Here's what MS Coast residents need to know about hurricane plans during the pandemic

Jun. 1--Seated to the right of Gov. Tate Reeves during his daily press conferences, more often than not, is Greg Michel, executive director of the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency.

He usually talks about the status of the state's supply of PPE -- personal protection equipment. Or how the state is responding to more than one disaster at once -- severe weather, tornadoes, the coronavirus pandemic.

But lately, he and Reeves are emphatic about preparations for hurricane season.

"Why are we talking so much about hurricane preparedness now?" he asked rhetorically on Thursday. Because there have already been two named storms and the season doesn't start until Monday, June 1. And this weekend, a tropical depression formed off the coast of Guatemala.

State officials also are talking about preparedness because preventing the spread of COVID-19 requires social distancing, which may be impossible if people need to stay in storm shelters.

"I cannot emphasize enough that sheltering operations continues to be the biggest challenge, and the biggest point of concern, point of contention, for the emergency management directors in the lower coastal counties," Michel said Thursday.

The Sun Herald spoke with Coast's EMA directors -- Rupert Lacy in Harrison County, Earl Etheridge in Jackson County, and Brian "Hootie" Adam in Hancock County -- to find out how they're navigating the challenges of hurricane planning during a pandemic.

Shelters are the No. 1 issue. The Centers for Disease Control now recommends 60 square feet per person in a shelter, and 110 square feet if using cots.

"The number of shelters that will be required to maintain that will increase," Michel said. "That means an increased workload, manpower and resources available."

Following those guidelines would drastically reduce the number of people in one shelter, but Michel and the Coast emergency managers said the priority will be safety and no one will be turned away.

"It does not mean you won't have access to a shelter," Michel said. "It just means that you may find yourself in a situation in a shelter where social distancing cannot be maintained."

Each of the counties have hurricane shelters that meet FEMA's P-361 standards for safe rooms built to withstand high winds and tornadoes. They also have generators and their own septic systems.

Hancock has four of those shelters, Harrison has three, and Jackson has three for a total of 10.

Harrison County's biggest shelters can house up to 1,000 people, but the CDC recommends no more than 500 people in one shelter.

Jackson County has an estimated population of about 142,000. With three shelters that are 75,000 square feet, using cots according to CDC guidelines would mean a maximum of 70 people in each.

"We'd only be able to house 210 people," Etheridge said.

But if it comes down to sheltering during a strong storm or social distancing, protecting lives from the immediate threat comes first. "Storm surge and the wind will kill," Etheridge said.

All of the counties are exploring secondary shelters, such as schools and community centers. Etheridge said his county has about 15 options identified, but in Hancock County, Adam says there are not really other options. All of the large buildings are south of Interstate 10.

Adam said the coastal counties have been talking with MEMA about a plan to send people to shelters in northern counties if needed, but he's not anticipating having to do that.

"First thing we have to do is take care of our citizens," he said. "There's a lot of people that don't have the means to evacuate, and we need to be there for them."

More shelter staff needed

The other new challenge is finding enough volunteers to staff more shelters and perform the additional daily duties of sanitizing and temperature checks.

"That's probably the biggest obstacle we will have," said John McFarland, executive director of Red Cross Southeast Mississippi Chapter, which normally staffs the shelters.

The Red Cross has already dealt with one disaster during the pandemic when a record EF4 tornado was one of two to hit central Mississippi on Easter Sunday, killing 8 and destroying over 1,000 homes. Instead of a shelter, tornado victims were housed in hotels.

"It was expensive and a lot of work, but at least it avoided putting a lot of people together in a shelter," McFarland said. "But obviously in a hurricane that might not be possible."

Every resident in a hurricane shelter will be required to wear a mask and have their temperature taken daily. People are encouraged to bring their own masks, but one will be provided by the county if needed.

The shelter will be cleaned daily, whereas before McFarland said Red Cross would hire cleaners after people left.

But if someone with a confirmed case of COVID-19 needs to enter a shelter, they won't be turned away. An isolation area will be created.

"You've got to allow people in whether they're sick or not," Etheridge said.

The counties and Red Cross say they will make every effort to sanitize and enforce social distancing when possible. It's important people are still willing to go to a shelter if their home is the more dangerous option in a storm.

"We want to make sure the people that have to go to the shelters feel safe," Adam said. "They could be reluctant to go because of COVID, and that's why we need to make it as safe as possible."

Volunteers needed

Red Cross volunteers have to be trained to be able to deal with what can be high-stress situations involving a lot of people. They also have to get a background check.

Unfortunately, many current volunteers fall into the high-risk category for COVID-19. McFarland also isn't able to recruit at the usual local club meetings and events.

"The influx of potential volunteers has obviously dropped significantly," he said.

The state Department of Human Services can provide employees to staff shelters if needed, as they've done in the past, but only for a few days until they have to resume operations after a storm.

It's never happened before, but if the counties had to open all possible shelters, McFarland said it would take 300 people to staff them.

He's encouraging people to sign up at redcoss.org to volunteer now, and get training before a storm hits.

On the road

Because of the pandemic, officials expect more people on the roads if the Coast falls anywhere in the National Hurricane Center's path-prediction cone.

"Roads will be more cluttered than we have seen in past years," said Lacy.

The most important thing Coast residents can do now is make a plan, state and local officials said.

Everyone needs to know which evacuation zone their home is in, and maps are available on the county websites. Every area near water is designated as needing to evacuate depending the category of the storm. Some low-lying areas should evacuate in a Category 1 storm.

Here are the coastal maps:

-- Evacuation map for Jackson County

-- Evacuation map for Harrison County

-- Evacuation map for Hancock County

Officials also recommend leaving sooner to avoid getting caught in traffic.

"Look at evacuation routes," Lacy said. And if you've never left for a storm before, "maybe this would be the year you think about evacuating."

He also said to look at options that are not only north but also to the east or west, depending on the storm's track.

The bottom line is be prepared to leave and plan somewhere to go.

"In the three Coast counties, we really don't want people in our shelters," Etheridge said. "We want people to evacuate and get out of harm's way."

How to plan now for hurricanes during coronavirus

The lower six counties have been working on a pandemic hurricane plan for only a month, and the emergency managers say planning is an ongoing process.

"We all have plans, but the plans are gonna be ever-changing and ever-evolving," Adam said.

Their staffs also have been social distancing, holding Zoom meetings, and will try to avoid packing into Emergency Operations Centers if a storm comes. Several officials also spoke highly of MEMA leader and former Camp Shelby commander Greg Michel and his organization of planning efforts.

Here are some other things Coast emergency managers say residents can do now to prepare:

-- "Think about 7 to 10 days' worth of supplies," Lacy said, including food and water. "We've already seen rushes on stores on various commodities, and you know there is a potential that we could see that again." Replenish and rotate canned goods.

-- Stock up on hand sanitizer and masks.

-- Have cash on hand.

-- "Right now is the time to worry about your home," Lacy said. "Clear out limbs and branches on these clear, blue-sky days over the weekend. Then you don't have that kind of debris banging up on your home."

-- Make a plan for animals. The counties hope to have a pet-friendly shelter but even in those the animals are kept in caged in a separate area.

-- If you have to go to a shelter, bring your own bedroll, water, snack food, comfort items and folding chairs. "Understand that shelters are not comfortable," Adam said.

"Make sure you're prepared. Get your supplies ready. It looks like this is gonna be a very active season."

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