Be 2 Weeks Ready at Think Tank Tuesday
During the 2023 ice storm, some Row River Valley residents were isolated for as long as 14 days. Roads were blocked, electricity and communications were disrupted, and neighbors often became the closest source of information and help.
For our community, preparing to manage for two weeks reflects something many residents have already experienced.
Think Tank Tuesday is hosting a community-based class using the Oregon Department of Emergency Management’s Be 2 Weeks Ready program. The program helps individuals and families develop an emergency plan and gather enough food, water and other essential supplies to care for everyone in their household for at least two weeks following a disaster.
The complete program contains eight modules. We teach two modules each month over four months:
- Month One: Preparing to Prepare and Your Emergency Plan
- Month Two: Food Plan and Water Plan
- Month Three: Waste and Hygiene Plan and Shelter Plan
- Month Four: First-Aid Plan and Emergency Management
Holding the class over four months gives residents time to work through each part, make changes at home and return with questions. Those who attend the full series will have an opportunity to complete every module without trying to do everything at once.
The class is community-based. We learn from the state program, but we also learn from one another. Residents can share what has worked for them, talk through the challenges of preparing on a limited budget and consider what emergency planning looks like in the Row River Valley. Cell and internet service are limited, power outages may last for days, and nearby neighbors may live more than a mile apart.
This work also fits naturally with our Neighborhood Teams. Emergency supplies matter, and so do the relationships around us. Knowing who lives nearby, who may need help, who has useful equipment or training, and how information can be shared when ordinary communications fail can make a real difference.
No one needs to have everything completed before attending. Come as you are, bring your questions and take the next step that makes sense for your household. Many useful preparations cost little or nothing, and the program begins with what people already have.
Think Tank Tuesday is open to everyone and meets on the first Tuesday of each month at 5:30 p.m. at the Little White Church. Another four-month Be 2 Weeks Ready session will begin again in early 2027, giving more residents an opportunity to participate as we continue building a prepared and connected community.
