Sustainable Long Island has been awarded a $10,000 grant from State Farm to develop and launch a Disaster Preparedness Program. The focal point of this program is a Storm Readiness Assessment, which aims to collect data to determine if Long Islanders are better prepared for natural disasters since Superstorm Sandy.  

Residents of Nassau and Suffolk Counties can participate by taking the online survey at http://liprepared.mindmixer.com/.

Sustainable Long Island's Disaster Preparedness Program, effective immediately, includes a three point approach:

• Storm Readiness Assessment
  • Live at http://liprepared.mindmixer.com/, Sustainable Long Island is conducting an island-wide study of residents in Nassau and Suffolk Counties to determine if Long Islanders are in fact better prepared since Superstorm Sandy. The study consists of a comprehensive online survey, supplemented by in-person, direct intercept surveys to collect the data. The data collected will focus on, but is not limited to: emergency kits and supplies, evacuation plans and strategies, and access to information or knowledge about what to do before, during, and in the aftermath of large-scale storms  
• Peer-to-Peer Education Meetings
  • Through our many educational partnerships, Sustainable Long Island will work with high schools, colleges, and universities (specific schools to be determined) to host informational meetings teaching students how effective social media use can help residents during times of disaster. Social media sites like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram were heavily used during Superstorm Sandy as one of the only means of communication. Strategies such as updating individual statuses, interacting with local emergency personnel pages, and joining groups that serve as hubs of safety information, have the ability to keep hundreds of thousands of Long Islanders in the know.
• Community Awareness Pilot Program
  • Sustainable Long Island will continue its partnership with the City of Long Beach as we work with City officials to conduct a community awareness pilot program - educating the public about disaster preparedness. The program will include: adding links to various storm-related resources on the City's smartphone app (Long Beach Response), promotion of the Storm Readiness Assessment, distribution of informational brochures at City-wide events, and coordination of website and social media postings about disaster preparedness. Sustainable Long Island has worked with the City of Long Beach since Superstorm Sandy on numerous initiatives including the boardwalk redevelopment process, the New York Rising Community Reconstruction Program, community garden builds, beautification and cleanup events, and a variety of small business development projects.

All data gathered from the Storm Readiness Assessment will be used to identify any gaps that exist in current levels of resident preparedness. To identify improvements that can be made moving forward, Sustainable Long Island will share this information with key leaders and decision makers, such as the American Red Cross, Nassau County Department of Emergency Management, Suffolk County Office of Emergency Management, NYS Office of Storm Recovery, the Federal Emergency Management Administration, and Long Island Volunteer Organizations Active in Disaster.

Having worked in storm-ravaged communities across Long Island since Superstorm Sandy, Sustainable Long Island has seen first-hand that more needs to be done in order to help residents be better equipped for natural disasters, such as tropical storms, hurricanes, and blizzards. Long Islanders are definitely taking storms more seriously since Superstorm Sandy, but how many of them have an actual plan and supplies in place?

When a natural disaster hits, things can change in a blink of an eye. Streets are blocked, floodwaters destroy properties, batteries die, communication goes down, and food runs out. Even with all Long Island has been through, are residents of Nassau and Suffolk Counties waiting until the last minute to prepare?