Pat Robinson, Chief Security Officer
Hurricane season is once again upon us here in the sunny State of Florida, which means it is time to review your hurricane preparation and planning!
GET READY NOW
First and foremost, you need to prepare for these storm events before they start far out in the Atlantic or out in the Gulf. If you have a plan already, great, review it, make sure it is up to date and your supplies, batteries, and information are all up to date. If you haven’t developed a plan, now is the time to come up with one and begin preparations. Prepare now! Don’t wait.
We here at the Federation have developed an extensive list of online resources for you to review and consider for the development of your own plan. Preparing in advance makes you, your family, and our community safer!
Click here for our Storm Preparedness Resource Document.
HAVE THE RIGHT INFO
The first part of a good plan is to have good information to act on. You should begin with registering for emergency notifications in the area where you live. If you are in Sarasota or Manatee both have an emergency notification program that you need to register for.
Register for Sarasota County emergency notifications here.
Register for Manatee County emergency notifications here.
REMEMBER TO REGISTER TO GET NOTIFICATIONS
REMEMBER TO REGISTER TO GET NOTIFICATIONSOnce you have signed up for your emergency notifications you should follow your local government and local police/sheriff’s department on social media. In today’s fast paced internet environment, many government entities will put out updates first on their social media platforms before they send press updates to newspapers, TV, and radio outlets. Only rely on social media information coming from verified entities during emergencies, preferably your local government resources. Keep in mind that unfortunately, many outlets online are filled with misinformation or just downright bad information, so find out where you are getting your information and make sure it is a legitimate source.
DEVELOP YOUR PLAN
Now that you have put in place a framework to find out what is going on in your area from a verified source, you can begin developing your response plan. Knowing your evacuation area is the first step. Both Sarasota and Manatee Counties have information on the web to help you identify your evacuation zone. Once you know your zone, familiarize yourself with where the emergency shelters are in your community. Going to one of these should be a last resort. You should be aware of these locations as storms intensify very quickly and can change directions with little advance warning.
Click here for Sarasota County emergency shelters.
Click here for Manatee County emergency shelters.
EVACUATING? A GO KIT IS ESSENTIAL
Having a “Go Kit” ready in case you need to evacuate. This kit should contain, at least, drinking water (one gallon per person, per day, for at least three days), canned food and a can opener (or military-style Meals Ready to Eat, MREs), needed prescription medicine, toilet paper, hygiene items such as a toothbrush and hand sanitizer, sleeping gear, and pet supplies, if applicable. A good place to have these items is in the trunk of your car and in a cooler with wheels, so you can grab and go if needed.
IF YOU SHELTER IN PLACE
If you remain at your location because you did not evacuate, you should plan on having the same resources available. After a storm impacts our area, you should plan for the possibility of no power, little or no cell phone service, no internet, roads that might be impassable, and water service that could be interrupted or off. If you are going to stay at home, you should fill your bathtub and other large containers with water, have a full tank of gasoline in your car, have extra batteries, flashlights, and all the supplies you would have in a Go Kit. If you have a portable generator, only use them outdoors and away from windows to avoid carbon monoxide poisoning. Also, you may want to purchase a smoke alarm/carbon monoxide detector combo. Having resources in place to deal with the eventualities listed above in advance will reduce the likelihood you will have to rely on emergency services to assist you in the aftermath of an event.
Something to keep in mind if you decide to stay in your home: once winds hit a sustained speed of 40 miles per hour, emergency services will not respond to any calls for service until the winds fall below 40 miles per hour.
Knowing the situation in your area, having a plan, and preparing for the event will minimize the possibility that you and your family will have to rely on emergency services or a third party for assistance during a hurricane, or any major event. Take time now before the storm to prepare, that way you are not competing for resources with those that waited until the last minute.