No Water, No Sewer, No Electricity…What Do You Do?

The Alliance of Environmental Stewards (ACES) invites Chamber members and guests to attend an important preparedness presentation and conversation by Storm Surge, titled “No Water, No Sewer, No Electricity, What Do You Do?”  It will be held on Tuesday, September 17 at 7:00PM at the Newburyport City Hall, 60 Pleasant St. in Newburyport. Doors open at 6:30 PM.

This event will include a presentation by Christopher LeClaire, Newburyport’s Fire Chief, and Kristin Kelleher, Program Director of the Climate Action Business Association (CABA).  Chief LeClaire will discuss how our community can be better prepared for extreme weather and emergencies and will address the needs of homeowners as well as our more vulnerable residents in nursing homes and those living on Plum Island.  His talk with include information about how to be prepared for our region’s numerous nor’easters, including which supplies to have on hand and who to contact in the city in case of an emergency.

Kristen will focus on the needs of business owners, who must consider not only their emergency plans, but also infrastructure redundancy and protecting inventory.  As the Program Director for the Climate Action Business Association (CABA), Kristen has direct experience speaking to small business owners and business managers who are facing the impact of climate change.  Often businesses lack the financial resources and time necessary to learn how these changes will affect their day-today business practices.  “A recent survey of over 350 businesses found that while over 85% were impacted by storms, only 35% of those businesses had emergency plans,” said Kelleher.  Kristin will also discuss state resiliency grants that can be used to address storm related infrastructure, including how communities and businesses can partner to advocate for their allocation.

The presentation will be followed by an in-depth Q&A session, during which participants can ask questions about preparing for an emergency.

An ACES Ally, Storm Surge is committed to provide communities within the Greater Newburyport area with the information needed to prepare for the impacts of extreme weather and long-term climate change.  For more information about Storm Surge-sponsored events, email stormsurge9@gmail.com.