Is Your FOUNDATION Strong Enough for a Storm?

By Hugh Wunderlich, DDS, CDE, FDA Editor

I knew this was the correct interstate exit because all the road signs were gone. There was no exit number or mini-marquees showing the way to a Waffle House or Wendy’s. The day before, Hurricane Ian had spun the signs like giant freeway Frisbees into a distant field.

Nearby trees were uniformly trimmed to a meager 20 feet. In a surreal way, boats stuck in their tangled branches were occasional “fish out of water.” Sixty-foot interstate light poles were bent in half as if bowing to a greater natural force. The mobile home park next to the exit looked like a gutted and ground-up animal – its aluminum skin all twisted and exposed, its pink underbelly of insulation open to the sky.

The off-ramp provided a bumpy ride. Branches, fish and palm fronds littered the road. A tangle of downed power cables sprawled across the wet pavement like hundreds of worms escaping a summer rain.

At the bottom of the hill, two Humvees blocked the road, and National Guard officers questioned and turned away each curious driver who approached. A guardsman knocked at my driver’s window, asking for identification. I fumbled through my wallet, my eyes fixed on the gun slung over his shoulder.

“How can I help you?” he asked, already set to turn me away. That’s when he spotted my “Florida Dental Association” (FDA) business card. Now visibly excited, he waved me through and then got into my car to direct a now-forming “military parade” into town.

As the guardsman motioned for a front-end loader to clear a path, he asked questions about un-refrigerated food and where to put an expected supply of drugs. “Oh, FDA – Food and Drug Administration,” I thought. I told him as much as I knew about rancid butter, but he didn’t seem disappointed when I explained that I was representing “the original FDA.” Little did I know this little berm of the highway would become the only high ground for the next few days as the ever-rising waters of the Myakka River overflowed and filled the neighboring homes.

In partnership with the American Dental Association, the Florida Dental Association has developed a manual called “Five Steps” to Disaster Preparedness and Recovery. The guide includes steps to ensure your practice weathers the storm. It covers topics such as evaluating insurance coverage and your office’s storm vulnerability; protecting your equipment, supplies and patient records; dealing with power failures, communication blackouts and evacuation; and emergency supplies.

The FDA Foundation was also able to provide support to Florida dentists impacted by Hurricane Ian. The FDA Foundation Emergency Disaster Assistance program provided 211 emergency assistance grants (a total of $316,500) to assist with immediate personal needs such as food, water, clothing, emergency shelter or medications.

As my “military escort” ended, I paused to interrupt a haggard man walking alone down the mud-laden street. “Can I get you anything? … And with open palms turned upward, he said, “I need everything.” I could only assuage his desires with a half-empty water bottle that he consumed immediately. I was kicking myself for not bringing more than gallons of gasoline. Every one of us, if not directly affected by a storm, has had the survivor’s guilt of dodging that “eye.” We are all in this together. You know another named storm is coming. The disaster guide can be found at bit.ly/3GWMIQJ

So … I am also a card-carrying member of the Council for International Activities. I can’t wait to see where that ID card will get me.