Disaster Recovery. Ross McDowell Cowlitz River Packwood & Randle, WA ResilienceNW Conference 1. Lessons Learned

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1 Disaster Recovery Partnerships & Donation Management Lessons Learned Ross McDowell 7 Years as Deputy Director of Lewis County Emergency Management Practical experience: 16 disaster events: floods, windstorms, earthquakes, ice storms, record snow storms, and a Mt. St. Helen ash plume. 7 disaster events went to Presidential Declaration 28 years of Law Enforcement 10 Saint Louis City 18 Lewis County Sheriff s Office Former Fire Chief for Cowlitz-Lewis Fire District # Cowlitz River Packwood & Randle, WA 2012 ResilienceNW Conference 1

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4 Packwood Recovery Efforts 2012 ResilienceNW Conference 4

5 Organizing the Recovery in Randle 2012 ResilienceNW Conference 5

6 Challenges Lessons Learned Solutions Mental & Physical Health Issues Where to start with cleaning up? Victim had no hot meals for 5 weeks. No cooking facilities No power, water or septic No transportation No leadership MRC Church Organizations for man power & supplies Salvation Army delivered meals door to door Weekend work parties PUD, Building & Health Recovery on Wheels Leadership by Emergency Management & Fire Chiefs Boistfort Valley Awakening Realization that what happened in Randle could happen in Boistfort Valley. What can I do about it? Fire Chief Gregg Peterson took charge and organized the valley in a year long preparedness campaign ResilienceNW Conference 6

7 2007 Chehalis River Flood 2012 ResilienceNW Conference 7

8 Monday, December 3, 2007 National Weather Service warning forecast begins with Centralia; therefore, 32 miles of western Lewis County had no warning system. Three Pacific Coast storms slammed across Western Washington resulting in record rainfall. Within 24 hours about 20 inches of rain from the super storm fell in the Willapa Hills. This caused widespread flash flooding through PeEll, Doty, Adna and finally to the cities of Chehalis and Centralia. Warning, what warning? In the middle of the night, 20 feet of water rushed down the Boistfort Valley, crashing through homes where people barely escaped. Hundreds of dairy cows, sheep, horses and other farm animals perished! 2012 ResilienceNW Conference 8

9 How would you cope with this? Mass Destruction Over 3,000 homes received some type of water damage. Approximately 1,000 of those homes were in the major to destroyed category. Sixty-five homes in the west county area were either swept into the river or had to be destroyed ResilienceNW Conference 9

10 Where do you think recovery supplies come from? Drinking water Shovels Sanitation Clean up kits Food FEMA Federal Government State Government Local Community Private Businesses and Non-Governmental Organizations Boistfort EOC Kicked In Gear The Immediate Needs are covered We received life sustaining supplies such as water and food as well as cleaning supplies ResilienceNW Conference 10

11 Let the Media Circus begin Not only local media but media from across the state and country were covering the flood by radio, news paper, TV, Twitter, Facebook, and My Space. Spontaneous Volunteers to the rescue You get the good, the bad and the ugly People were showing up from British Columbia to Texas to help, ready or not. Wednesday, December 5, 2009 We received over three tractor trailer loads of clothing (again this event happened December 3) all kinds of clothing. This was like a garage sale gone bad. We had swimming suits, old used shoes, used underwear, dirty bedding and even wait for it... Adult toys! 2012 ResilienceNW Conference 11

12 Thank God for Lewis County United Way A Depot was opened for donated building supply items with the help of the Lewis County United Way volunteers. United Way also opened and staffed a clothing outlet. United Way also became our financial accountants for the donated funds. of Lewis County IKEA couldn t organize this mess Where do you put tractor trailers full of clothing, food, building supplies, furniture, appliances and toys when you are still doing rescues? Way too many clothes The United Way clothing outlet closed after three weeks. There were three tractor trailers full of used clothes to be distributed to Goodwill, The Salvation Army and other charities ResilienceNW Conference 12

13 The Depot expands locations The original building supply Depot remained open. Secondary Area Depots started popping up in Centralia, Adna, Boistfort and Doty. These Area Depots started receiving carpeting, dry wall, lumber, cleaning supplies, insulation, doors and windows and assorted other building supplies. Doty Area Depot 2012 ResilienceNW Conference 13

