This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.

Health & Fitness

Preparing for the Next Big Storm

Fairfax County supports neighbor to neighbor connections in emergencies but its up to us to mobilize our neighborhoods in Reston.

On Nov. 3,  a group of Reston residents engaged in a thought-provoking discussion and presentation at the forum "Is Your Neighborhood Ready for the Next Big Storm".  The event was produced by Reston for a Lifetime with the support of Reston Community Center and Reston Citizens Association.  Below are some of the highlights and links to resources mentioned at the event. Goals for the Event:

  1. Help Restonians be more prepared in storms by explaining available resources
  2. Identify vulnerable Restonians and neighbors willing and able to help them
  3. Increase the dialogue among neighbors  about how they can help each other in these situations
  4. Leverage neighborhood connections to help make Reston a better place to live a lifetime
  • Cherie Lejeune provided a recap of the situation at Lake Anne Fellowship House during the Derecho storm this summer. She shared some of the challenges and how the community rallied to support the residents.
  • In an open dialogue the audience was offered the opportunity to share what concerns them most about storms and power outages in Reston. Here were a few comments:
    • Isolated in a single-family neighborhood
    • I have mobility issues so I can't get out or around
    • Cell-phone vs. land line concerns
    • Concerns about people not having Internet or Smart Phones
  • Marcelo Ferreira, Community Liaison with the Fairfax County Office of Emergency Management offered a tremendous amount of resources to the attendees. Marcelo tried to answer all the questions and confirmed that the county supports neighbor to neighbor connections. His email is marcelo.ferreira@fairfaxcounty.gov and phone number is 571-350-1013
  • The Fairfax County Office of Emergency Management  http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/oem/ suggests three steps that each individual and family should take to prepare for an emergency.
    1. Make a Plan - Determine how you will contact your network of support, and get back together, if you are separated during an emergency. Be sureto identify what you will do in various situations. More info is available at www.ReadyVirginia.gov and www.MakeaPlan.org
    2. Assemble a Kit - An emergency kit should contain basic supplies to help you withstand a disaster. It's best to think first about the basics of survival: fresh water, food, clean air and warmth http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/oem/prepare/kit.htm
    3. Stay Informed - The most convenient way to stay up-to-date about local
      emergencies is to register for the Community Emergency Alert Network (CEAN), https://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/cean/ which delivers important emergency alerts, notifications and updates during a major emergency, and weather and traffic alerts.
  • If you have a specific medical condition, sign up for the Medical Needs Registry -
    571-350-1000 to make sure first responders are aware.
  • Several attendees shared how their clusters and neighborhoods have come together in an organized manner socially and they system has transformed nicely for emergency preparation.  Reston for a Lifetime will work on creating some case studies and video to highlight these practices.  If you are interested in having your neighborhood featured email aginginreston@gmail.com
  • Cherie Lejeune shared the concept of creating a "first knock" system in neighborhoods where residents would voluntarily sign up to have a neighbor check in on them at the time of an emergency.  Everyone recognized that although technology is very prevelant and many of us have smart phones, email, and internet there are still many without.  We discussed creating a buddy system as well as the potential for grants to support all people in Reston over a certain age getting a smart phone or a discount on a device.

  • As always, please email aginginreston@gmail.com with your questions and comments.
    We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

    The views expressed in this post are the author's own. Want to post on Patch?