Community Matters puts spotlight on disaster response

Newton County Community Matters members recently participated in an aid project sending needed supplies to two storm ravaged states. Byron and Janice Mann, of the Jasper Methodist Church, were on the front lines of the project and were part of the contingent of volunteers who made the deliveries to three distribution centers in Georgia and North Carolina. Community Matters is a coalition of non-profit and faith based organizations working together to help meet the needs of local citizens.
Speaking at the January Community Matters coalition meeting, Janice Mann, made a presentation providing information serving as background material for a series of disaster response discussions that will be the focus of future Community Matters meetings.
Some coalition organizations have a disaster response plan in place, others do not, as shown by a response to the question at the meeting.
A question was raised if the snowstorm experienced locally in early January would be considered a disaster?
Janice said it could, for certain folks. She provided the definition of a disaster as “any event that results in overwhelming (keywords) physical, economic and emotional damage to a community.”
If it overwhelms the community, it’s a disaster, Janice answered. That is, if it results in significant harm to people and property, and disrupts the normal pattern of living.
A disaster affects individuals, families, communities and regions.
Community residents can best help respond to a disaster by being prepared for one. Have a plan, be informed, offer support when you can and be involved when you can. Make sure you have the necessary things to assist if a disaster happens. Do you have things in your car, in your home, at work, and in your community?
Janice provided a handout about the importance of being informed after a storm. She also warned to be on the lookout for opportunists and scammers.
Gather important documents, photos, receipts, ID’s, proof of residence, etc.
Apply in a timely manner for FEMA, SBA, state and other public assistance. Many disaster response agencies have application timeframes. Also, when you apply, it gives responding agencies and organizations a better understanding of the needs of the area.
Janice also recommended people should get involved through community organizations, civic clubs and churches, or a known response organization such as the Red Cross, and Salvation Army.
Remember that during a disaster, it’s important for organizations and groups to communicate with each other to ensure cohesive relief is provided. For example, you wouldn’t want 15 churches to all decide to provide meals, but no one is providing other types of support.
What are the different types of disaster?
• Natural disasters – hurricanes, floods, ice storms, tornados, wildfires, earthquakes, etc.

• Technical disasters – computer crashes, traffic and power grids going down, etc.
• Economic disasters – bank failures, large employer going under, employees out of work.
• Civil disasters – riots, chemical spills, plane crashes, etc.
Other – COViD, bird flu, etc.
There are levels of disaster – Small disaster (we’re usually on our own, as a community to recover), Medium level disaster (may or may not receive outside help), High level disaster - one that totally overwhelms an area (usually assistance comes from the outside). When a high-level disaster occurs, an invitation needs to go out from the impacted area to partners for assistance. You always want to keep emergency management in the loop, so they know what’s going on.
Phases of Disaster
• Readiness (training, planning, making folks aware, risk reduction),
• Rescue (leave that up to professionals, medical responders, search and rescuers, fire responders, emergency management folks etc.)
• Relief (this is where various groups step up to assist – case work, cleanup teams, shelter and supply services, etc.)
• Recovery (short term – temporary housing etc., and long term – home rebuilds, etc.)
• Review (going back and seeing what went well, or what needs to be addressed to make the next response better).
How long do the phases last? A rule of thumb is if the rescue phase lasts 3 days, then multiply that by 10, and the relief phase will last 30 days, multiply that by 10, so the recovery phase will last about 300 days.
Disaster is much more than property damage; it’s one of the leading causes of poverty. Disasters lead to drug and alcohol misuse, depression, and hopelessness. Janice reminded everyone to be aware of vulnerable populations after a disaster, including the elderly, people in poverty or borderline poverty, single parent families, disabled population, those without a good social support system, non-English speaking and the illiterate.
Always keep in mind that disasters begin and end locally. Red Cross and FEMA don’t come in on a white horse and fix everything. The average amount of a FEMA grant is $40,000 – and that doesn’t go far enough to replace a home that was destroyed. It helps you get started, but a community needs to know that it’s responsible for its recovery. It’s the role of our community to prepare, to respond, to recover and to learn from the disaster, Janice concluded.
A reminder: On April 25 from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. there will be an Information Fair/Job Fair/Emergency Preparedness Fair at Bradley Park in Jasper. This will be a good time to raise awareness of how best to plan for a disaster.