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After a hurricane season like last year’s, you should be preparing for another active summer. Make sure you plan ahead and know how to protect your home and your family in case a natural disaster strikes your community. Take a few minutes today to learn about hurricane safety—it could make all the difference later!
Those who are familiar with hurricanes know that before a hurricane strikes, the area usually experiences calm weather that is usually very pleasant. But hurricane veterans know this serenity doesn’t last long and to use it to make last minute preparations for the storm. We can use this calm before hurricane season to make sure that our families and communities will be ready when this years’ worst storms approach our lives. Joe Allbaugh, FEMA Director says, “Preventing the loss of life and minimizing the damage to property from hurricanes are responsibilities that are shared by all.”
Ask yourself the following questions: Do you know what the different hurricane hazards are? Do you have a family disaster plan? Do you have a disaster kit? If you answered ‘no’ to any of these questions, you have some work to do.
Storm surge, tornadoes, high winds, and flooding are all hazards that accompany hurricanes. Make sure that you are aware of the correct reactions to these hazards and how to limit the damage they can do to your home. Create a family disaster plan that everyone in your family is familiar with. Your family disaster plan should include locating a safe room in your home, determining an out-of-state relative or family friend who can serve as your single contact, deciding what to do with any pets, and checking your insurance coverage pertaining to flood damage (flood damage is not usually covered by homeowner’s insurance). You should also have a disaster kit ready and waiting. This kit should include items such as water (one gallon daily per person) and non-perishable food items—both enough for three to seven days. You should also have blankets, pillows, a first aid kit, tools, important documents, cash, batteries, and a battery-operated radio in your disaster kit. You can add items to this kit, but it is important that you have the items listed above.
One of the most important questions you will face in the heat of a disaster is whether or not to evacuate. If you are urged to evacuate you should not take that advice lightly—vacate your home immediately. In case of evacuations, roads will be very congested, so take time to familiarize yourself with evacuation routes now, before you need them. (If your home is located inland and on high ground, under most circumstances you should be safe in your home as long as you have a plan.)
Don’t hesitate—take the necessary precautions now! Hurricanes cannot be prevented, but you can be prepared.
Download the Florida Department of Health’s Family Preparedness Guide—available in English, Spanish or Creole—from their site.
It’s very important for you to understand how to stay safe after a storm in case local utilities and services are unavailable. To help you get prepared (and educated), we’ve compiled information from various sources on storm events and your water supply.
When the storm hits, be careful with your drinking water. Hurricanes, especially if accompanied by a tidal surge or flooding, can contaminate the public water supply. Drinking contaminated water may cause illness. You cannot assume that the water in the hurricane-affected area is safe to drink because water treatment plants may not be operating. Even if they are running, storm damage and flooding can contaminate water lines. Listen for public announcements about the safety of your specific water supply. Until services are fully restored, every effort should be made to conserve water usage.
• Use washing machines and flushing toilets only as necessary.
• Use portable toilets where provided.
• Fix any plumbing leaks as soon as possible.
• Report any sewage spills to proper utility authorities for clean up and sanitation.
Restrict access to these areas for 48 hours after cleanup.
• If your well floods, it needs to be tested and disinfected after the storm passes and the floodwaters recede. Call your local or state health department with questions about well testing.
If you get a Boil Water Notice, be smart about using your water.
• Boil water before use, holding it at rolling boil for at least one minute before using it for drinking, washing, cooking, etc.
• Or disinfect water by adding 8 drops (about 1/8 tsp—this would form a puddle about the size of a dime) of plain unscented household bleach (4 to 6%) per gallon of water, and then let it stand for 30 minutes. If the water is cloudy after 30 minutes, repeat the procedure. Use a container that has a cap or cover for disinfecting and storing water to be used for drinking. This will prevent contamination.
• Use bottled water, especially for mixing baby formula.
In the event of a water emergency, make sure you know how to protect yourself and your family. There are five different instances in which you may be required to boil your water for safety.
Microbiological Contamination: Occurs when water samples show the presence of harmful bacteria.
Zero or Negative Pressure: Occurs when we experience equipment failure or power outages, forcing the water to stop flowing.
Low Water Pressure: Usually results from cracked or damaged pipes that could potentially allow contamination to enter the public water or excess capacity issues.
Water Main Breaks/Interruptions: Boil Water Notices must be issued in these cases because there is a possibly of contamination due to a loss of water pressure.
Well Flooding: This occurs when the water supply well overflows, causing easy access for harmful bacteria.
To protect your family against potentially harmful bacteria in these rare situations, simply bring all water used for cooking or drinking to a rolling boil for one minute. These 60 seconds are enough time to effectively kill any active bacteria and make the water safe for cooking and drinking. As an alternative, you may use bottled water.
Your health is our greatest concern. If your residence or business is ever under a Boil Water Notice, you will be notified with a door hanger that gives easy instructions and information on the notice.
For more information on boil water notices, visit these links:
Florida Department of Health (state headquarters)
Florida Department of Environmental Protection (state headquarters)
U.S. Department of Environmental Protection (EPA)
FIRE IS A NATURAL WAY FOR NATURE TO CLEAN HOUSE. It cleans dead vegetation from habitat areas, making a friendlier home for wildlife. With dry season firmly established, the threat of wildfires is high, especially in the southern tip of Florida. A wise landscaping plan can help protect your home from wildfire threats without abandoning your water conservation plan. Keep a buffer zone between your yard and natural areas. A lean and green area with the right kinds of vegetation will help keep a fire from spreading into your yard. The ideal size is 10 – 30 feet of clear space. Keep the landscaping clear of dead vegetation and use less flammable trees or bushes in the buffer zone.
Keep that lean and green idea in mind around your home. Trees and bushes should be trimmed away from your house, clean out any dead or densely packed vegetation and keep the yard mowed. Use lava rocks or gravel instead of mulch next to your home and eliminate fuel for a fire. Remove hanging plants from the eaves during times of high wildfire threat. Ladder fuels are vines and shrubs that can carry a ground fire up into the treetops. Remove these from your home. Keep the tree canopies to a height of 6 – 10 feet and pruned so they don’t touch and spread flames to each other or the roof.
Firefighters need safe access to the structure to fight fires. Leave spaces between vegetation through areas of grass or walkways. Your landscaping will be more interesting and your home will be easier to defend from fire.
Proper irrigation helps keep your yard green and less likely to burn. Be sure to only irrigate during the legal times and dates for your county. Over-watering kills your grass, making it a fire threat. Keep a 100-ft garden hose attached to a spigot. You can use it for spot watering your yard, or to help fight fire.
When replacing or planning new plant areas, use native plants. They are more likely to thrive and also hold water better, making them less likely to burn. Avoid plants with waxy leaves or resinous sap, including native saw palmettos or pines next to buildings, because they are highly flammable. The Division of Forestry has lists of less flammable plants that make for safer landscaping next to structures. They are listed on line at www.fl-dof.com. Your county extension service has a free Florida Yards and Neighborhoods program. They can help you plan a Florida friendly yard that needs less irrigation and makes your home less fire friendly. The phone number is listed in your local phone book.
The main idea is to create a less-flammable landscape that also meets the homeowner’s needs.With a little planning, a landscape can be fire-wise and aesthetically pleasing, provide food and cover for wildlife, require less water for irrigation and provide shade to cool the home and reduce energy bills.
