By Sara Martin
THE ERICKSON TRIBUNE

The Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1 through November 30 each year, with 97% of tropical activity typically occurring during these six months.

“Approaching tropical storms or hurricanes can be a concern for those of us who live near the gulf coast,” says Mark Batterson, general services manager at Eagle’s Trace. “But Eagle’s Trace is very advantageously located on the northwest side of Houston. We are far away from any potential storm surge.”

Still, there are extensive measures in place to provide an extra degree of safety and comfort for residents.

A well-thought-out plan
“We have backup generators to power emergency lighting and medical equipment and to keep the kitchen running,” says Batterson. “We also keep enough food on campus to feed the entire community for a week, should that be necessary. Our goal is to provide service as uninterrupted as possible for our residents.”

After Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans in August 2005, many  seniors were trapped for days before being rescued. The American Red Cross and the Federal Emergency Management Agency had difficulty locating these isolated individuals because their whereabouts weren’t known to any group or organization.

At Eagle’s Trace measures are in place to ensure that each resident receives timely information and any needed assistance in case of an approaching hurricane or other emergency.

The Citizen Emergency Response Team (CERT) is a group of specially trained residents who meet monthly to go over emergency policies and procedures. The team members act as floor captains responsible for disseminating  information to residents who live around them.

“Our job is to get up-to-the- minute information out to each resident in case of a hurricane or other emergency,” says CERT Chairman Jim Haring. “We can telephone all residents simultaneously in their apartments using the Swiftreach system.”