14 We are crazy about furniture We immediately started receiving furniture, but donors didn t understand homes wouldn t be ready to receive furniture for some time. The Chehalis Fraternal Order of Eagles came to our rescue with a two story building for furniture and appliances. Progression of Recovery 1 st Renters moving on quickly 2 nd Minor / Moderate damage Home owners 3 rd Those who lost everything Home owners (months to years later) How do you plan for this? LTRO! This furniture is RED The Fraternal Order of Eagles (FOE) building caught fire. We lost the last of our donated furniture and appliances in the fire, as well as all of our donation management records ResilienceNW Conference 14

15 Oprah to the rescue The fire started a second media frenzy Donations poured in from Oprah s Big Give, Sleep Country USA and Quality Rentals. We had to find another REALLY BIG place to distribute furniture QUICK! The birth of the Furniture Nest Yard Birds offered us a large shopping center. A caravan traveled from Seattle to Chehalis. The Furniture Parade attracted media again and was broadcasted live creating a third media event. Let s fill the Furniture Nest When they said Oprah s Big Give they weren t just talking about the amount, but the SIZE of the furniture too 2012 ResilienceNW Conference 15

16 The furniture leaves the Nest The New furniture from Oprah s Big Give brought different troubles Trouble is a brewing. Frustration Impatience Entitlement Greed Verbal altercations Fist d Cuffs Shut R Down! The Furniture Nest closed. I must shut down, but you can t shut down The United Way Depot had to close because United Way Volunteers and county workers had to go back to their regular jobs. The Area Depots continued receiving building supplies directly ResilienceNW Conference 16

17 Local Area Recovery Efforts Leadership Boistfort Fire Chief Doty Fire Chief Pe Ell Marshall Lewis County Sheriff s Office Adna Recovery Group Animal Shelter / Rescue Groups (Who are your leaders?) Partnerships Church Organizations The Salvation Army Rib Eye Restaurant Schools & students MRC Rendering Company Lewis County Health Department Block stores Trans Alta Equipment & warehouse management Long Term Recovery Organization (LTRO) 7 LTRO groups spontaneously developed trying to get in on the donations. They didn t last due to: No support system Hearts of gold, void of business sense Faith based frictions Inability to stick to a mission Lessons Learned Volunteers If you don t register volunteers regularly, don t try to start in an emergency. Use partner agencies' volunteers. Direct all volunteers to one location for processing (response and recovery) If using volunteers, have them complete the Temporary Emergency Worker Registration form (insured). If possible, verify credentials with other volunteer agency affiliations. If using employment services for additional help, have the agency provide back ground criminal history checks on all referrals. Use regular staff as the contact for the volunteers. Use the media to inform the public on volunteer opportunities and procedures ResilienceNW Conference 17

18 Lessons Learned Donations Use the media to control donations Ask for monetary donations cash is easier to work with and restarts local businesses. Set up with a 501(c) 3 non-profit organization for cash donations Set limits on what you will take as donations and learn to say Thanks, but no thanks. Set up a warehouse using ICS with experienced warehousing partners. If possible, use an existing organization with manpower to operate a donations warehouse. Everything is first come, first serve, and no layaways or returns. Pasture land destroyed Livestock feed, equipment and herd replacement (Animal Shelter, USDA, Farm Bureau) Lessons Learned Warehouse Location Pre-selection of possible sites and MOUs. Fire, varmint / pest inspections on building Provide a security team at all warehouse locations Location with space for a private office, break room, bathrooms, loading dock, open storage space, and a waiting room for clients Limited access to building If possible, all on one floor Provide custodial service for unwanted donations Set certain times for receiving donations and location. Loading dock traffic control Lessons Learned Client Services Needs cycle - Renters, minor repairs and then total losses. Start with a needs assessment form to assist and verify clients needs. Use a verification system to identify the effected population using photo ID - keep photocopy on file. Cross check addresses for multi-family living combinations. Keep back up records of inventory and client services forms. New items arriving can cause entitlement issues do not advertise! Prepare a flyer with warehouse information / loading dock rules & requirements ResilienceNW Conference 18

19 Preparedness + Mitigation Recovery Don t take a bite out of someone else s apple, it becomes yours! Ross McDowell Deputy Director Lewis County Division of Emergency Management Office (360) ross.mcdowell@lewiscountywa.gov 2012 ResilienceNW Conference 19