CLEPC recommends preparing for El Niño

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The possibility of an El Niño winter continues to be a topic of concern for disaster preparedness groups. Nancy Carroll, director of the Canyon Lake Emergency Preparedness Committee, recently attended the yearly Western County Emergency Preparedness Table-Top Exercise and says the topic of the meeting was on being prepared for the possible effects of El Niño weather condition in the upcoming fall and winter months.

She says, “We have no way of knowing what will happen, but we do know that it is much better to be prepared than to clean up what can be salvaged afterward. Here are a few steps you can easily take to be proactive:

• Check your rain gutters. Are they clear of debris and are they safely attached to the house?
• Do you have battery lights or candles if needed? A home generator would be very helpful if you have money and storage space for it.
• Do you have extra water and non-perishable food items?”

Nancy adds, “If you have watched the news, you have seen how communities have survived some of the recent devastating floods and fires around the country. Help comes from within. Canyon Lakers will need to help their own families by being prepared and then by reaching out to others. Members of the Canyon Lake Emergency Preparedness Committee (CLEPC) are ready to serve the community during a disaster.”

In Canyon Lake, winter storms may not be the same kind of full-fledged disaster that normally requires the assistance of CLEPC volunteers; however, if there are life-threatening conditions or longterm outages that threaten community members, such as in a major earthquake, the volunteers are trained to help with damage assessment, radio communication, Red Cross shelter/triage operations, etc.

In fact, during the “Great California Shake Out” on Thursday, October 15, CLEPC will be conducting a Damage Assessment Drill throughout the community in order for the Damage Assessors to practice their skills.

In the event of a major disaster, CLEPC recommends the following steps for Canyon Lake citizens:

• Confirm the safety of yourself and your family.
• Turn off electricity, propane and water as necessary.
• Check on immediate neighbors. Be sure they are aware of the situation and have taken necessary steps for safety.
• Place the HELP or OK signs (pages 59 and 60 in the Canyon Lake phone book) in a front window or other location visible to CLEPC volunteers who will be canvassing each neighborhood.

According to Nancy, here’s what to expect following a disaster in Canyon Lake: CLEPC Damage Assessment teams will be driving or walking through all neighborhoods in search of injured people and damaged property. These teams will be wearing bright orange vests.

Anyone who is aware of someone requiring medical assistance or shelter should notify these teams, who will report directly to the Emergency Operations Center so help can be provided.Join the CLEPC

The Canyon Lake Emergency Preparedness Committee invites residents to monthly meetings the first Thursday of each month, from 6:30 to 8 p.m. in the City Multi-purpose Room/Council Chamber. If they choose to join this large group of volunteers, they will earn how to make a difference during a disaster.

Nancy says, “Learning what to do before, during and after a disaster will make all our lives safer and less stressful. For a small city such as ours, we need many trained volunteers. Any outside help will be very little to none for at least 72 hours or more. Since many Canyon Lake citizens work outside the community and/or travel often, we need three times more volunteers than we would use at any one time. That way, when our disaster hits, enough people will be here to do the job until the others get home.”

For more information about CLEPC, call Nancy at 951-244-8230 or visit cityofcanyonlake.org and click on “Services” and “Disaster Preparedness.” While on the website, citizens also can sign up for Code Red.

The City of Canyon Lake has an emergency notification system called CodeRED, which will alert each resident by phone or e-mail in the event of an emergency. The ultra high-speed telephone communication service allows the City to telephone all or targeted areas in case of an emergency.

Sign up for the service at www.cityofcanyonlake.org. Once on the website, go to Disaster Preparedness, then to the Code Red link. The short online form asks for information about alternate phone numbers, email addresses, pagers and cell phone numbers. Those who previously have signed up and haven’t made changes to their contact information don’t need to sign up again.