Page 7 - Abacoa Community News - June '23

Abacoa, Page 7

Neighborhood News

Hurricane Preparedness – Saves Lives

Make A Plan During The Storm • Stay away from downed power lines. Call the electric
• Make a communication Keep checking for updates about the storm. Watch TV, company to report them.
plan and a disaster plan for listen to the radio, or check online. • Do not enter damaged buildings.
your family. Pass time enjoying a good read, cards/games, arts & • Always follow warnings about flooded roads.
• Write down emergency crafts, decorating. Catch up on that series you’ve been • Don’t drive in flooded areas – cars or other vehicles
phone numbers and post in meaning to binge, make it a movie night and build a fort won’t protect you from floodwaters. They can be swept
your home; program in cell phone. are just some ideas. It’s important to kick back and relax. away or may stall in moving water.
• Have storm apps downloaded in phone (including local Taking care of your emotional health will help you • If you have to be in or near floodwater, wear a life
apps as available). think clearly and react to urgent needs. jacket – especially if the water is rising.
• Call the hospital, public health department, or the police If You Need To Evacuate • Wash your hands with soap and water if you have
about special needs. If you or a loved one is older or disabled • Contact your local emergency management office been in floodwater. Floodwater can contain many things
and won’t be able to leave quickly, get advice on what to do. and ask if they offer accommodations for owners and that may harm health, including germs, dangerous
• Identify nearest shelters (including pet-friendly shelters) their pets. chemicals, sharp objects, human and livestock waste, wild
and routes to them. • Grab your emergency supply kit and only take what or stray animals, downed power lines, and many other
• Clear yard of nonsecured items, cover windows and you really need with you (cell phone, chargers, medicines, contaminants that can make you sick.
doors. identification like a passport or license, and cash).
• Check your carbon monoxide (CO) detector’s battery. • Unplug your appliances. If you have time, turn off
• Know flood zones and follow flood and/or flash flood the gas, electricity, and water. Abacoa Community
prone area prep and procedures. • Follow the roads that emergency workers recommend
Prepare The Following even if there’s traffic. Other routes might be blocked or
• An emergency food and water supply flooded. Never drive through flooded areas – cars and other Garden Children’s
• Fill clean water containers with drinking water. Fill up vehicles can be swept away or may stall in just 6 inches
your sinks and bathtubs with water for washing. of moving water. Event
• An emergency first aid kit and personal medicine supply If You Need To Stay Home
• Emergency power sources such as flashlights (don’t forget • Keep your emergency supply kit in a place you can easily
extra batteries) access. Plants On Earth Vs. Plants In
• Safety and personal items • Listen to the radio or TV for updates on the hurricane.
• Important documents, including medical documents, • Stay inside. Even if it looks calm, don’t go outside. Wait Space
wills, passports, and personal identification until you hear or see an official message that the hurricane is
• Inspected fire extinguisher and know how to use over. Sometimes, weather gets calm in the middle of a storm The Abacoa Community Garden Members welcomed
• Life jackets but then quickly gets bad again. fourth graders from St. Mark’s Episcopal School for an
• Fill vehicle gas tanks. Park in secure space. Have • Stay away from windows – you could get hurt by pieces interactive lesson on how plants are grown on earth versus
emergency kit in vehicle. Visit Ready.gov for information on of broken glass or flying debris during a storm. Stay in a room how plants are grown in space.
how to prepare your car and what to include in your kit. with no windows or go inside a closet. The children were given a tour of the garden, learning
• Be ready to leave. If how a garden is run and the care that is put into each
emergency authorities order crop from planting to harvest. Garden members had
you to leave or if your set up several stations throughout so that the children
home is damaged, you may could explore the challenges of growing plants on earth
need to go to a shelter or a and in space. Differences include: the constant need for
neighbor’s house. artificial light because of the limited amount of sunlight
Staying Safe After A in orbit; that water behaves differently in a microgravity
Hurricane environment; and, that roots without earth’s gravitational
The storm might be over, but pull do not grow downward.
that doesn’t mean the danger is.
• Listen to reports from local
officials for advice.
• Use flashlights over
candles.
• Be sure food and water is
safe to eat.
• Never use a wet electrical
device.

SHOP LOCAL The children learned that a plant’s response to gravity is

With Businesses called gravitropism and is a critical aspect of astrobotany
research. They conducted experiments with gravitropism
by planting fava beans in small glass jars so that they could
You Can Trust see that no matter how they positioned the bean or the jar,
the root will always grow towards gravity.

Abacoa Community Garden on page 8
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