Florida Is Prepared

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Cookiely
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Florida Is Prepared

#1 Postby Cookiely » Fri May 18, 2007 9:20 pm

Florida Is Prepared For Hurricane Season, Officials Says

By NEIL JOHNSON The Tampa Tribune

Published: May 17, 2007

FORT LAUDERDALE - Florida is prepared for the coming hurricane season with stockpiled water and ample National Guard resources, officials said at the state's annual hurricane conference Wednesday.

In addition, the director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency said there will never be a repeat of the fiasco after Hurricane Katrina in 2005.

Speaking at the opening session of his first Governor's Hurricane Conference, Gov. Charlie Crist said the state's emergency management officials are prepared for the season that starts June 1.

"I'm very pleased with how ready we are at the start of the season," Crist said.

He added that residents have to do their part by being ready to fend for themselves for three days after a storm hits.

Crist said about half the 254 gas stations along evacuation routes required to have generators by June 1 have complied with last year's law calling for the equipment. Earlier this week he warned the stations without generators that he would enforce the law if they miss the June 1 deadline.

To reduce time getting water to victims immediately after a storm, the state's Division of Emergency Management is filling a warehouse in Orlando with bottled water, the division's director, Craig Fugate, told reporters.

The 200,000-square-foot warehouse has more than 500,000 gallons of water and Fugate hopes to have more on hand in the coming months. The supply now would provide one day's water for 500,000 people.

"Getting water was always trouble for the first three days," Fugate said.

During previous seasons, supplies had to be bought after a storm struck, then shipped where they were needed.

In addition, the warehouse also has nearly 400,000 packaged meals and 62,500 tarps.

The state's stockpile would help, but would not be enough water to supply every resident in densely populated areas if a hurricane struck.

"No matter how much water we put in that warehouse, we won't have enough if Tampa gets hit or Miami," Fugate said.

A storm that knocks out the water supply for a major population center would require a much larger effort, he said.

Despite demands for equipment and personnel from wars in the Middle East, the state's National Guard has the resources to deploy if a hurricane strikes, its commander said.

Speaking to reporters at the conference, Maj. Gen. Douglas Burnett said the state's National Guard has about 10,500 troops available.

In addition, the Guard has about 1,200 Humvees and 400 5-ton trucks to haul supplies, Burnett said.

Should a disaster call for more equipment or helicopters, Florida can get them from nearby states.

About 1,000 of Florida's National Guard contingent are stationed overseas.

In the largest deployment in the state's history, Florida sent 6,500 troops to South Florida after Hurricane Andrew in 1992. During the 2004 hurricane season, 4,500 troops were called.

The drain on equipment from the war will have to be addressed in coming years, Burnett said, as much to deploy for disasters as to allow the Guard to fulfill its military mission in wartime, Burnett said.

Soldiers returning from the Middle East are capable of being deployed for a disaster soon after returning.

"During [Hurricane] Charley, 60 to 70 percent of the soldiers on the street were back from Iraq for only three months," Burnett said.

The conference, which ends Friday, drew 4,100, the largest in its 21-year history. It's the largest hurricane conference in the country.

The conference was held in Tampa 18 consecutive years until moving to Fort Lauderdale in 2006.

Reporter Neil Johnson can be reached at (352) 544-5214 or njohnson@tampatrib.com.
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#2 Postby JonathanBelles » Fri May 18, 2007 9:32 pm

I definatly think we are better prepared than last year.
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#3 Postby xraymike1 » Fri May 18, 2007 9:32 pm

No matter what the state has planned for and stored, It is every persons responsibility to be prepare. That means, water, food and other necessities for at least 4 days. I will have more than that stockpiled before the second storm comes close.

