Local commissioner emphasizes disaster readiness

People in southern Colorado generally know how to prepare for fires and floods, but what about other threats, like a financial crisis or a blizzard?

El Paso County Commissioner Peggy Littleton wants people to think about that as part of National Emergency Preparedness Month, which is observed in September.

Littleton said she worries about a lack of readiness, even in county government, about financial troubles that have hit Wall Street and other countries in the world.

“What would we do if (Department of Human Services) couldn’t issue food stamps tomorrow, or some of those safety net provisions?” she said. “We’re putting those measures in place because I can’t say that at this point in time (that) we’re fully prepared for (it).”

Littleton advised people to go beyond the standard recommendation of having enough food, water and medicine to be self-sufficient for 72 hours.

“Think about having cash on hand and having 30 days of supplies,” she said.

Littleton also expressed concern about the area’s ability to cope with a severe winter, which hasn’t happened since the historic blizzard of 1997.

“One of the things we don’t want to have happen is people getting out to risk their lives — and first responders’ lives — by trying to just get the simple, basic things they need to have in their house to survive,” she said.