I'd like to extend my sympathies to all those affected by the results of the
horrible ice storm.  I am very sympathetic as my neck of the woods
experienced similar devastation in an April ice storm we fondly remember
as "Blizzard Hannah" (we have so many, we name them!).  With battery
powered radio our only connection to the outside world, people
communicated their needs for assistance to a large audience.
Consistently, people called with urgent needs for formula.  Two weeks
later, when our community was hit by the devastation we called "the 500
year flood", the urgency worsened as people found themselves without
formula, sanitary water supplies, power and a roof over their heads!

All of this reinforced the importance of breastfeeding.  During this
incredibly stressful time, this is one need that could have been met
easily, safely and quickly.  My colleague, Dr. Susan Henly, and I did a
great deal of reflection on this issue when things began to return to
normal.  We feel strongly that encouraging mothers to breastfeed should
be part of our emergency disaster preparation.  We will be
communicating this information to disaster managers in our community
and are in the process of completing a short commentary on our
experience as it related to breastfeeding (not submitted for publication as
yet!).

None of us are immune from sudden devastation from mother nature or
other random acts.  Perhaps we can all consider the place for this type
of disaster management information in our communities.

Cindy Anderson, MS, CNS, IBCLC
Clinical Assistant Professor
College of Nursing, University of North Dakota
Grand Forks