After Wilma, there were people on the radio wanting to know when and where ice and water stations were going to be placed! This after less than 4 hours the storm finished. People need to rely on themselves first and the government second.
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#4 Postby skysummit » Fri May 18, 2007 9:35 pm

Well, I KNOW Florida is better prepared than us! LOL
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#5 Postby Cookiely » Fri May 18, 2007 9:42 pm

fact789 wrote:I definatly think we are better prepared than last year.
Better is a relative term. Not all people will take the time and money necessary to prepare to take care of themselves for three days. The government can say this until their blue in the face, but when disaster strikes the people want instant help. I just can't see how people in the Tampa Bay area could evacuate in time. I do like the idea of making the gas stations have generators to keep the pumps going. The problem is having enough gas to get out of town and having gas along the evac routes. I wonder if they have solved that problem.
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#6 Postby Downdraft » Sat May 19, 2007 7:28 am

It's hard not to sound like I'm tooting my own whistle, which I'm not, considering where I work but I am very proud of the proactivity and forward thinking in Florida. I credit much of it to both Jeb Bush and Craig Fugate. There is no doubt Florida continues to learn and improve on past mistakes. We learned a great deal after Andrew and again the wildfires of 1998. In areas that the public knows very little about Florida has led the way for the nation. One example is interoperable communications. The Florida Interoperability Network allows radio systems of different frequencies to patch together so that everyone can talk to each other regardless of the radio system they normally use. That may not seem like a big deal to the general public but rapid emergency communications is the number one problem of any disaster. Another forward thinking idea was the state sales tax suspension each May for hurricane related supplies and equipment. This is one of the few times I could ever say that government has done its job now its time for the people to do theirs. A very good example is right here in Seminole County. Recently because of the winter tornados there has been much debate on installing an outdoor tornado warning system. We did a lot of research and testing of outdoor systems and decided against them. The County said we can spend 2 million plus and install a system thet may or MAY NOT work for everyone or you John Q. Public can go out and buy a weather radio for $39.95 and solve the problem for YOURSELF today! A lot of people said you buy them for us we might plug them in.
Government is not responsible entirely for your safety you have to help yourself. If you don't prepare for hurricane season fact is your just plain stupid. In many cases Darwin's Laws of Natural Selection continue to work despite state and local governments efforts to intercede. it's been a long time since Andrew for us but getting hit by 4 majors in six weeks in 2004 again taught us a lot. This state could have been brought to its knees but we made it work. We will continue to make it work.
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#7 Postby Janie2006 » Sat May 19, 2007 9:43 am

skysummit wrote:Well, I KNOW Florida is better prepared than us! LOL


That's pretty funny, but in a situation like this it hurts too much to laugh. :wink:
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#8 Postby WeatherEmperor » Sat May 19, 2007 12:06 pm

Its always the best idea to prepare. Last year when T.S Ernesto was coming to Florida, I remember so many long lines at the gas stations and at stores for supplies. Even though Ernesto ended up being no big deal for us, I really liked it how people took the system seriously. You know, you get your hurricane supplies for the same reason you walk around with a condom: Id rather have it and not need it, then need it and not have it. Just be prepared.

<RICKY>
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#9 Postby Nimbus » Sat May 19, 2007 1:44 pm

One of the few bright sides to gasoline prices rising is that gasoline stations tend to keep their tanks topped up. The reverse is true with falling wholesale prices since the stations lose money holding higher priced inventory.

I agree there is no adequate preparation for a Katrina or Andrew situation. In both those cases many people clung to the hope that the storm would not be as destructive right up till 48 hours before landfall.

Florida is in good shape for the more usual Cat 1 or cat 2 storms that the state has already had so much practice recovering from. I'm still going to be an optimist and not worry too much about the early season, since there is currently a lot of shear over the Caribbean.

Patterns change so by August the season may get quite active. Last year the NHC felt the Carolinas and US east coast regions would be targeted. This year the ITCZ looks a little further south, but I do not know what the experts feel the late season track bias will be?
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#10 Postby Rainband » Sat May 19, 2007 9:36 pm

Florida is Number One in being Prepared. :D
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#11 Postby MusicCityMan » Sun May 20, 2007 8:16 pm

Interesting comparison to hurricane season weather emperor.. I don't think I've ever heard a hurricane season compared to intimate contact lol.
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#12 Postby johngaltfla » Sun May 20, 2007 8:21 pm

Rainband wrote:Florida is Number One in being Prepared. :D


I am going to respectfully disagree.

We "THINK" we are prepared, but the big what if is a Katrina type storm as a Cat 1 two days out then a Cat 4 one day out from either Tampa or Miami.

