social workers and nurses. Vanessa Strayhorn, who heads the program will personally call the registrant for review of requirements and determine a level of services that is needed. This includes transportation and temporary assignment to a nursing home, adult care or assisted care center if needed. Assignment to a hospital will be designated in serious cases where required. If you have a question, you may call Vanessa Strayhorn at (252) 636-4900, ext. 3115. Social Services will maintain a list of those disabled persons needing transportation and will call the registrant just prior to the storm to ascertain that there have been no changes in plans and will make arrangements for pick-up if required. Social Services has the use of special vehicles available for those in need. These include CARTS, ambulances, and vehicles equipped with chair lifts
The Special Needs Registry form will provide name
and addresses, medical needs, physician or health care provider, special needs,
etc. This will assist those in finding an appropriate placement or services
during a disaster or other emergency.
Pictured below are (1 & 2) disabled transport vehicles, (3)
Craven Regional Medical Center, (4) Craven County Department of Social Services.
and (5) Christian Care Nursing Center
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Emergency Evacuation Shelter Not Designated
As of July 1, 2005 an Emergency Evacuation Shelter had not been designated. This will happen once a storm path has been determined for an upcoming storm. If the H.J. McDonald Middle School is designated, the following information will give you it's location, how to get there and what you should bring.
When the order is given to evacuate, proceed to Shoreline Drive to Highway #17N. Proceed north for a distance of 3.5 miles to Glenburnie Road on the left. Proceed for a distance of 1.5 miles over the Highway #70 bridge to Elizabeth Ave. where you turn left past the Fire Station to the H.J. McDonald Middle School at postal box 3127. Phone 514-6450. The school cafeteria is being used as an emergency affiliated American Red Cross shelter.
Pictured above are (1) a portion of the H.J. McDonald Middle
School; (2) a portion of the entryway to the cafeteria; (3) the main cafeteria;
and (4) the outside entranceways to the cafeteria. You can enlarge these
pictures by clicking on them. As you can see from the above, this is a
very clean and well maintained school.
Bring a folding cot and blankets or sleeping
bag. Bring emergency supplies, warm clothing and towels, to shelter. Also,
toothbrushes, tooth paste, special diet food, and don't forget your
medications. Food will be furnished. Remember, pets are not permitted in
emergency shelters.
If a strong hurricane
is threatening the River Bend area, it would be a good idea to travel to a
safe location ahead of time. If you plan to use a motel or hotel, make
sure it is located west of Route #95. All lodging facilities east of Route
#95 will be overloaded and accommodations there will be unavailable.
Most people who have waited out a serious hurricane have expressed regret they
did not leave the storm area when they had a chance to do so.
Other emergency shelters are located at the Jamestown Brinson Elementary School, the Havelock High School and the Vanceboro Farm Life School.
Bottled Drinking Water Canned Soups, Vegetables etc.
Pastas, macaroni Powdered Chocolate Drink Mix Powdered Milk, Eggs
Other Non-Perishable Foods
Water Availability - If winds are expected to reach category 3 or above, the Water Resources Superintendent will make a determination if the water needs to be turned off. Fill your bath tubs and buckets with water for flushing toilets in event water supply or electricity is turned off.
CALL 9-1-1 FOR EMERGENCY USE ONLY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE, Newport/Morehead City N.C.
Severe
Watches and Warnings Updates
Protect your windows. Apply heavy duty masking
tape or for maximum protection cut 1/2" plywood to fit window
frames. Trim back dead or weak branches from trees. Shut off
electricity and Lock up before you
leave.
Gardens and Yard
Preparation
Stow all rakes and
other loose garden tools.
Secure
barbeque grill and store in protected place. Do not store propane tank in
home.
Take down
hanging plants.
Shut off water
hose valves.
Bring outdoor
furniture indoors.
A timely warning about credit cards...
The gathering of large numbers of strangers in a confined area for overnight lodging, offers great opportunities for credit card thieves. Keep your credit cards out of sight and securely tucked away in your wallet. Ladies large pocket books are especially vulnerable. Thieves, once obtaining your credit cards can make purchases by telephone from out-of-state concerns for out of state delivery. You won't know about the fraudulent charge until it appears on your monthly statement. Notify your credit card company immediately by mail notice to the billing error address on your statement. If you call them by telephone, you will not have the rights provided by proper mailed written notice. Handle this as required by law and you will have no liability for the fraudulent charge.
After returning home...
Return home from your evacuation shelter only after being authorized to do so. Avoid loose and dangling power lines and report them immediately to the power company, police or fire department. Beware of snakes and animals driven to higher ground by flood waters. Open windows and doors to ventilate. Check refrigerated food for spoilage. Take pictures of damage for the filing of insurance claims.
