Calling All Monday Morning Quarterbacks

Gather ‘round, all ye Monday morning quarterbacks.
Now that everyone has returned to their humble abodes from afar, having fled from the looming Hurricane Irene, let’s chalk it up to experience. Let’s consider what was done correctly and what needs improvement.
Let’s also keep in mind that the county will once again throw open the doors of the William E. Sturm
Administration Building, 4 Moore Road, on Tue., Sept. 20 for its annual Emergency Preparedness Conference.
Why hold such a shindig now after the infamous “Countywide Exodus of Aug. 25, 2011” is history, fodder for snide Spout Offs and nasty comments? Because it’s September, and that means, not only the return of NFL games and school days, it’s also National Preparedness month, according to the county’s website.
If you plan to attend with your list of comments and questions, the balloon goes up, (as they used to say at the old Red Garter in North Wildwood), at 10 a.m. The fun will continue until the noon whistle blows, or until blood pressures exceed safe levels.
Barbershops, hair salons, and coffee cafes are rife with sundry commentators on the storm and the bone-chilling order, which I would hate to have made, to get out of town before the floods claimed their first victim. Such places are chocked full of denizens of barrier islands and mainland who either went or stayed.
There remain only those two types of folks here in Cape May County. Those who heeded Emergency Management Director Frank McCall’s order to head for the hills, and those who opted to remain and, in so doing, perhaps never be seen or heard from again.
My wife, daughter and I were among the latter. My son and his family were among the former. They, along with probably a quarter of the county’s population, went to Southeastern Pennsylvania. Fortunately, they turned the evacuation into a mini-vacation for the grandchildren and themselves.
Thus, we experienced pre-Hurricane Irene emotions not unlike those harbored by families at the Civil War’s onset. Should we remain with one side or go to the other? It was gut wrenching for everyone, especially when faced with the unsavory aspect of never seeing each other again, on this side anyway. The thought of never again paying taxes or not worrying about my seesaw 401K account held fleeting allure, but we won’t focus on that for the moment.
What was learned by this flight from the promised land?
In the immortal words of Freeholder, farmer, former Wildwood mayor and chief of police Ralph Sheets, “National Preparedness month is an ideal time to remind our residents and visitors how important it is to be prepared for an emergency.” Never were truer words spoken.
From what I observed, as we scofflaws shopped for last minute (dare I say “final need“) items, stores can never have too much bottled water to sell. Beer was another “necessity” for those who were about to hunker down for their final sip. Also needed for that final imbibing before eternity were final earthy snacks like potato chips and dips.
Someone needs to do serious research on gasoline supplies. Since there were, goodness knows how many vehicles in county on that weekend prior to Labor Day, and half of them were at least half-empty, hefty underground tanks soon ran dry.
Did things turn ugly in Avalon as the last electric car was hogging the sole public outlet and Irene was creeping north? Maybe that’s why they make hybrid cars to allow quick escapes.
We were under orders to evacuate all Cape May County. Why was one shelter in Woodbine? Something needs addresing amiss there.
The county map, as shown to the media at the Aug. 25 press conference, looked like a Christmas card, red and green. Green was to flood by the storm (barrier islands), red was to flood by rain (everyplace else). There was no in between. Was absolutely no place on this peninsula safe?
We Middle Township residents received a reverse 9-1-1 alert from our chief of police warning of the 6 p.m. curfew on Saturday that would continue until 6 p.m. Sunday. Once the winds started to howl over a certain speed, we were told, if you had an emergency, you were on your own. You had, in effect, cut the rope of your rowboat and were in the middle of the ocean alone. All evacuations were done, stopped, over. Emergencies were to be dealt with when the wind subsided.
Why, then, at 8 p.m. when someone in a mobile home park decided to leave, were they allowed to call for evacuation and Rio Grande Fire Company personnel had to venture into the vile contagion of the night?
Say what you mean. Mean what you say. Stick to your guns.
When a reporter asked Mr. McCall about evacuation, he replied that everyone had been told to prepare for such an eventuality. In effect, today was that “tomorrow” to put your well made plans into action.
Sure, I have a will, it’ll be updated someday. Same as my evacuation plans. Should I have a standing reservation at the Ramada Inn in Hershey, Pa. in the eventuality that I will have to, some day, rush there to spare my life? This, too, might need a little more tweeking.
If anything seems to have shown itself, by this episode it was that there is a crying need for more shelters. It also proved that, although the “reverse lane” Parkway north theory could work, there is a choke point on Route 47 in Dennis Township that will stall any evacuation in the face of a rushing storm.
That needs fixing. Perhaps manual traffic directing? There has never been a better time to finish Route 55 to drain crowds quickly.
Monday morning QBs probably have an even bigger list than this. It might be worthwhile to take those lists with you to next Tuesday morning’s county emergency preparedness event.
“The stated intent of the conference is to provide elected officials and the public with updated information regarding preparedness efforts in place in the county and the state,” according to the county website.
You, with all the answers, go, ask the questions.