The evacuation and shelter planning is totally inadequate and the death toll will be horrible because so many people simply refuse to leave. It will take at least two days to even think about evacuating Pinellas County, much less the barrier islands in my region, which thankfully, are now mostly condo and sparsely populated during the season.

I fear the worst and pray for the best. If there is any hint of this type of storm one to two days away from me, I probably won't be here. However, if I make an error in judgment and Sarasota takes it first direct hit in over 130 years, I'll take the mandatory photo on my back of the eye passing over to post here when normality returns.

Pray, and I mean it, PRAY HARD, that Miami or Tampa do not get the "big one".

Our state will collapse economically, for which we are not prepared, should such an event occur.
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#13 Postby WeatherEmperor » Sun May 20, 2007 8:32 pm

MusicCityMan wrote:Interesting comparison to hurricane season weather emperor.. I don't think I've ever heard a hurricane season compared to intimate contact lol.


lol yeah I know. I was just trying to get people to understand that the hurricane season should not be underestimated no matter where you live along hurricane prone areas.

<RICKY>
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#14 Postby MusicCityMan » Sun May 20, 2007 8:49 pm

Good point Ricky..Esp if u live on vulnerable coastlines,..
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#15 Postby xraymike1 » Tue May 22, 2007 7:34 pm

I think Miami-Dade county is better prepared than Tampa-Pinellas county, just because of Andrew and Wilma. YES Evacuation will be a problem and always will. There be those that will not leave and those that can't because of their jobs. I work in th healthcare field and have had to sit in the hospital while the storm goes thru and wonder what is going on at my family because I can't bring my animals to work.

Only about 10% of gas stations in Palm Beach county have gotten generators. Now I understand the cost of the generators but them profit they can make post storm should make it worth while.

As for gas on the evacuation routes, who is going to stay to run the stations and wait to leave at the end of the line.

We need the rain that a few storms would bring.
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#16 Postby Rainband » Tue May 22, 2007 7:39 pm

xraymike1 wrote:I think Miami-Dade county is better prepared than Tampa-Pinellas county, just because of Andrew and Wilma. YES Evacuation will be a problem and always will. There be those that will not leave and those that can't because of their jobs. I work in th healthcare field and have had to sit in the hospital while the storm goes thru and wonder what is going on at my family because I can't bring my animals to work.

Only about 10% of gas stations in Palm Beach county have gotten generators. Now I understand the cost of the generators but them profit they can make post storm should make it worth while.

As for gas on the evacuation routes, who is going to stay to run the stations and wait to leave at the end of the line.

We need the rain that a few storms would bring.
We have had far many more close calls and false alarms.. so I think we have it down to a science in the early stages. Hopefully we don't get tested on the aftermath part of the equasion :eek:
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#17 Postby Windtalker1 » Tue May 22, 2007 7:44 pm

From what I have read, they are stock piling water in Orlando and have already said if we have a major hit one of the large cities that they "ARE NOT" prepared to supply everyone with water or the K Rations.
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#18 Postby TheShrimper » Tue May 22, 2007 7:47 pm

I'll tell you what Rainband, I was just up there in Pinellas visiting some friends. If those people do not get out BEFORE they are told to, there will major casualties if a strong hurricane hits just north of Clearwater. Bad Scenario, there's just too many people and too few ways to get ouy of that place.
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#19 Postby Rainband » Tue May 22, 2007 8:00 pm

TheShrimper wrote:I'll tell you what Rainband, I was just up there in Pinellas visiting some friends. If those people do not get out BEFORE they are told to, there will major casualties if a strong hurricane hits just north of Clearwater. Bad Scenario, there's just too many people and too few ways to get ouy of that place.
I agree but if people don't listen to what they are told to do in this situation then I don't know what to say. Our officials are prepared. You can lead a horse to water but you can't make it drink>
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#20 Postby TheShrimper » Tue May 22, 2007 8:14 pm

I agree with you Rainband, but the people up there in that area have to be warned way way ahead of time to get them out. I realize that it may lead to complacency if the threat does not ensue, but dammit, there's alot of people up there and I would venture to say that all of the Key's could be evacuated more in an orderly manner, than that rat race up there. Y'all are in big trouble if the worse case scenario transpires.
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