Exercise Prepares Town Officials For Hurricane

FALMOUTH- Hurricane Jessica hits Falmouth at approximately 4 PM September 25, 2008. The category 3 winds rage up to 115 miles per hour. Storms surge nine to 12 feet, flooding major sections of Falmouth along all coastlines. The center of Falmouth is underwater, and so are the coastal areas of  Woods Hole, Falmouth Heights, and along with North, East, and West Falmouth.
Luckily, the town is prepared.
Falmouth Fire Chief Paul D. Brodeur hosted a table-top exercise yesterday with members of many of the town’s departments, along with members of Falmouth Hospital, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, and the Marine Biological Laboratory, to simulate how the town would respond to a category 3 hurricane.
 Chief Brodeur and his team set up the Emergency Operations Center at the fire station and each department gave an explanation of how they would prepare for a storm of this magnitude and the one- to two-week aftermath.
The imaginary storm, Jessica, was named after the 17-year-old daughter of Chief Brodeur’s assistant, Kimberly Strohm.
Some of the worst news about what would happen if a major hurricane hit Falmouth came from Falmouth Wastewater Superintendent Gerald C. Potamis.
He raised concerns that wastewater generators for sewer systems in Woods Hole and Silver Beach would only run for about one day and then the toilets connected to the sewer system would not flush. He said his department would not be able to deliver fuel to the generators because their fuel tanks would be underwater, based on simulated drawings of what the town’s coastline would look like after such a storm when flooding would affect large portions of the town.
Other officials and department heads ran through lists of what their preparations would include. Garth Meyerhoff, a Falmouth Hospital official, said they would discharge as many patients as possible and stock up on food and water beyond their current four-day supply.
A representative for the superintendent of schools said they would most likely close schools a day ahead of a storm this size and plan to be closed for the following week.
The harbor master’s representative, Robert W. Griffin Jr., described the chaotic scene during Hurricane Bob when everyone was trying to get their boats out of the water and someone tried to lower his sail while still on the boat ramp. He said the harbor master would coordinate their schedule with the Woods Hole drawbridge, and Chief Brodeur quipped, “It’s open right now.”
Joseph A. Dehnick, emergency medical services supervisor, said his department would increase the stockpiles of oxygen and intravenous fluids as well as Benadryl and epinephrine, noting the numerous people who suffered from bee stings after Hurricane Bob.
Chief Brodeur mentioned that all departments would need to keep accurate records of work hours, in order to be reimbursed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
Also, he said, during Hurricane Bob, they learned the hard way that FEMA will reimburse you if you lose a chainsaw during a hurricane, but not if you go out and buy one to help clean up a hurricane.
Chief Brodeur asked the Marine Biological Laboratory representative, “MBL, what would you be doing, besides getting out of town?”
James Marcello, the environmental health safety manager for MBL, said they would board up buildings and get people out of town. Also, he said, they would shut down scientific apparatus and move chemical waste up a few floors.
The WHOI representative, Ronald H. Reif, the environmental safety manager for WHOI, said that the Quissett Campus might be used as a staging area to help evacuate the Village of Woods Hole. On the subject of chemical waste, the WHOI representative said, “We have everything that MBL has except in some cases ten times more.”
Brian J. Dale, the tree warden for the department of public works, said that tree clearing would be done through private contractors and would be based on snow routes.
Chief Brodeur explained that Falmouth would be evacuated, which would mean no aid for people who decide to stay, but there would not be forced removal.
One major change from previous disaster scenarios is that pets will now be allowed inside shelters, because Chief Brodeur said a lesson learned from Hurricane Katrina was that if people cannot bring their pets, many would choose not to come.
All listed phone numbers are automatically in the Rapid Alert emergency database, and will be contacted in the event of any emergency. Anyone with unlisted phone numbers or cellular phone numbers who would like to be contacted in the event of an emergency can download a form at the Barnstable County Sheriff’s Department website, www.bsheriff.net/rapidalert.htm, pick up the form at the Falmouth fire department, or call 508-563-4479.
The database is updated quarterly.