WEDNESDAY, JUNE 3, 2009

Long-term planning and strategies should be incorporated within any preparedness game plan

BATON ROUGE, La. -- With the 2009 hurricane season underway, much has been said and written about the importance of preparation in the event another hurricane eyes the Louisiana coast.

And while many of those plans assist families, individuals, and businesses in readying for a possible evacuation, most do not go far enough as it relates to readying for long-term recovery from a catastrophic event such as hurricanes Katrina, Rita, Gustav, and Ike.

“The Jindal administration and the Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness (GOHSEP) have made hurricane preparedness a priority via their ‘Get A Game Plan’ initiative,” said Dr. Monteic A. Sizer, President and CEO of the Louisiana Family Recovery Corps. “Obviously we have seen the effects of not being prepared as individuals and as a state. However, in addition to those efforts, it is critical that we consider long-term strategies in the event of another catastrophic disaster.”

The Recovery Corps has identified four critical areas of focus as it relates to long-term strategies within a family’s or individual’s disaster preparedness plan. They include:

1. Ensure that all of the necessary documents are contained within a family’s Emergency Kit, including those documents that will prove home ownership and employment and those that provide physical descriptions of the home, the property, and the home’s contents – this documentation will prove immensely valuable should there be a need for resources from government or non-profit assistance programs in the wake of a catastrophic disaster.
2. Be able to legally prove home ownership via a clear title that identifies the homeowner by name and is free and clear of any liens or other restrictive devices.
3. Understand the language of the homeowners’ insurance policy and be familiar with how the policy reads as it relates to deductibles that must be paid in the event of damage from multiple named storms.
4. Have a plan in place in case of prolonged displacement that includes (1) initially staying with relatives or friends so that a family’s financial resources are not depleted by hotel expenses and (2) strategies associated with temporary areas to live, work, and place children in schools should a family not be able to return home for an extended period of time.

GOHSEP’s ‘Get a Game Plan’ offers great advice relative to the essential paperwork needed within a family’s Emergency Kit, including, among other things, a driver's license or personal identification; Social Security card; proof of residence; insurance policies; birth and marriage certificates; stocks, bonds, and other negotiable certificates; and wills, deeds, and copies of recent tax returns.

While those items will all likely come into play should a hurricane hit and residents be forced to evacuate, additional documents will be needed in the event a catastrophic disaster causes extreme structural damage to an individual’s home or wipes away entire neighborhoods, as was the case with Hurricane Katrina.

When those circumstances occur, it is important for individuals to also have proof of their pre-disaster address such as a utility bill (if no deed is available), a pay stub to show proof of income, proof of retirement and other benefits, an inventory list with photographs detailing major items within the home, and a physical description and photographs of the home and property itself.

All of these items will be necessary and will make the process go much more efficiently should a family be in need of disaster-related assistance from government programs or from programs and services offered by non-profit organizations such as the Recovery Corps.

“There are generally some resources available soon after a disaster hits, but it is critically important for those seeking these resources and services to be prepared and have the proper paperwork,” Sizer said. “This will make the process go much more smoothly at a time when emotions are high and anxiety about the unknown grips those impacted by a disaster. But all of these required documents serve an important role, as they help to foster accountability and allow those providing the resources and delivering the services to ensure that they are assisting those who truly are in need.”

Along those lines, it is essential for an individual seeking resources, especially those allocated to repair or rebuild homes in the wake of a disaster, to be able to prove that he or she has a clear title to his or her home. This issue caused huge delays and frustrations for many Louisianians in urban and rural communities throughout the state in the wake of hurricanes Katrina and Rita.

“During our numerous home repair programs we ran into issues involving heirship time and time again,” Sizer explained. “Although someone may have been living in a home for 50 years and has paid taxes on the home for as long as he or she can remember, that does not necessarily mean that person is the legal owner of the home.”

Additionally, those with titles to their homes may unwittingly have restrictive devices placed on those titles. Liens or other restrictive devices may show up on an individual’s title because of outstanding financial obligations or even due to administrative errors associated with previously solved financial issues. Whichever the case, all outstanding issues preventing a homeowner from having a clear title should be taken care of prior to a disaster, as without a clear title, some governmental and non-profit housing assistance programs may deem the homeowner ineligible.

