As things are starting to settle down, we are getting used to the normal schedule. Today we learned power has been restored to about 15% - 20% of the city of Kennett. We were also informed of a Wind Chill Advisory that had been issued due to having wind chills falling below zero.
At the shelter, we started to prepare for more people, figuring some of those who went home on Sunday during a the warmer weather would need to come back. We also posted copies of the advisory up around the shelter. After lunch was served some of the shelter clients boarded buses to the high school where they could take a shower (the high school was running on a generator).
All in all, spirits are still up at the shelter. We still have the popcorn maker left over from the Super bowl party on Monday night.
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An aerial picture of power poles snapped in Kennett, MO.
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So we made up some more popcorn. The weather started turning cold as the wind picked up. We got three new clients who came in before dinner saying it was too cold again to stay at home. I headed back to the Emergency Operations Center for an evening briefing. According to the utility company, workers are dropping new power poles in wherever ones were down. The Mayor of Kennett took a helicopter tour of the damage. I’ve included a picture so you can see what it looks like around the Bootheel.
Later in the evening I was dropping someone at a staff shelter and we noticed a house right behind the shelter was on fire! At first it looked like it was just the window frame, so I grabbed the extinguisher out of the truck. However as I got closer, I saw that the entire room was one big fire ball, so I just talked to a neighbor to make sure everyone got out ok. In the back there was a dog house right next to the house that was getting all of the smoke from the fire, so I tried to get the dog out. But I quickly learned it wasn't the nicest dog – so as it came to run me off I stood right out of its reach. It barked at me, but I watched to make sure it didn't return to the dog house. And then I called it a night!
I had one person ask me the biggest obstacle in dealing with a disaster like this, my answer is simple: Time. As I took some time to re-read some of my blog postings, I realize that it is only Day 6 – but it feels like Day 12. Things that happen in the morning feel like yesterday and so on. And this biggest way to overcome that is writing everything down. My hands look like they are covered in tattoos with names and phone numbers all over them. I now carry a note pad and pen everywhere I go, to make sure nothing gets missed.
Well the good news I get the day off tomorrow, so all I will have to do is the morning and evening EOC briefings and turning in the lunch counts for all the other shelters in Dunklin County. Tomorrow’s blog will hopefully be less exciting.
Until tomorrow!
Mark McWilliams