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| LIFE IN SOLERA | NOVEMBER 2024 | 7 Solera CERT Cadre Almost a year and a half ago, remnants of Tropical Storm Hillary struck portions of Riverside and San Bernardino counties. The resulting damage caused portions of the I-10 freeway in Cathedral City and Palm Desert to be blocked in both directions. Oak Glen and parts of North Yucaipa, just a short drive away from Beaumont experienced severe damage from f looding and severe mud f lows. There has been significant damage to our local watershed caused by the Line, Airport, and Bridge fires. It is logical to assume that if heavy rains come this winter, then once again our local roads and communities will likely be impacted by serious f looding. Flooding is the most common natural disaster in Riverside County. Flooding impacts supply chains by damaging roads, bridges and rail lines. When roads and rail lines are damaged, grocery stores and other essential services will see disruptions in their inventories and services. Flooding delays fire, police and ambulance emergency response. Flooding and its resulting debris f lows can clog local water and sewage treatment facilities leading to decreased water f low deliveries to our homes. Boil water orders may be issued. In severe cases, water may have to be shut off to some neighborhoods to avoid contamination of local area water supplies. Fortunately, there are several steps that Solera residents can do to lessen the impact of f looding around their homes. Start with cleaning the gutters of your home. There are several handypersons in Solera who can do the job. Keep outside drains clear so water f lows. If water continues to rise, place sandbags backed with plywood to help keep water out of your home. Monitor news reports about f looding in the Beaumont area. If f looding is nearby, stay off the roads. Lastly, double check your evacuation kit and other essential supplies in case an evacuation order is given by local public safety authorities. If f looding occurs while you're outside of your home, listen to your vehicle's radio for current weather conditions. Do not drive through f lood waters. Turn around, do not drown. Just six inches of water can knock a person down. One foot of moving water can sweep a vehicle away. Stay off bridges that are over fast-moving water. If your vehicle is trapped in rapidly moving water, stay inside and call 911. Give your exact location to the dispatcher using the What3words app. If water is rising inside the vehicle, seek refuge on the roof. This is exactly what happened to my sister-in-law when she was caught in a f lash f lood in Coachella earlier this year. A kind Riverside County Deputy Sheriff risked his life to bring my sister- in-law to safety. If you are told to evacuate, do so safely and quickly. Take your evacuation kit along with some food and water with you. Never, ever drive around barricades. They are in place to prevent vehicles from entering f looded streets or low-lying areas that are at risk for f lash f looding. After the f looding is over, avoid driving except in emergencies. Listen to your radio/social media apps for updates from public safety authorities. Beware of the risk of electrocution. Do not touch electrical equipment if it is wet or you are standing in water. Check on your neighbors to see if they are safe or in need of help. Call 911 if you are experiencing a medical emergency or you are trapped within your home. Here are some important apps to install on your cell phones. 1. Watch Duty. This app will inform the user of local disasters. It gives the user evacuation statuses, road closures and emergency shelter locations. This is my number one go to app. 2. Everbridge. A local app designed to give Beaumont residents timely disaster information. 3. What3words. This app will give a public safety dispatcher (fire/police) your exact location when calling for help. This app was used by HOA Board member George Vawter when he came upon a resident having a medical emergency at the Golf Club Drive gate. A life was saved by George Vawter and responding fire personnel due to getting the exact location of the medical emergency. 4. FEMA. Federal Emergency Management Agency. FEMA helps the US prepare for, respond to, and recover from disasters. 5. American Red Cross. Information on first-aid classes, blood donations and emergency shelter locations. 6. The Weather Channel. Up-to-date local weather and alerts. 7. MyShake. This app allows the user to receive timely potentially lifesaving early warning earthquake alerts. Neighbors helping Neighbors is the motto of Solera CERT (Community Emergency Response Team). We are your community disaster preparedness and emergency response team. The Emergency Communications Team (Radio Club) has the mission of setting up our own dedicated Solera communications network when activated during a disaster. And speaking of the CERT/Emergency Communications Teams, we can use a few more residents to join our team so that we can better fulfill the mission of CERT. The training is free and easy. No special skills are needed other than a desire to serve our community. Please consider becoming a member of the CERT and Emergency Communications Teams. Please do not hesitate to call me if you have any questions about this article or if you would like to have more information about becoming a CERT/ Emergency Communications team member. ~ Ron Monroe, Solera CERT Cadre, (909) 732-6139, ronoap@aol.com, www.solera-cert. info A Conversation About Flooding I-10 ooding from Tropical Storm Hillary I-10 shut down in Cathedral City Oak Glen ooding in August, 2023

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