What does a neighborhood do if the power goes out for 3 days? The municipality invites Rotterdam residents in several neighborhoods to think about their resilience. In Pendrecht-Zuidwijk, residents trained last week with an emergency scenario.

It is a dark Tuesday in December. At De Zuiderkroon, it feels like Christmas Eve. In the community center of Pendrecht-Zuidwijk. Link opens an external page, the Christmas lights shine. Neighbors eat together at the table. Young and old chat with each other. While some people are still serving themselves from the buffet, neighborhood manager Ronald Bijnaar takes the microphone and welcomes the neighborhood. 

Tonight is a resilience experience session. Bijnaar invited about 50 Pendrecht and Zuidwijk residents. Among them residents, shopkeepers, and aid workers. They are together in De Zuiderkroon to prepare. What will they do if the neighborhood is without power for days? Bijnaar: My mother always said: good preparation ensures the best result. And she was a wise woman! 

Experience Session

The meeting at De Zuiderkroon is one of 5 experience sessions in Rotterdam. The municipality collaborates with the Safety Region Rotterdam-Rijnmond, Ahold (parent company of Albert Heijn), the Red Cross, and Deloitte. Sessions were already held in Bloemhof and Crooswijk. Hoek van Holland and Prins Alexander will follow.

In an experience session, the neighborhood comes together to prepare for an emergency. In this case: a power outage lasting several days. What do you do then? Where can you go as a resident? What do you need? And what can you do yourself? By talking together about such questions, a neighborhood trains its own resilience, is the underlying idea. 

Realistic

The emergency scenario must feel realistic. That is why an alarm sounds from the speakers and the laptop in De Zuiderkroon serves as an emergency radio. 

If the power goes out for 72 hours, public transport also stops. Elevators dont work. You cant use cards or phones. The supermarkets cooling fails, so you have to think about food and drink. Mark Hendriks from Deloitte outlines the scenario. What do you do then? You will discuss it yourselves. My tip: think out loud. A brilliant idea must not be lost.

Trading Beans for Water

At the 9 discussion tables, the discussion bursts out. The Pendrecht and Zuidwijk residents think in groups about what they need in terms of information, help, safety, and facilities. 

At one table, its about emergency generators; at another, about trading canned beans for water. Each table receives a newspaper page with news from the neighborhood without power. Because following news online can also fail in this disaster scenario.

Good Preparation

Neighborhood manager Bijnaar watches contentedly. People dont like to think about disasters. Its good that we prepare like this. That people talk about it with each other, as a neighborhood. Nobody knows everything, and during such a power outage, we in Pendrecht rely heavily on each other. 

Bijnaar takes the microphone and announces a guest. Do you know whos coming? The mayor! Dont all rush to take a photo with her! We must continue talking about what we will do if the power goes out! Laughter sounds from the room. 

After 2 rounds of talking, the neighborhood residents present their ideas. For example: young people delivering medicine by bike to the elderly. Indicating with stickers on your window if you need help. Someone wants to make a list of what everyone can do: DIY, cooking. Its not only about what we need. Also about what we can offer each other.

Hat from the Neighborhood Council

Meanwhile, Mayor Carola Schouten is at De Zuiderkroon. A resident embraces her and gets a plate of food for the mayor from the buffet. When Schouten received a winter hat (Proud of Pendrecht-Zuidwijk) from the neighborhood council, she shared what she heard. 

I see that Pendrecht-Zuidwijk is thinking ahead, and that gives me peace. I see willingness of people towards each other. That is self-reliance. That makes us incredibly strong. As a municipality, we need you and your knowledge, and I am glad you shared it so openly.

Emergency Kit to Take Home

Shatysia (21) and Richely (21) also go home with a good feeling. It was about a disaster tonight, but I mainly found it cozy. At many neighborhood meetings, it’s about problems in Pendrecht. Now everyone thinks positively about what we can do together. 

They learned a lot. That emergency radio is super handy! All participants receive such a radio to take home in a free emergency kit. But Shatysia and Richely? They first take a photo with the mayor. 

More Information

If you want to know more about the theme of resilience in Rotterdam, visit the Prepare Yourself page. Link opens an external page, which contains tips for what Rotterdam residents can do to prepare for an emergency.