Responding to Disaster

Responding to Disaster

When a disaster occurs, the following steps should be taken to ensure that all council members and their families are safe before and after the event.

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Tornado damage in Rowlett, Texas.

Council Response:

  1. Immediately put your phone tree into action to ensure the safety of council members and their families
  2. Notify your jurisdiction leadership and disaster coordinator of the status of your members and their families, highlighting any needs that they may have
  3. Maintain contact lists of the parish’s vulnerable community members (the elderly, disabled, and widow(er)s) to ensure that they have access to food and water
  4. After the danger has passed, hold fundraisers and collection drives to benefit those effected by the disaster
  5. To the extent possible, communicate with the jurisdiction disaster coordinator and jurisdiction leadership regarding available and safe facilities for a council to use as a point of distribution (i.e., schools, parish or council halls)
  6. Volunteer – encourage members to volunteer for opportunities suitable to their abilities and the council’s ability to respond
    • After major disasters, those affected often need help cleaning up debris, repairing fences, spreading tarps on roofs, rebuilding damaged wheelchair ramps, or a myriad of other activities

Important Note:

During and in the immediate aftermath of a disaster, never act in the context of a council beyond ensuring members of the council and parish community are safe unless assistance has been requested by emergency professionals, your parish, community disaster coordinator or through your state council leadership.

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Rescuers assist victims of Hurricane Harvey in Texas.

Individual Response:

There are steps you can take to help ensure the safety of yourself, your family and community before and after a disaster. They include:

  1. Staying aware of local media weather reports and your local evacuation routes.
  2. Connecting with YOUR COUNCIL and parish regarding disaster safety, awareness training and volunteer efforts.
  3. Praying for your family members and others in the path of disaster. THESE PRAYERS are timeless, and can be said at anytime. Offered together, our prayers can be stronger than the most powerful storm.
  4. Giving what you can to DISASTER RELIEF. Even small contributions make a big difference. One hundred percent of the proceeds will go directly to relief efforts.
  5. Spreading the word. The flyers below are specially designed to be printed and distributed around your community. You can also post them on personal and council social media accounts. Share our YouTube videos. Sharing these links will cost no more than a few seconds of your time, but they can make all the difference in the life of another.