By Clara Atwell, Business Editor
Vashon’s isolated position in the Puget Sound puts the whole island community in a vulnerable position in the case of a natural disaster. VashonBePrepared is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit coalition of organizations that work to educate and aid the Vashon community on disaster preparedness.
“Hardly anyone understands that VashonBePrepared isn’t in charge, and if we actually had a [disaster], then VashonBePrepared has no operational role whatsoever,” said Rick Wallace, volunteer manager of the Emergency Operations Center (EOC), vice president of both VashonBePrepared and Voice of Vashon (VoV).
The idea of a major natural disaster, like an earthquake, is incredibly frightening because we have the notion that everything will go dark, leaving us completely isolated. Although a disaster like this could have devastating effects, being prepared as a community could greatly aid the island as a whole.
“For every household that is resilient and ready, that’s somebody that we don’t have to worry about,” Wallace said. “We don’t have to try to find food for them and we don’t have to send somebody to rescue them.”
In the case of a natural disaster, it is possible that outside help would not get to Vashon for two or more weeks.
In order to get an outside organization to Vashon, it would require authorization and coordination in regards to both how to reach the island — it is likely that ferries would not be functional, and many roads would be inaccessible — and then how to help the island while balancing the needs of larger, inland populations.
“The principle in play for all these organizations [is to do] the greatest good for the greatest number of people, and if people in 50-story apartment buildings have no running water and no sanitation, they have a more urgent need than we do,” said Victoria de Monterey Richoux, president of both VashonBePrepared and Neighborhood Emergency Response Organizations, as well as coordinator and Logistics Section chief of EOC.
If islanders have to wait while aid organizations help the mainland, VashonBePrepared recommends that they have two or more weeks worth of food for the entire family — including pets — a non-electric heat source like a fireplace or warm clothes, extra medications and any extraneous supplies families might need to feel comfortable in their households.
In cars, they advise having a gokit and at least half a tank of gasoline at all times.
“What people tend to think [subconsciously] is that someone is going to come take care of them, and everybody should just know that’s not going to happen,” Wallace said. “Nobody’s coming to help; you need to get ready yourself”
However, Vashon’s rural culture means that islanders usually stock up on food anyway whenever they make a Costco or Trader Joe’s run, and many have vegetable gardens or small farms. The food in islanders’ pantries could likely last three or more days, according to Wallace.
Many islanders also have camping supplies like stoves and water filters, and on top of this the island has seven water districts and over 100 shared wells. If any of the seven class A water systems had a break, they would shut down immediately so that no water was lost from the tanks.
VashonBePrepared would then set up a standpipe where people could come get clean water. VashonBePrepared has a standing order on 5,000 empty one-gallon clean water jugs which they would distribute to islanders after a disaster.
These containers would ensure that locals do not use containers that could potentially contaminate their water supply and create a health emergency.
“From the household perspective, if you are prepared for a winter storm, which we’ve all seen, then you are well on your way to being prepared for a bigger [and] longer disaster,” Monterey Richoux said.