When to evacuate
This is a no brainer for anyone living in a flood zone. As soon as the warning is issued, you should be ready to hit the road. Make sure evacuation procedures have been completed. There is only one road out of River Bend. Portions of Shoreline Drive in the vicinity of the RiverBend Market which were flooded by the last major storm have now been raised by two feet. This should be above major storm flooding levels. Those intending to leave should do so early before roads become blocked and lodgings become full. Don't leave during the middle of the storm as roads may have become impassable due to falling trees, power lines or other highway flooding.
Move to Higher Ground
In the event your kitchen, toilet facilities
and bedrooms were flooded during the last hurricane, it is quite possible that
it could happen again. It is suggested that you prearrange shelter with
one of your friendly neighbors living on high ground. This will enable you
to keep within a short distance of your home and will ensure that you have a
place to sleep without fear of being flooded out of your bed. There are
hundreds of homes in River Bend that did not encounter any flooding at
all. The alternative is evacuating to a designated emergency shelter
If you are located
in a flood zone, your automobile should be
moved to one of the parking
areas listed below which are above the expected high water level. The gas
tank should be filled in the event the gas station is unable to pump gas due to
a power failure. Parking areas include the Town Commons, the River Bend
Golf Course, the Howell Center and the River Bend Baptist Church.
Automobiles should be moved before the water begins to rise. Volunteers
will drive you back home where you can await the storm. RVs, trailers and
campers in the flood plain should also be moved to an approved parking
area. During the last big flood we lost 22 autos which were totaled
because of flood damage. Make sure awnings and other appurtenances are collapsed and securely
tied down.A number of municipalities and Federal emergency
service organizations with many years of hurricane experience have produced a
number of web sites with information on coping with
Hurricanes. Most of these procedures are applicable to residents living in
River Bend. We include their web sites to provide you with rapid look-up
on just about every hurricane emergency procedure you might
encounter..
River Bend's Past Experience With Hurricanes
River Bend and the surrounding areas are often referred to as "Hurrricane Alley" due to the number of storm centers which pass through the area. This section describes procedures taken to mitigate hurricane damage as well as experiences in coping with major hurricanes. It provides a number of experiences we can draw on to prevent future mistakes made in the past and what other steps which might be taken to protect property owners from hurricane damage in the future.
Many hurricanes have come through River Bend with
minor damage. There are times however when flood levels were 9 feet above
normal accompanied by hurricane winds. Large trees were uprooted across
roadways and on top of homes causing major structural damage. Heavy
flooding occurred in the Quarterdecks with water flooding the first floor levels
causing substantial damage to flooring carpeting, walls and furniture.
Similar flood conditions existed in parts of Lakemere, Mulberry Court,
Channel Run, and in other low lying flood areas.
This is a discussion of the pros and cons on
evacuating your home. If you are in a flood area, it would make sense to
evacuate. The Storm Coordinator may direct that your home be
evacuated. In the event you are on high ground in a protected area, it
would probably give you more peace of mind being in position to shut off water
and electricity and make minor storm repairs to your home. You would have
familiar shelter and access to food supplies you had stored for the
emergency. Being away from home for any length of time with the
electricity turned off could result in considerable food spoilage. The freezer
should be filled with bags of ice to keep temperatures down. Dry ice in
freezers or styrofoam chests is also used for this
purpose.
FEMA
Fact Sheet
Prepared by the Federal Emergency Management Agency
which deals with emergency supplies and what to do during a hurricane watch and
during a hurricane warning. inspecting utility damage,
etc.
Storm
Watch
The Federal Emergency Management Agency maintains this page of
useful storm information which includes:
Hurricane Safety Fact
Sheets
Animals and
Emergencies
Strength of Tropical
Storms
Areas At
Risk
United States Hurricane
Problems
Hurricane and Tornado
Mitigation
Protection Agent for Hurricane and Water
Damage
First Step After A
Flood
FEMA Warns Against Hurricane Assistance
Fraud
Tlhis web site put up by Broward County, Florida is a
collection of "Fact Sheets" on just about every problem you might encounter
during a storm. It includes boats, flooded housing, food and supplies,
houses, lightning safety rules, outdoor plants, outdoor storage, people with
disabilities, refrigerators & freezers, roofs, swimming pools, trees and
downed tree removal, drinking water, water from private wells, windows,
etc. Check out this site. It may be what you are looking
for.
American
Red Cross- Disaster Plan
Nature's Greatest Storm (NOAA)
Description of NOAA,s National Hurricane Center and
their continuous watch over the Atlantic, Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico and the
Eastern Pacific. The center is located on the campus of the Florida
International University in Miami, Florida.
A Fierce Force of
Nature - Hurricanes
(http://observe.iw.nasa/earth/hurricane/intro.html
Describes what Hurricanes are all about. Shows diagram
and parts of hurricane.
GOD BLESS AMERICA
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