These issues have proven especially prevalent in tight-knit communities and neighborhoods with strong family bonds and traditions and where passing homes down from generation to generation is commonplace. Though homes in these areas are widely known to belong to an individual, unless that individual is named on the title, he or she is not considered the legal owner of the home, thus causing delays and frustration when applying for home repair assistance.

“Many times we will see that the person listed on a home’s title is deceased or there are multiple persons listed as the homeowner on the title, though only one individual lives in the home and may have lived there for many years,” said Sizer. “All of these issues ultimately have to be worked through and clarified before a person can receive assistance through many government and private assistance programs. Therefore, it is better to handle those issues now rather than waiting until a disaster strikes and then trying to navigate a bureaucratic system that is likely to be fragmented and disjointed at a time when it is overwhelmed by others who are also seeking relief.”

Another major problem faced by individuals during the recent hurricanes dealt with insurance deductibles. There were thousands of families in Louisiana who were hit hard by both Katrina and Rita or by both Gustav and Ike. In these cases, many had not completely read their insurance policies and were surprised to learn that they had to pay two separate insurance deductibles on their homeowners’ policy because damage occurred from two different named storms.

“Unfortunately, with the way typical insurance policies are written, many people that we have worked with in our home repair programs and household re-establishment programs had to come out of pocket $20,000, $30,000, $40,000, or even more because of having to pay multiple deductibles on their homeowners’ policy. This basically drained any extra financial resources they had and inhibited their ability to quickly recover,” said Sizer.

“This is an area in which our state elected officials are currently considering legislation. There is a bill being debated that would limit the number of deductibles an individual would have to pay, but as of right now, it has not been signed into law and, therefore, it is extremely important that all homeowners read their policy and know what will be expected of them should multiple hurricanes come ashore this season.”

Finally, it is not enough just to know the local evacuation routes. Where families choose to evacuate should be part of a family’s overall strategy in the event a catastrophic hurricane hits and forces a prolonged displacement.

When developing this strategy, it is important to consider somewhere in which the evacuated family would potentially have a place to stay without hotel expenses eating away at the family’s remaining assets. Additionally, if entire homes, streets, and neighborhoods are demolished, families must consider temporary areas to live, work, and place their children in schools.

“These are not fun scenarios to consider, nor are they pleasant to think about,” cautioned Sizer. “But the reality is that the recent hurricanes have forced us all to think about contingency plans and be prepared in case similar events occur in the future. And while difficult, it is much easier to discuss and devise such strategies during a time of relative calm rather than doing so under the threat of an approaching storm or, even worse, after a catastrophic disaster has hit and panic and hysteria have set in.”

One key in limiting that post-disaster chaos is outstanding alignment and coordination among all levels of government and the non-profit sector. The Recovery Corps has been charged via Act 313 of the 2007 Louisiana Legislature with coordinating all human services and resources within the non-profit sector and has developed plans and strategies to bridge the non-profit sector and the governmental sector during times of catastrophic disaster, thus helping to ease the burdens associated with long-term recovery.

Above all, however, whether preparing for a minimal hurricane or making plans to avoid the type of disaster seen during the recent storms, it is of utmost importance that families and individuals complete all preparatory work well in advance of any disaster so that they can display patience and a clear mind while making critical decisions based on the preparations already made.

“With any impending disaster and in its aftermath, patience and persistence will be required from those seeking federal, state, local, and non-profit resources and services,” Sizer warned. “The work of transition groups such as the Recovery Corps will become even more critical as we work to help citizens navigate the various systems and seek out the proper assistance for their families.”

ABOUT THE RECOVERY CORPS
The Louisiana Family Recovery Corps is a non-profit 501(c)(3) corporation based in Baton Rouge, La., and formed in the wake of hurricanes Katrina and Rita in 2005. The Recovery Corps’ mission is to facilitate human recovery for the State of Louisiana in the aftermath of disaster, both natural and man-made. The Recovery Corps has partnered with human service and non-profit organizations throughout the state and the country to deliver assistance as effectively and efficiently as possible, allocating more than $80 million to recovery efforts and assisting more than 30,000 households since January 2006.