Deadly flooding claimed at least 130 lives and caused widespread devastation across central Texas early this month. Connecticut leaders are hearing the wake up call.
Some Texas officials have blamed the county’s warning system for not adequately alerting residents to the severity of the storm, despite early warnings from meteorologists.
With hurricane season well underway, Connecticut state leaders such as Ronnell Higgins, commissioner of the Connecticut Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection (DESPP), are addressing the importance of planning ahead.
Speaking before a crowd in Oxford Friday, alongside Gov. Ned Lamont, Higgins said residents should “be prepared.”
But as state and local governments brace for storms, there is still the problem of getting people to take the warnings seriously.
Two people died as a result of severe flooding in Oxford last August. George Temple, the town’s first selectman, recalled how the catastrophe seemed, at first, like any ordinary storm.
“It was a perilous day for a lot of people,” Temple said. “To me, it was just a rainstorm.”
Connecticut officials are also concerned about potential gaps in the state’s warning system. Fewer than 7% of Connecticut residents are subscribed to CTAlert, the state-wide emergency alert system. That’s according to William Turner, the state’s emergency management director.
Turner suggests residents sign up for CTAlert and prepare to-go kits, which contain basic disaster supplies such as batteries, a flashlight and a first aid kit. Turner also recommends purchasing a wireless radio.
“We need everybody to take preparedness seriously, and do their part to educate themselves, make a plan, and have a process in place so that you know what to do to keep your friends, family, and pets safe when disaster strikes, ” Turner said.
