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Joplin Tornado Response/Recovery:
Promising Practices in Caring for Missouri’s
Seniors and Adults with Disabilities
Don Atteberry
Courtesy of Associated Press
Photographer: Charlie Riedel
Introduction:
Charity J. Hunter
Disaster Response Coordinator
Missouri Department of Health and Senior
Services, Division of Senior and Disability
Services
573.526.8560
Peace-time Activities Play Important
Role in Disaster Response: Committees and advisory groups:
Governor’s Faith-Based and Community Service
Partnership for Disaster Recovery/Citizens Council
and subcommittees of this council
Access and Functional Needs Committees
Strategic National Stockpile Advisory Council
Public Health Preparedness Advisory Council
Department Continuity of Operations (COOP)
Workgroup
Exercise Design/Steering Committees
Peace-time Activities Play Important
Role in Disaster Response:
◦ Educate, train, and exercise
Emergency Response Team members
Division field staff
Encourage involvement in local emergency planning
commissions/meetings & long-term recovery committees to
build the relationships that are needed locally
Central Office staff
Peace-time Activities Play Important
Role in Disaster Response:
◦ Regularly work with partners Area Agency on Aging Directors and Disaster
Coordinators
State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA)
Missouri Voluntary Organizations Active in Disasters (MO VOAD)
Independent Living Centers & Councils
Associations and other organizations (i.e. Missouri Alliance for Home Care)
◦ Continued training and research for advancements and current trends &knowledge
Missouri Disasters 2011
Blizzard 2011 – statewide
◦ 1st time I-70 was shut down across the whole state from Kansas City to St. Louis
◦ 18 inches in Jefferson City, some up to 24 inches
Good Friday Tornado
◦ Hits four communities in St. Louis, including the St. Louis International Airport
◦ Missed a level 2 trauma center with over 400 patients by only ¾ of a mile.
Missouri Disasters 2011
Mississippi River Flooding◦ US Army Corp of Engineers blow the Birds Point
Levee for the 1st time since 1937
◦ Floods 130,000 acres (including 12 cemeteries)
◦ Relocate two of our field offices and staff
National Level Exercise 2011◦ New Madrid Seismic Zone event
◦ Planning this event for three years
◦ 8 states, HHS, DOD, FEMA, local and state agencies
Joplin Tornado – May 22nd
Missouri Disasters 2011
Multiple other tornados
◦ Sedalia, Rolla, Kansas City and other smaller ones
Missouri River Flooding
◦ Long-standing flood with residents out of their homes still – several months now
Excessive Heat Wave
◦ Longer than three weeks straight
◦ > 35 fatalities being investigated as heat related
Joplin Tornado, May 22nd,
Sunday 5:41 PM Picture of Destruction:
In about 2 minutes time total
◦ ¾ to 1 mile wide for about 14 miles
◦ Level 2 Trauma Center completely destroyed
◦ Many doctors’ offices, clinics, dentists’ offices destroyed
◦ 14 child care facilities
◦ 4 Home Health and 1 Hospice agency destroyed
◦ 1 Dialysis Clinic destroyed, 2 without power or electricity
Joplin Tornado Destruction Cont.
Photo Courtesy of Susan Tonarely
Joplin Tornado Destruction Cont.
1 Residential Care Facility completely destroyed Total licensed beds = 28
Census at the time of the tornado = 17
17 residents required relocation to other facilities.
1 Skilled Nursing Facility completely destroyed 14 residents lost their lives
2 Skilled Nursing required complete evacuation Total Skilled Nursing Facilities Licensed beds = 332
Combined Census at the time of the tornado = 265
251 residents required permanent relocation to other facilities
Joplin Tornado Destruction Cont.
Photo Courtesy of Charity J. Hunter
Joplin Tornado Destruction Cont.
Photo Courtesy of Charity J. Hunter
Joplin Tornado Destruction Cont.
