For the fifth anniversary of Sandy, WNYC published a story exploring why so many people remained in harm’s way during the storm even after an emergency evacuation was ordered. The reasons are varied, but the design of warning systems and the lack of trust many residents have in the media and public officials were key issues.
Our story focused on the Midland Beach neighborhood of Staten Island — an area where 11 of the 44 deaths caused by the storm took place.
In this community, people trust their neighbors, their family and friends. Still, there weren’t any local networks when Sandy hit to effectively spread the word about evacuation and ensure that everyone had a way to reach safety.
Karen Jackson, a coordinator for the Staten Island Long Term Recovery Organization recognized the need to build one and began organizing residents. WNYC, in partnership with IDEO, Parsons School of Design, Columbia University and WNET, worked together with Jackson to organize a workshop to propel this effort forward.
A Pre-Workshop Public Art Project
The workshop was held at St. Christopher Community Center in Midland Beach. Before the event, WNYC installed a public art project with local volunteers to raise awareness about the location of new evacuation zones and to share information about emergency resources.
The idea itself is simple: take the city’s evacuation zone map and install a section of it on the sidewalks of Midland Beach.
The installation is comprised of a series of chalk drawings running along the borders of each evacuation zone in the neighborhood leading up to the location of the event. Each section of drawings was rendered in the color that corresponds to the city’s map.
The drawings contain prompts for residents to identify how they can help their neighbors in an emergency as well as publicly-available resources.
This project embodies our commitment to bring visual journalism off the screen and into the streets.
The Superpower Workshop
The workshop was lead by Jason Baker and Lauren Shapiro from IDEO and Elliott Montgomery, a professor from Parsons, and his students. Andrew Kruczkiewicz, a climate researcher from Columbia University’s International Research Institute for Climate and Society was also on hand to help.
We divided the participants into groups and asked them to identify their superhero powers, strengths and skills they could use in an emergency, and develop ways to collaborate.
Workshop attendees sharing their superpowers:
One resident declared that she was a cat lady, a “fixer-upper" and a registered nurse. Her superpowers included taking in pets, making repairs and giving first aid. Another person said they’re a good cook. And someone else said they’re a good organizer. Superpowers could be tangible or intangible. As the workshop progressed, residents realized how they could form a network to support each another in an emergency.
Combining Superpowers
One group designed an information packet about the neighborhood including resources like the evacuation map, the location of food pantries and shelters and a phone tree to use in a weather emergency.
Other ideas included identifying host residents in safer nearby neighborhoods, sharing contact information for neighbors willing to care for pets, and improving outreach to the most vulnerable residents in the community.
By the end of the workshop, people forged new relationships and committed to designing the best solution for relying on each on other during the next major weather emergency.
This report is produced in collaboration with Peril and Promise, a public media initiative on the human impact of climate change from WNET.