Local Disaster Preparedness
A report by the American Red Cross in Greater New York and NYU's Center for Catastrophe Preparedness & Response.
May 22, 2006
Of the households surveyed, 17-percent report that they are much more prepared than this time last year, 22-percent are somewhat more prepared, and 52-
percent are about as well prepared. Only seven percent have become less prepared over the past year.
Still, many have not taken tangible steps to prepare for emergencies. A majority claim to have preparedness plans, though nearly seven in ten households with
plans report having never tested them. Half of respondents say they have put together emergency supply kits, but most of these kits are incomplete.
- Half of New Yorkers polled have emergency supply kits, but many of these kits are incomplete;
- 63% of New Yorkers polled have an emergency plan, but rarely have they put their plan to a test run or practiced it;
- Many New Yorkers are taking preparedness steps in their homes, but few have all the necessary supplies.
- In the event of an evacuation, the majority of respondents (53%) are most likely to rely on cars or taxis to evacuate
- Fifty-eight percent of New Yorkers polled say they are prepared for an emergency that would require them to evacuate their homes and leave the immediate
area for up to three days, yet 32 percent indicated that they don’t have emergency go bags ready with the necessary supplies to take with them.
Fortunately, many would like to become better prepared by receiving more preparedness information and training. The report concludes with specific action
steps both ARC/GNY and NYU will pursue to build on existing preparedness efforts, based on New Yorkers' preferred methods of receiving preparedness
information and training.
The telephone survey of 1,000 adult New Yorkers was conducted between Feb. 28 and March 15. The margin of error is plus or minus 4 percentage points.
May 22, 2006
Of the households surveyed, 17-percent report that they are much more prepared than this time last year, 22-percent are somewhat more prepared, and 52-
percent are about as well prepared. Only seven percent have become less prepared over the past year.
Still, many have not taken tangible steps to prepare for emergencies. A majority claim to have preparedness plans, though nearly seven in ten households with
plans report having never tested them. Half of respondents say they have put together emergency supply kits, but most of these kits are incomplete.
- Half of New Yorkers polled have emergency supply kits, but many of these kits are incomplete;
- 63% of New Yorkers polled have an emergency plan, but rarely have they put their plan to a test run or practiced it;
- Many New Yorkers are taking preparedness steps in their homes, but few have all the necessary supplies.
- In the event of an evacuation, the majority of respondents (53%) are most likely to rely on cars or taxis to evacuate
- Fifty-eight percent of New Yorkers polled say they are prepared for an emergency that would require them to evacuate their homes and leave the immediate
area for up to three days, yet 32 percent indicated that they don’t have emergency go bags ready with the necessary supplies to take with them.
Fortunately, many would like to become better prepared by receiving more preparedness information and training. The report concludes with specific action
steps both ARC/GNY and NYU will pursue to build on existing preparedness efforts, based on New Yorkers' preferred methods of receiving preparedness
information and training.
The telephone survey of 1,000 adult New Yorkers was conducted between Feb. 28 and March 15. The margin of error is plus or minus 4 percentage points.
New Yorkers' Disaster Preparedness Falls Short, Study Finds
By ANTHONY RAMIREZ
Published: May 22, 2006 NY Times
New York City has been a target of terrorists, a victim of blackouts and prey to hurricanes and other natural calamities. But a
new study to be released tomorrow concludes that while about two-thirds of New Yorkers say they are prepared for disaster,
few actually are.
About half of New Yorkers could not feed or shelter themselves for three days if the water and electricity suddenly failed,
researchers said, and they have not stored the recommended daily gallon of water for each person in the household.
Of those who said they were prepared, many (43 percent) had not packed food that does not spoil or put away spare cash
(41 percent). About 30 percent did not have battery-powered radios, according to the study, which was conducted by the New
York chapter of the Red Cross and the Center for Catastrophe Preparedness & Response at New York University.
Manhattan is the least prepared borough, researchers found, with 58 percent of respondents lacking a rudimentary
emergency supply kit. In Queens, the most prepared borough, 40 percent lacked a kit.
Dr. Irwin Redlener, the director of the National Center for Disaster Preparedness at Columbia University, said Hurricane
Katrina last year and the Sept. 11 attacks were "not wake-up calls, but more like snooze alarms, where we get aroused
briefly and then drift back to sleep."
As evidence that preparation saves lives, Dr. Redlener cited one of the worst earthquakes ever recorded, in the industrial city
of Tangshan, China, in 1976. Half a million people may have died there — the toll was never clear — but Dr. Redlener said
that in the nearby Quinglong District, where officials had an extensive program to prepare for an earthquake, only one
person died — of a heart attack.
While disaster experts recommend having an evacuation plan that includes at least two places for scattered family members
to gather, only about 13 percent in the survey reported having made such arrangements. Since cellphones might not work
and communication could be disrupted, a friend or relative who lives out of state should also have information on the plan.
