by Anna V. Smith

Journal reporter

While a fire crackled in the hearth and the air was scented with baked goods, Brendan Cowan, director of San Juan Department of Emergency Management talked with an audience at the San Juan Island Grange last week about the importance of being prepared for winter and all the challenges it comes with.

Cowan discussed the basics of being prepared, such as keeping at least a week’s worth of food and water, alternatives to electric heat sources and knowing your neighbors needs as well as your own.

“The recent power outage was a great little reminder of these things,” Cowan said. Although OPALCO has 95 percent of its power lines underground thanks to a FEMA grant, “We’re still all connected to the greater grid, so we still have to be mindful of that.”

Most members of the audience had at least some experience with winters on San Juan Island, and had some impressive stories to tell about weeks on end with no electricity back in the 1990s and late 1980s.

Cowan, who travels around states assisting other emergency situations in addition to his time here, said that the major response that he sees from people affected by tragedies like wildfires or storms is that they weren’t prepared because they didn’t think it would happen to them. It’s often smaller communities with altruistic sensibilities that do the best under pressure, coming together and helping each other.

“At the end of the day it’s all about thinking ahead to stay warm and safe and connected, so we want to look at how to get to that point, and what’s keeping us from taking those steps,” Cowan said.

He supplied a 12-month “preparation calendar” for people to gradually acquire the things they’ll need in the event of an emergency, including a checklist of things to purchase such as canned foods, portable radios and hand-held tools, as well as a list of activities for families and neighbors to take part in.

“Basically, it’s like living on the San Juan Islands in the 1920s,” Cowan said, explaining that households should have non-electric devices at the ready, and to know your neighbors in the event that you or they should need help. Cowan said that checking on neighbor’s houses when they aren’t there is also important, since pipes can freeze and thaw may cause them to burst with nobody home to be aware of the running water.

The conversation turned from winter preparedness to natural disasters such as earthquakes and tsunamis, including the massive Cascadia earthquake that will hit the Pacific Northwest. Cowan said that for the islands, any tsunami will be 45 minutes after the quake which will give islanders time to get to higher ground. There will be multiple surges, Cowan said, so don’t go out onto the water in a boat until water levels have returned to normal.

“There is no reason that someone should die from the tsunami on the islands,” Cowan said, noting that the surge will come up around 20 feet. The point of being prepared for an event like the Cascadia earthquake is less because of the damage that the islands will sustain, and more due to the little assistance islanders will receive because of being a rural county when larger cities like Victoria B.C., Seattle and Portland will be affected up and down the coast.

Cowan also discussed best practices when driving in snowy conditions (don’t unless absolutely necessary), preventing water pipes from freezing (keep a steady drip going and indoors heated) and keeping an eye on neighbors, friends and family and checking in with weather broadcasts to be prepared for storms.

For info on how to respond to emergencies or a list of supplies, visit the Department of Emergency Management at www.joomla.sanjuandem.net. To contact Brendan Cowan or ask him to speak about preparedness at a neighborhood gathering or meeting, email him at dem@sanjuandem.net.