Area emergency directors weigh in on storm safety

ABES

All forecasts point to a highly active hurricane season. But whether there is one storm or 20, “We don’t want the community to panic,” said Ben Abes, director of the Lee County Department of Public Safety.

He recently spoke with Florida Weekly about lessons learned from past storms, new plans and projects and revisions to existing plans that will improve the area’s resiliency.

“We aren’t focused on the long-range or even the seasonal forecast. We’re focused on preparedness, and that’s what we do day in and day out. It takes just one storm to have a tremendous impact on the community. We saw that with Hurricane Ian, and that’s what we want the community to be prepared for.”

Abes said a lot of information is available to the public, and “we want them to leverage that information to help them be prepared.”

Residents should monitor local media outlets, the National Weather Service and the National Hurricane Center.

FULLER

He ticked off the three key things to do to prepare for the upcoming season:

• First, have a family emergency plan and an emergency supply kit. That includes identifying important documents and information you need to have and where you would evacuate in the event an evacuation is ordered. It could be a friend or family member’s home or a nearby community. You don’t have to travel hundreds of miles.

• Second, know your zone and know your home. The county will identify evacuation orders by evacuation zone. Knowing your home is another factor. “Most homes built after 2002 are built to stronger codes and can withstand hurricane force winds,” he said. “If an evacuation is not called for your neighborhood and your home is newer, it’s likely able to withstand the winds and you’re able to stay home and shelter in place. You may not need to evacuate.”

• Third, be ready if a storm is forecast to impact our area, he said. That means doing the initial steps, such as bringing in loose items from your yard, securing your hurricane shutters, etc., so that you can immediately evacuate if an order is issued. “We’ve heard from a lot of people that waited until the evacuation order came out (during Hurricane Ian) and didn’t immediately evacuate because they were starting the first steps of their plan,” Abes said.

“We are certainly better prepared” than they were in the past, he added. “There’s a lot of things that, until you experience one of those events, you don’t have the information to be able to properly plan or address some of those things that can come up. And a lot of those lessons learned that we talked about are incorporated into new plans or revisions to existing plans.”

In Charlotte County, Patrick Fuller, county emergency management director, said that when he gives presentations out in the community, most residents already understand that there is a higher chance than usual that they may have to deal with the impact of a hurricane this season.

“I do believe they are taking it seriously,” Fuller said. The recent history of Hurricane Ian is still a focus in people’s minds.

In the aftermath of Ian, Fuller resorted to printing off sheets with critical information and putting them in the hands of everyone out in the field to give out to residents. He will still do that in the aftermath of a hurricane, but he will also set up information hubs in libraries and recreation centers in affected areas.

“If the south county is affected, recreation centers and libraries in that area will be set up as hubs, but not other areas,” Fuller said. They will serve as a point of distribution for food, water, tarps and other resources.

He also recommended downloading the American Red Cross Emergency App, which the Red Cross describes as an all-inclusive app combining more than 35 emergency alerts to keep users safe. The alerts are available for the user’s location and to monitor where friends and family live. A map shows Red Cross shelter locations.

Specifically, the Red Cross says the app includes a “Family Safe” feature that allows people to see if loved ones are OK, even if that person hasn’t downloaded the Emergency App. Using Family Safe, the user can send someone a message and their response of either “I’m safe” or “I’m not safe” will come to the user. If they are not safe, the user can call them or see their location on a map. The app also has an “I’m Safe” button, which allows users to let loved ones know they are out of harm’s way.”

For more information, see www.redcross.org/get-help/how-to-prepare-for-emergencies/mobile-apps.html. ¦

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