Next One’s Coming, Who Knows When?

If Cape May County were a cat, would it be nearing its tenth life?
On the opposite page may be found an Op-Ed article by Martin Pagliughi, Cape May County emergency management director and Avalon mayor. He focuses on lessons learned and actions taken in the wake of Hurricane Sandy.
Once again, the southern tip of the Garden State sustained far less destruction that the beach towns to the north. Thus, there are residents here who feel emboldened that “next time” they won’t leave, even though evacuations are ordered for their safety.
Those who have ever been in the nation’s military reserve know very well the statement rehearsed many times, “Folks, it is not a matter of if you will be ordered to active duty; it is a matter of when.” Pagliughi uses that same philosophy on preparedness.
He notes there were many lessons learned in the blizzard of 2010. Those were used to be ready for Hurricane Irene in 2011.
Then, having feared nature’s wrath near the Labor Day weekend, and an evacuation was ordered, more lessons were learned. Those were put into play when Hurricane Sandy lumbered up the coast, gaining power with each passing hour.
More shelters have been identified for “next time.” In those shelters will be one police officer and an emergency medical technician, since people under stress react differently. Surely, to be evacuated from one’s home is stressful enough without adding the rub of being with people who may “get on our nerves” or suffer medical conditions brought about by the episode.
Pagliughi cites a statement made before the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works about his borough’s beach replenishment program made by JoEllen Darcy, assistant secretary to the Army in charge of the Army Corps of Engineers. She flew over the island after Sandy’s damage was done, and viewed property “behind the beaches in Avalon were well protected, where just a mile of so nearby where there had been no federal beach project, the community didn’t fare very well.”
As those who live on barrier islands know, beaches play a vital role protecting property. While they may be terrific places to spend a weekend sun tanning or walking along ridding a soul of stress, those are not their purpose in the scheme of nature.
Vegetated, well-established sand dunes are another tool in town protection. Dunes are not hills to be owned and populated; they are a town’s bastion against the raging sea, especially in storms like Hurricane Sandy.
A chilling thought Pagliughi surfaces: Hurricane Sandy was not even a Category 1 hurricane when it made landfall, yet it has turned many lives to turmoil. “Our region was approximately 25 miles away from what would have been a very unfortunate storm event for our region…We were lucky,” he added.
The sun is shining now. There is no sea crashing against our shore. The rain is not falling. The tide is out. Given all the foregoing is it time to simply “Let Marty worry about it?” Or is it time to consider making your property a little bit better protected against the forces of nature? Would it make sense to install a generator, perhaps powered by natural or LP gas?
Could you and your family sustain a prolonged (we’re talking weeks’ long) power disruption? What would you do for food? Could you flush the toilet? What of prescriptions? That was one of the lessons learned in the Irene evacuation. Some were dutiful to leave their homes, and forget to take their medications. Once in a shelter, they realized, too late, they had left them at home.
As some learned when they followed evacuation orders, and headed to nearby Pennsylvania, the areas they sought for safety were hit harder than Cape May County. Having done that, will they be quick to leave the next time the evacuation order is given?
Having seen photographs of the nature’s wrath in beach towns to the north of here, makes me wonder what would we do if those images were Cape May or North Wildwood or Stone Harbor. Some here seem to cling to the notion we have dodged the bullet many times, and it cannot possibly happen here.
Some who have traveled to the Gulf of Mexico area bring back stories of homes still ravaged and vacant; seven years after Hurricane Katrina drove the region to splinters. Will they ever be repaired? Will their owners ever be made whole to enjoy their portion of the American dream?
A group of Cape May County residents is embarking on a mission, not unlike military reservists, known as the Long Term Recovery Group. They might not be needed this year or next, but they are certain the time will come when their services will be a necessity.
That group met Feb. 22 at Atlantic Cape Community College. Small, since that was its organizational meeting, the group seeks volunteers, yes, especially faith-based groups to be prepared to help when the short-term aid ends and the terrible task of rebuilding is at hand. Needed are carpenters, counselors, you name it; there is probably a need for one in that organization.
Barry Keefe, a county figure who headed Cape Counseling for 22 years, is chair of the group. He hopes more residents answer the call to be ready when help is needed. Those interested can contact him at bkeefe30@comcast.net.