National Hurricane Survival Initiative

Saving Lives & Minimizing Damage -- Is your community prepared?

Floridians’ concerns about coming hurricane season spike, amid overlapping COVID-19 pandemic ongoing issues

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Floridians cite strain on first responders, economic hits, and finding shelter

A majority of Floridians are more concerned than usual about the coming 2020 hurricane season, given the simultaneous continuing issues related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Nearly all Floridians expressed at least one significant concern – from the strain on first responders and more business closures to damaging hits on the economy, according to a new survey conducted by the statewide hurricane safety initiative, Get Ready, Florida!

“COVID-19 has created a very real, sustained sense of anxiety, and that’s even before the wild card of a major hurricane,” said Jay Neal, President and CEO of the FAIR Foundation and a Get Ready, Florida! partner. “Add hurricane season to the uncertainty of the pandemic and you introduce another set of serious issues to worry about.”

More than half of Floridians surveyed (51%) feel more concerned about hurricanes this year than in other years due to their experiences with the COVID-19 pandemic over the past few months, with the rest feeling no different at all. More than 9 in 10 (91%) said they had at least one concern regarding the upcoming hurricane season, including:

  • More strains on first responders (62%)
    • Business closures or more hits to the economy (58%)
    • Fewer shelters open due to social distancing (43%)
    • Uncertainty about where it would be safe to evacuate to (39%)
    • Ability to care for elderly or special needs relatives (35%)
    • Ability to afford supplies (30%)

That uncertainty about where and how to evacuate or find shelter may aggravate an existing problem – the tendency of many Floridians to ignore evacuation recommendations or wait until the last minute. According to the survey, nearly half (47%) of Floridians report that they have stayed where they live through a storm despite recommendations to evacuate.

“Social distancing will change the way we shelter people in a hurricane, without a doubt,” said Craig Fugate, former administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency. “For instance, everyone should add masks to their family hurricane kit. But if you’re told to evacuate, you still need to heed those orders and get out to a safer place.”

The economic strain of COVID-19 may also leave some Floridians less prepared for hurricane season. In addition to the 30% who worry about their ability to afford supplies, about 25% say they have put off needed home repairs due to COVID-19.

Many Floridians continue to lack essential safety knowledge needed for hurricane season. For instance, when asked where it’s safe to use a generator, 27% cite an unsafe spot, including a balcony or garage.

And while nearly a quarter of Floridians (23%) feel more prepared for hurricane season, possibly because they’ve become accustomed to spending more time at home, experts say it is important that all Floridians stock up on the basics they need to weather a storm.

“It’s important to plan ahead and ensure you have an adequate supply of tap and/or bottled water when hurricanes emerge as a potential threat, said Kent Koptiuch, natural resource manager for Nestlé Waters North America. “Emergency managers now recommend households have enough food and water for seven days, including one gallon of water per person per day.”

Get Ready, Florida! is an annual statewide public education initiative that has been working to educate Floridians about hurricane preparedness and safety for more than 20 years. The survey of 1,500 Florida voters was conducted by Sachs Media Group on May 21-22, 2020, with a margin of error +/- 2.2% at the 95% confidence level. To see the full survey results or for more information about hurricane preparedness, visit hurricanesafety.org.

Stay Powered Up Despite the Storm

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stressed man sitting on couch alone in the dark

An essential part of living in Florida is preparing for hurricane season. The state leads the nation in tropical landfalls with more than 200 direct hurricane and tropical storm strikes since records began in the mid-19th century. While the state’s energy companies have invested billions of dollars to strengthen the energy grid to help speed restoration following one of those strikes, it’s inevitable that a major storm will cause power outages. Preparing for power outages is key to ensuring you and your family are ready for when, not if, the next hurricane to blow your way.

poweroutage

Know Your Home

Losing power can make it difficult to enter or leave your home if you have an electronic door lock. Make sure you have another safe way into your home, or a key that doesn’t require power. Learn how to open your garage door manually (many will have a bypass or emergency cord).

Hire a Professional

Tree limbs and branches, as well as other windblown debris, are among the leading causes of outages during a storm. Many homeowners attempt to trim these themselves. However, both the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and Florida Power & Light Company (FPL) – Florida’s largest energy provider – advise against this. FEMA suggests you should hire a licensed tree-clearing professional to trim any vegetation near lines, and FPL warns that even non-metal ladders and equipment can still conduct electricity. This is why it’s important to look up and identify any overhead power lines before prepping your home, and to stay at least 10 feet away from those lines, including any tools or scaffolds you’re using. Always make sure to clean up any stray branches or yard clippings before a hurricane or tropical storm warning is issued. Once the National Hurricane Center (NHC) issues a warning, trash pickup is suspended, and anything left out may become airborne during the storm and interfere with power restoration.

