(WSVN) - In the days after andrew … People were desperate for a place to live, food to eat and help in general. The storm’s 30th anniversary is a good reminder why planning to take care of your family is so important. Here’s 7’s Craig Stevens.
Residents were left digging through the rubble of their homes after andrew ravaged south dade. They desperately searched for any remnants of their lives.
Entire neighborhoods were destroyed. There was no shelter, no food, no water and no help on the way.
All of the suffering prompted the Emergency Management Director Kate Hale to send out a desperate national call .
Kate Hale: “Where in the hell is the calvary?”
Only then did help arrive.
People stood in line for hours for food, water, clothing and other basic necessities.
National Guard soldier: “We’ve got to get the people who need food fed.”
Andrew showed us how catastrophic hurricanes can be, and it should remind us why preparing for a storm is so important.
Pete Gomez, Miami-Dade EOC director: “Well, number one is we live in hurricane alley. There is a very good chance that we’re going to be affected by some kind of weather event, specifically hurricanes.”
Pete Gomez is the new director for Miami-Dade’s Emergency Operations Center.
He says people need to shop for supplies that can keep their family safe after a storm.
Pete Gomez: “Part of that is understanding that government or somebody is not going to be able to help you for a period of time. Right, so we ask you to be self-sufficient for a period of three to seven days.”
Your kit should include plenty of food and water, ice to keep food at a safe temperature. You should also have emergency tarps and hardware to make repairs if your home is damaged.
But, Gomez says, the government is working behind the scenes to get emergency help to you as soon as possible after a storm hits.
Pete Gomez: “We’ve made a lot of improvements in our processes, not only at the local and state level, but at the federal level, but we still want you to be taking care of in case we can’t get to you yet.”
Gomez says part of that process includes emergency supplies being readied before the hurricane hits.
Pete Gomez: “The federal government will pre-stage them in certain locations away from the storm so that soon as the storm passes, they’re able to get all those supplies in there.”
But, to be on the safe side, buy your supplies, make a plan and follow it if a storm heads our way.
A full list of critical supplies you’ll want to stock up on can be found by clicking here.
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