Hope for the best, plan for the worst

Local victims of recent flooding have had opportunities in the last two weeks to get help from government, religious and humanitarian organizations.

Two multiagency resource centers have been held, one in Cape Girardeau and one in Olive Branch, Illinois. Residents whose homes and lives were affected by rising floodwaters were given access to counselors and others who could help meet their needs.

But there is something else people need to use to their advantage when it comes to flooding: advance warning.

In the situation of a tornado or earthquake, and to some extent hurricanes and tropical storms, there isn't much time to prepare. Emergency kits and plans for evacuation can (and should) be made, but when it comes to implementing them, time is short. The record-breaking flood stages were predicted days in advance of the encroaching waters. Yet some people chose to remain in their homes.

Perry County officials advised residents to move anything they wanted saved out of the area ahead of the flooding, Sheriff Gary Schaaf said. Businesses took similar precautions: Sabreliner moved their planes to higher ground in the county.

"It's really going to be close," Schaaf told the Southeast Missourian in late December. "But we'll hope for the best and plan for the worst."

In Cape Girardeau County, Dwayne Kirchhoff of the East County Fire Protection District went door to door in neighborhoods along Highway 177 to warn people the water was rising and the Missouri Department of Transportation was blocking access. Kirchhoff said they contacted about 35 families, telling them if they have to get out, not to cross the levee until it was safe.

One of his fellow firefighter's parents lives in the area. The department helped them move out on New Year's Day, going so far as to remove the carpeting and kitchen cabinets from the house, which ultimately saw little damage thanks to their efforts.

"That's when I decided we've got to notify all these people," Kirchhoff said.

He also warned residents to still call 911 if they had emergency, but knew they needed another plan of attack because there was no way to get one of East County's fire trucks out there.

Kirchhoff contacted two doctors who live in the area to see if he could "call on their resources if there was a medical emergency."

"'You tell us whatever you need,'" was the response, and the fire district loaded utility task vehicles with medical equipment in case of emergency. Kirchhoff also contacted the ambulance service to warn them they would have to have a helicopter in the event of a more serious medical emergency.

Such examples of proactivity are to be commended, making a tangible difference in people's lives -- possibly even saving some lives.

The resource centers were a great help to people after the fact, and we thank those agencies and organizations that provide such important services. But we should also prepare for flooding and take advantage of the advance warning we do not get when facing other natural disasters.

"The preparation... We see things that went on this time around, and now we've got spring facing us," Kirchhoff said. "So we're already starting to plan what we can do different on the emergency side of this for access. ... We're in a real community, and you have to take care of each other."

Hope for the best. But plan for the worst.