CICERO, N.Y. (NCC News) — Powerful storms are becoming more frequent and more powerful in recent years, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
While strong hurricanes like Sandy, Irma and Michael do not directly hit Central New York, the aftermath is capable of traveling up the coast and hitting the Northeast. Back in 2012, Governor Cuomo realized that his people were not properly prepared for these types of situations.
“After Hurricane Sandy, the governor realized most people weren’t prepared for a disaster on that scale,” 1st Lt. Benjamin Massarini said. “They didn’t have enough food, water, medical supplies on hand. They didn’t know who to contact in regards to getting more information about where to go. They didn’t have an evacuation plan.”
Even though hurricanes aren’t a serious issue for the Northeast, snow storms, on the other hand, are.
New Yorkers who lived through the Blizzard of 1993 still distinctly remember the effects it had on their lives.
“I remember I was in my house for a week before the snow plow came and actually cleared the roads,” Rita, a 60-year resident of Cicero, said.
In light of these possible situations, the Citizen Preparedness Corps was created in conjunction with the New York National Guard. The Citizen Preparedness Corps’ mission is to prepare New Yorkers for natural disasters.
According to their website, the four main steps to take when preparing for natural disasters are to: make a plan, prepare an emergency kit, be aware and get involved.
Making a plan is important to set up with your family in case of an emergency. This can range from informing one another about the location of fire extinguishers to sending electronic copies of important documents to family across the country so they stay safe.
When preparing emergency kits, this can include items such as food, water, hygiene supplies, and crank radios.
By being aware of your surroundings, unusual behavior and knowing who to contact, this can be the difference between losing a life and saving one.
Volunteering with the Red Cross or New York Cares allows New Yorkers to help those around them in times of disaster. Sometimes, having that strong community bond will lighten the load felt during these unfortunate times.
“The more people that are prepared in the neighborhood the more people there are in the community,” Massarini said. “And that’s really how you get through disasters. Having a community come together, and work together to share what they have between themselves.”
The Corps has important tips about disaster safety on their website: prepare.ny.gov. Additionally, they travel and give informational classes. If you are interested in attending one of these classes, they will be back at the Northern Onondaga Public Library at Cicero this Friday at 12:30 pm.
