ARANSAS COUNTY, Tx — The Aransas County Office of Emergency Management invited the community to meet local officials and learn how to prepare for hurricanes, wildfires and other emergencies.
Emergency Management Coordinator Mike Geer said the time to prepare is before disaster strikes.
"Time to prepare is now. Time to get on the steer list or get mom on the steer list is now, not when the hurricane hits the goal," Geer said.
For some communities in the Coastal Bend, hurricane season isn't the only threat they have to prepare for. Last week, Aransas County saw two wildfires, and Geer said the county has to be ready for different types of emergencies.
"So when those fires occur, we're scrambling sometimes to get the message out to the citizens in the area that they might need to evacuate," Geer said.
The event gave residents the chance to learn about resources available to them during an emergency. 211 shared information on local services, while Texas Sea Grant provided preparedness guidebooks to help families plan ahead.
Resident Lisa Storozuk said the event opened her eyes to resources she didn't know existed.
"I had no idea the amount of information that dialing 211 provides. Apparently there's a wealth of information. I also learned about the STEAR program," Storozuk said.
Officials said preparedness is a community effort, especially in areas like Aransas County with a large elderly population. Resident Noel Blankenship, who identified as a first responder and medical professional, said advocating for vulnerable residents is critical.
"In a time of an emergency, a lot of the elderly are unable to help themselves, and as a first responder, as a medical professional in our community, it's important to be able to advocate for our elderly for everyone," Blankenship said.
The "Coffee with Emergency Management" event allowed neighbors to connect with officials, ask questions, and learn what resources are available before and after a disaster strikes.
"All disasters, all mishaps, anything that you need to prepare for, it starts and stops locally, and that includes even within your household; the first responder in your household is gonna be you or a loved one," Geer said.
Geer said they hope to hold more events like this quarterly.