> 8,000 residences and businesses
destroyed (homes, schools, places of
employment)
Total of 160 lives lost
>1,000 injured
All in about 2 minutes
Pictures of Joplin Tornado
Destruction
Photo Courtesy of Charity J. Hunter
Pictures of Joplin Tornado
Destruction
Photo Courtesy of Charity J. Hunter
Response/Recovery Activities:
Connecting with those on the ground◦ Texting & social media
◦ Coordinate one point of contact with your local partners
◦ Use the Incident Command System flow of information
Reach out to those who have been there◦ Alabama gave us amazing information Big issues
Provided forms & information already created
State leadership and federal agency reporting: ◦ Track the numbers
Response/Recovery Activities:
Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) Overall Response:
◦ Activated Department Situation Room (DSR) and staffed the State Emergency Operations Center (SEOC)
◦ Division of Community and Public Health:
◦ Division of Regulation and Licensure
◦ Division of Senior and Disability Services
A small piece of the larger response
Must be the voice for the seniors and adults with disabilities
Division of Senior and Disability
Services Activities◦ Received and responded to 85 hotline calls
◦ Located and checked on priority one clients
◦ Provided staffing back up at resource centers
◦ Assisted the Area Agency on Aging (AAA)
providing and gathering information
applying for disaster assistance grant
coordinating resource needs
monitoring the overall well-being of seniors in the
community and their needs
Lessons Learned:
Generation of our seniors – they are resilient
◦ They make do, and figure out a way
◦ They do not reach out for help, it doesn’t even cross their mind
◦ They have long memories and remember old reputations
◦ Fear: Of using disaster aid funds
Of losing their social security, Medicaid/Medicare, welfare, etc.
◦ They are private
◦ They do not want to leave their home; they guard their possessions
◦ They need to be a part of recovery and rebuilding
◦ Extra push to register with FEMA for disaster aid
◦ Go to where they typically go, don’t wait for them to come to you, because they won’t come until they have no other option
Lessons Learned:
“Caring for Missouri’s Legacy” Media
Campaign
◦ Used those previously built partnerships for
assistance in footwork and hanging posters
◦ Take the info to where they frequent
neighborhoods, grocery store, banks, senior centers,
libraries, social security office, laundromats
Lessons Learned:
GIS mapping of priority clients◦ Worked well, but need to make some
improvements here Have it in place prior to a disaster
Make it “field friendly” - without use of Internet
ma4 Donation Website◦ http://www.ma4web.org/spotlight/join-with-joplin-
donate-online-today
◦ Less restrictions – fill in the gaps
◦ Provides opportunity for those donating to determine where their donation goes/who it helps.
Lessons Learned:
AAAs and Senior Centers are not emergency response agencies…but, are so vital for recovery◦ Can assist with non-emergency medical
transportation (i.e. dialysis patients)
◦ Can assist in locating vulnerable populations and persons that may have no others checking on them Home-bound clients
Congregate meal attendees
◦ Able to be a trusted source for information
◦ Can assist seniors with paperwork that they get overwhelmed with or need assistance reading Insurance policy paperwork
Mortgage paperwork
FEMA registration or denial [email protected]
Lessons Learned:
Multi-Agency Resource Center
◦ Make it a true “one stop shop” for survivors, if possible
◦ Think about the survivors’ needs and abilities
Transportation
In shock, what could they not be thinking of right now?
Know who/what is available in the center and walk them there
◦ Provide direction and resource lists/training for those that staff the center
◦ Provide some stress relief [email protected]
Lessons Learned:
Photo Courtesy of Vicki Keller
Lessons Learned:
Pre-designate what waivers you will need
in disasters, so you can act quickly
Multiple official and unofficial social media
sites
◦ They show up quickly
◦ How are you going to use them to help,
communicate, rescue, recover, etc.
◦ Think about this in advance…nearly too late
after a [email protected]
Still Big Challenges:
Donated used goods
Unsolicited donations
Unsolicited volunteers (medical and non-
medical)
Questions?Charity J. Hunter
Disaster Response Coordinator
Missouri Department of Health & Senior Services
Division of Senior and Disability Services
573.526.8560
