When she reflects on the June floods that inflicted an estimated $1.3 billion in damage to Cedar Rapids, Iowa, city Purchasing Manager Judy Lehman, CPPB, concludes that "communications and preparedness beforehand" are essential if agencies hope to weather the storm with their operations "Because you can't start to get prepared when you are up to your elbows in water," Lehman told Go Pro. "When one finds themselves in the middle of a disaster, it's too late to prepare."

According to Lehman, the floodwaters forced Cedar Rapids' four-person purchasing operation to evacuate City Hall on the afternoon of Wed., June 11.

"The water had begun to rise up the stairwell and there were gurgling sounds in the elevator (needless to say, we took the steps)," Lehman recalled. "We were able to move most of our files to a higher floor, which was good."

Before the flood, the Purchasing Department offices were located on the mezzanine level of Cedar Rapids City Hall (see photo). At the height of the flooding, those offices "We couldn't even see our windows," she said.

Months later, the city's purchasing operations "are in a temporary location and it is anticipated we will be here for some time."

Have a 'Go Box'

When confronted with the potential for emergencies — from fires and floods to tornadoes and hurricanes — preparedness is essential, as are teamwork and collaboration with other entities.

Lehman, who has become a bit of an authority on the subject, offers this advice to public-sector purchasers:

• "Know the key public purchasers in your state. Make sure you have a business relationship with them. Call on them for assistance.

• Have an emergency 'Go Box' with items that you can take with you — there is a good chance that you won't have your electronic files.

• Contact your staff and your supervisor and mobilize your staff to begin work at a central location. Be available and be present."

The Cedar Rapids Purchasing Department, which spends approximately $20 million annually for goods and services for the city, will be incorporating the aforementioned ideas into the department's protocols for future emergencies.

"I certainly did not have them in place, pre-flood," Lehman admitted.

Other public administrators in Cedar Rapids persevered, in spite of all the destruction. The city's Fleet Services Division, which is responsible for 900 cars, trucks, trailers, off-road vehicles and other mobile equipment, successfully evacuated and safeguarded more than 800 of the most critical pieces.

Unfortunately, about 85 pieces of fleet equipment — from the Parks and Recreation, Public Works and Parking and Transit departments — could not be saved in time. The value of the flood-damaged gear is $1.25 million, and the city of Cedar Rapids has submitted damage-assessment project worksheets for this loss to the Federal Emergency Management Agency for reimbursement.

Check the forecast

According to some weather experts, public-sector purchasers — particularly those in hurricane-prone regions — may need to brace themselves for more extreme weather, making it more important than ever to be tuned into weather warnings and watches.

"I think the key issue as far as longer-term planning is that we're now in a very active hurricane period," Dr. Gerry Bell, lead seasonal hurricane forecaster for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) told Go Pro. "Historically, these have run for anywhere from 25 to 40 years at a time."

According to Bell, historical weather data indicates "that it's certainly reasonable to expect this active period to continue for another decade or perhaps more."

"There's no way to say for sure, but it certainly makes sense that you plan for this ongoing active hurricane era, with increased numbers of hurricane strikes," Bell told Go Pro. "We can't say how many will strike in a given year, but we certainly know it's going to be elevated."

Greg Carbin, warning coordination meteorologist at the National Weather Service's Storm Prediction Center, will remember 2008 as a year of frequent twisters.

“We've seen more fatalities this past year than we've had in a decade,” Carbin said. “So I'm kind of hoping I don't see a season like that again next year.”

Carbin urged public purchasing professionals to keep an eye on weather reports as the United States heads into its peak tornado season, which is in May and June.

“Especially for the bigger events that tend to produce significant damage and affect a large area, we can get a pretty decent lead time, four or five days out, where we're putting out forecasts that indicate there's a significant risk,” Carbin explained.

The Storm Prediction Center's Web site, http://www.spc.noaa.gov, offers alerts for severe storms, tornadoes and fire weather conditions, as well as forecasts for the upcoming eight days.

"These forecasts probably would benefit those agencies or individual.".”

Develop a resource list

Kenneth Paulsen, CPPB, was another Iowa public purchaser who was pressed into service during this summer's flooding.

"I was called in on a weekend, and they said, 'We need the following. Go to work,'" Paulsen recalled. "Essentially, what we purchased was about $2.7 million worth of sandbags, poly-liner, pumps and Haskell barriers." (The barriers, which serve as floodwater barricades, also have been used by the military to build armored bunkers in Iraq.)