More than half of the survey's respondents (53 percent) said that if they had to flee New York after a disaster, they would
drive or take taxis. The report noted, however, that streets would likely be choked with traffic. Fifteen percent said they would
ignore any orders to evacuate.
Timothy Raducha-Grace, associate director of the Center for Catastrophe Preparedness and Response, said in an interview,
"If we had asked more follow-up questions on how people practice their evacuation plans, then those low percentages would
probably fall even further."
In the study, 1,000 adults were interviewed by telephone between Feb. 28 and March 15. The study has a margin of error of
4 percentage points.
Safety experts advise people to have supplies to sustain a household for three days. Besides water, canned food, cash and a
battery-powered radio, a kit should contain a flashlight, a whistle, iodine tablets for disinfecting water, a cellphone, extra
phone batteries and personal items like prescription drugs.
When residents are advised to evacuate, they will also need what officials call a "go bag." That should contain copies of
important documents in a waterproof container; credit and A.T.M. cards and cash; first-aid kits; rain gear, blankets and
shoes; and, above all, written information on two places to gather in case the family is scattered.
Wendy Rose, a spokeswoman for the Institute for Business & Home Safety, an insurance-industry group in Tampa, Fla., said
it was also important for people to consider that seemingly harmless objects like a neighbor's lawn furniture could smash into
their homes during a hurricane or that wind-driven rain could wreak havoc if it entered a home through broken windows.
"Until you live it, you don't think of all the ways you'll be affected by a disaster," Ms. Rose said. "I've heard many stories
about people who had all their food in their little hurricane kit but no can opener."
By ANTHONY RAMIREZ
Published: May 22, 2006 NY Times
New York City has been a target of terrorists, a victim of blackouts and prey to hurricanes and other natural calamities. But a
new study to be released tomorrow concludes that while about two-thirds of New Yorkers say they are prepared for disaster,
few actually are.
About half of New Yorkers could not feed or shelter themselves for three days if the water and electricity suddenly failed,
researchers said, and they have not stored the recommended daily gallon of water for each person in the household.
Of those who said they were prepared, many (43 percent) had not packed food that does not spoil or put away spare cash
(41 percent). About 30 percent did not have battery-powered radios, according to the study, which was conducted by the New
York chapter of the Red Cross and the Center for Catastrophe Preparedness & Response at New York University.
Manhattan is the least prepared borough, researchers found, with 58 percent of respondents lacking a rudimentary
emergency supply kit. In Queens, the most prepared borough, 40 percent lacked a kit.
Dr. Irwin Redlener, the director of the National Center for Disaster Preparedness at Columbia University, said Hurricane
Katrina last year and the Sept. 11 attacks were "not wake-up calls, but more like snooze alarms, where we get aroused
briefly and then drift back to sleep."
As evidence that preparation saves lives, Dr. Redlener cited one of the worst earthquakes ever recorded, in the industrial city
of Tangshan, China, in 1976. Half a million people may have died there — the toll was never clear — but Dr. Redlener said
that in the nearby Quinglong District, where officials had an extensive program to prepare for an earthquake, only one
person died — of a heart attack.
While disaster experts recommend having an evacuation plan that includes at least two places for scattered family members
to gather, only about 13 percent in the survey reported having made such arrangements. Since cellphones might not work
and communication could be disrupted, a friend or relative who lives out of state should also have information on the plan.
More than half of the survey's respondents (53 percent) said that if they had to flee New York after a disaster, they would
drive or take taxis. The report noted, however, that streets would likely be choked with traffic. Fifteen percent said they would
ignore any orders to evacuate.
Timothy Raducha-Grace, associate director of the Center for Catastrophe Preparedness and Response, said in an interview,
"If we had asked more follow-up questions on how people practice their evacuation plans, then those low percentages would
probably fall even further."
In the study, 1,000 adults were interviewed by telephone between Feb. 28 and March 15. The study has a margin of error of
4 percentage points.
Safety experts advise people to have supplies to sustain a household for three days. Besides water, canned food, cash and a
battery-powered radio, a kit should contain a flashlight, a whistle, iodine tablets for disinfecting water, a cellphone, extra
phone batteries and personal items like prescription drugs.
When residents are advised to evacuate, they will also need what officials call a "go bag." That should contain copies of
important documents in a waterproof container; credit and A.T.M. cards and cash; first-aid kits; rain gear, blankets and
shoes; and, above all, written information on two places to gather in case the family is scattered.
Wendy Rose, a spokeswoman for the Institute for Business & Home Safety, an insurance-industry group in Tampa, Fla., said
it was also important for people to consider that seemingly harmless objects like a neighbor's lawn furniture could smash into
their homes during a hurricane or that wind-driven rain could wreak havoc if it entered a home through broken windows.
"Until you live it, you don't think of all the ways you'll be affected by a disaster," Ms. Rose said. "I've heard many stories
about people who had all their food in their little hurricane kit but no can opener."
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