The Ultimate Backup

If all else fails, having a generator in place will ensure that you have power during an outage. In order for generators to work properly, however, they must be stored safely and correctly. In a recent survey by the National Hurricane Survival Initiative, only 73% of people recognized that none of the options listed –  including balconies, garages, and attics – were viable locations for generators. With over a quarter of those surveyed believing in wrong information, former FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate warns that a mistake can be potentially fatal. FPL recommends following the manufacturer’s instructions before operating a generator, which should be done outside and away from windows. The company also urges Florida residents to never wire a portable generator directly into a breaker or fuse box, as the power you generate could flow back into power lines and cause severe injuries or death to utility crews working to restore power.

Learn more about FPL at fpl.com, and be further prepared with this comprehensive checklist.

Column: For hurricane season, keep a hand-crank or battery-powered radio at the ready

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Article Written By: Craig Fugate

All Floridians should have a battery-operated or hand-crank broadcast radio in their hurricane emergency supply kit. That’s a key lesson I’ve learned from a career spent in public safety, including nearly eight years as head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

It is easy for Americans to trust that their smart phone, the internet or pay-TV will be there when they need critical information when disaster strikes. Time and again, though, we see cellular networks go down or become congested. Our cable or satellite TV system is knocked offline. The power goes out and we are left in the dark, literally and figuratively.

That happened to me in Gainesville during Hurricane Irma — the power went out, taking out my cable and with it went the internet. My cellular data stopped working. Good thing I had a battery-powered radio. It was the only news source I had.

Last year was a wake-up call. Americans watched as Hurricane Harvey slammed into Texas’ Gulf Coast and caused unprecedented flooding. Hurricane Irma tore a path that left millions of residents in the dark from Florida up the Atlantic Coast. And, in Puerto Rico and U.S. Virgin Islands, Hurricane Maria caused devastation from which residents are still recovering and its effects may be felt for decades to come.

As we approach the heart of hurricane season, Americans should heed the lessons from last year and prepare themselves. And they need to know where to find live, local and detailed information during times of crisis. Knowing what is going on, where to find help and how to avoid trouble can make the difference between staying safe or getting caught in a dangerous situation.

That is why – from a career spent in public safety, including nearly eight years as head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency – I believe all Americans should have a battery-operated or hand-crank broadcast radio in their emergency supplies. Local broadcasters remain our communities’ most important “first informers,” working closely with public safety officials at every level to keep Americans updated on the situation. During last year’s hurricanes, local radio and TV stations went wall-to-wall with coverage, providing critical information about evacuation plans, places of aid for those in need and how to avoid disease for those stuck in their homes.

Yet, despite broadcast radio’s role as a source of lifeline information, many Americans fail to include a broadcast radio in their emergency plans. Thankfully, an innovative feature can turn many smartphones into an FM radio receiver during times of emergency, without having to stream over the internet or waste excessive battery life.

Mobile devices have for years been manufactured with FM radio chips which, when paired with headphones acting as an antenna, allows users to tune to local radio broadcasts even when a cellular network goes down. Though a popular feature in the rest of the world, many wireless carriers in the United States kept these FM chips deactivated until relatively recently.

The 2017 hurricanes showed radio-enabled smartphones can play a significant role in keeping people safe. Radio listenership on smartphones exploded in Texas and South Florida as hurricanes Harvey and Irma barreled down on the areas, allowing residents to use their mobile devices to get the latest updates about the storm from their local radio stations. In the Tampa Bay area, the NextRadio app — which enables over-the-air radio listening — had more than eight times more listeners on the Sunday before the storm hit than the previous week. Before a storm hits, test to see if your smartphone has this capability.

If you have an iPhone, you’re out of luck.

While the rest of the wireless industry has recognized the public safety benefits of radio-enabled smartphones — and despite calls from newspapers, lawmakers and even the chairman of the Federal Communications Commission — Apple continues to resist this innovative public service.

Americans need more access to lifeline information when disaster strikes — information local radio stations provide day-in and day-out. I strongly urge Apple to do the right thing and equip iPhones with FM radio capability. In the meantime, have that radio ready.

Craig Fugate served as FEMA administrator from May 2009 to January 2017. Previously, he served as Florida Gov. Jeb Bush’s Emergency Management director from 2001 to 2009.

Source: http://www.tampabay.com/opinion/columns/Column-For-hurricane-season-keep-a-hand-crank-or-battery-powered-radio-at-the-ready_169489997