With tropical storm Isaac already having killed at least 20 people and caused significant flooding and damage in Haiti and the Dominican Republic, horse owners in the potential path of strengthening Tropical Storm Isaac are being urged to prepare as it bears down on the US Gulf Coast.
Isaac threatening horses and humans in Gulf Coast
Horse owners in the potential path of strengthening Tropical Storm Isaac are being urged to prepare as it bears down on the US Gulf Coast.
© 2012 by NASA
Some mandatory evacuation orders have been issued and offshore oil production in the path of the storm has been shut down. The storm is likely to make landfall along the Gulf states on Tuesday evening or early Wednesday morning. It has already flicked the southern tip of Florida, on Sunday. Governors of Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama have all declared states of emergency.
The Louisiana State Animal Response Team (LSART) and the Equine Health Studies Program at the LSU School of Veterinary Medicine said it was important for horse owners to be prepared with the hurricane season now under way. Owners needed to be ready in advance for evacuation, should that be advisable.
Equine Evacuation Plan
- Prioritize/choose which animals will be evacuating ahead of a storm
- Make sure you have access to a horse trailer for evacuating your horses
- Make sure your horses will easily load into a trailer
- Evacuate at least 3 days ahead of a storm
- Plan/Map-out evacuation route
- Plan destination
- Leave important contact information with neighbors
- Be sure to have enough cash for fuel
- Take provisions (food, water, cash) for people
- Take provisions for horses (hay, water, first aid kit)
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Take current equine Coggins forms when evacuating with your horse
General advice for horse owners from LSART:
- Have a personal plan for your family including your animals and review and update the plan yearly.
- Be sure horse vaccinations are current for tetanus and the encephalitis viruses (Rabies, Eastern, Western, and West Nile).
- Network a “plan” with horse or farm animal-owning neighbors in the area. Get to know your neighbors, plan a meeting, talk through different scenarios, and identify the local resources for dealing with disaster situations. Be prepared to help one another.
- Know local emergency managers. They are in charge during a disaster.
- Be sure that each horse has two forms of identification: Permanent identification such as a microchip, tattoo or brand, and a luggage-type tag secured to the tail and halter (be sure to use a leather halter for break-away purposes). Fetlock tags are useful and can be acquired online or from a local farm supply store or you can use a paint stick or non-toxic spray paint. Be sure to place your name, address, and phone number (phone number of someone out of state is best in the event of phone outages) legibly on the tags.
- Be sure to store the record for the microchip number in an accessible location. It is recommended to keep a second copy of this information with a family member or friend in a distant location but where it will be easily accessible.
- If you plan to evacuate – and you should ALWAYS do this if possible – in the event of a storm, have a destination and routes mapped out well in advance. It is important to evacuate your horses a sufficient distance from the coast. Arrange to leave a minimum of 72 hours before the arrival of the storm. The worst thing that can happen is to be stuck in traffic with a trailer full of horses and a hurricane approaching. Provide your neighbors with your evacuation contact information.
- Prepare a waterproof emergency animal care kit with all the items you normally use, including medications, salves or ointments, vetwrap, bandages, tape, etc. Place the kit in a safe place where you can easily access it after a storm.
- Start early to clean up your property and remove all debris that may be tossed around by storm and hurricane force winds. Be careful of downed power lines that can be “live” and represent a danger to people and animals.
If you plan to weather the storm at home – this is not usually recommended – there are some general guidelines to follow:
- The choice of keeping your horse in a barn or an open field is up to you. Use common sense, taking into consideration barn structure, trees, power lines, condition of surrounding properties and the likelihood of the property and structure to flood. Farms subject to storm surge or flash flooding should turn their horses out so horses are not trapped and thus drown.
- Remove all items from the barn aisle and walls, and store them in a safe place.
- Have at least a two to three week supply of hay (wrapped in plastic or a waterproof tarp) and feed (stored in plastic water-tight containers, securing the container seams with duct tape).
- Place these supplies in the highest (out of reach of flood waters) and driest area possible.
- Fill clean plastic garbage cans with water, secure the tops, and place them in the barn for use after the storm.
- Have an emergency barn kit containing a chain saw and fuel, hammer(s), saw, nails, screws and fencing materials. Place this kit in a secure area before the storm hits so that it is easily accessible after the storm.
- Be sure to have an ample supply of flashlights and batteries and other non-perishable items.
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Listen to local radio stations in your area. If Internet access is available, access state-run websites that contain accurate status information and take all cautions/warning serious and act accordingly.