Emergency Management Chief Advises Residents to Plan Ahead for Hurricanes

Patrick Albert can attest to the havoc nature can wreak.

He was living in New Orleans, just 80 miles from the eye the hurricane, when Hurricane Katrina struck in 2005. His childhood home in downtown New Orleans was washed away by the storm surge.

"But I got out," said Albert. "I lived there all my life and never evacuated before. But this time I saw what was coming, and I got out."

Following the loss of his home, he relocated to Bloomingdale. His new home is high and dry. But, if the order came to evacuate again, Albert said he wouldn't hesitate.

"I've seen what a hurricane can do," he said. "It was total devastation."

Albert was among the area residents who attended a workshop Saturday at St. Stephen Catholic Church in Valrico, led by Bloomingdale resident and chief of administration for Hillsborough County Emergency Management Scott Dunlap.

Dunlap painted an ominous picture of what could happen if a Category 5 hurricane struck Tampa Bay.

"It would be an extreme catastrophic event," said Dunlap.  "The storm surge would be 10 to 20 feet high and there'd be 160-mph winds. There would be 21 feet of flooding in downtown Tampa. The barrier islands, Longboat Key, Bradenton Beach, Apollo Beach, Oldsmar would be under water."

A direct hit would result in an estimated 165 deaths with 30,000 more missing. A million buildings in Tampa Bay would be damaged with 480,000 structures totally destroyed. Approximately 843,000 households would be displaced. Forty-two of Tampa Bay's 57 hospitals would be damaged along with 60 percent of the fire and police stations. There would be 48 million tons of debris to clean up in the wake of a Category 5 hurricane. Bay bridges would collapse and there would be the potential for an environmental catastrophe at the Port of Tampa where sulphuric acid and fuel is stored in tanks.

When and if that happens, said Dunlap, residents better be prepared to fend for themselves because emergency services won't be in a position to help immediately following the storm.

"Tropical weather is our biggest threat," said Dunlap. "We are the most vulnerable state because of the way we jut out into the ocean and the fact that we have flat topography."

Each year, there's an average of 10 named storms, six hurricanes and three major hurricanes, said Dunlap. This year, however, due to climate changes, forecasters are predicting 16 named storms and nine hurricanes, five of which will be a category 3 or higher.

Dunlap said residents should assume the worst and be prepared.

"You run from the water but you hide from the wind," he said. "We evacuate for storm surge, not wind. And it's not the wind itself but what's blowing in the wind at 120 mph that is dangerous."

The exception to the rule, he said, are mobile and manufactured homes where residents must evacuate for both storm surge and wind.

Even near hits have resulted in massive damage and death, he said. Hurricane Elena in 1985 only came within 80 miles of Tampa Bay but resulted in four deaths.

"The government can't do a better job of preparing for your family than you can," he said. "Luckily, with hurricanes, we have warning. We have time to prepare. But the first 72 hours is up to you."

The first five things residents should do to prepare for a hurricane is to assemble a disaster supply kit, check their insurance, secure their homes and arrange for shelter.

"Buy plywood a few pieces at a time during the off-season so you'll have it on hand to board up windows," said Dunlap. "Start saving milk jugs to fill with water."

Before a hurricane threatens, decide whether you need to evacuate or if you can be a host home for evacuees. The Hillsborough County Hurricane Guide contains a map that allows you to determine if you're in an evacuation zone. While Bloomingdale, Lithia and Valrico are outside the evacuation zone, according to the map, residents living along the Alafia River west of John Moore Road should check the map.

When a hurricane threatens, residents need to assemble the following supplies:

• Two weeks' worth of medications
• A portable radio with spare batteries
• Enough water for each person to have one gallon per day for at least three days. (Don't forget the dog)
• Nonperishable foods including pop-top canned soups, meats, crackers, bread and peanut butter
• A nonelectric can opener
• Important papers and photos in plastic bags
• Toilet tissue
• A land-line phone
• Flashlights with spare batteries
• A first aid kit
• Two coolers for ice
• Heavy-duty trash bags
• A camera for before and after photos
• Mosquito repellant
• A fire extinguisher
• A plastic tarp for immediate roof repairs
• A garbage can
• Cleanup supplies
• Two bags of kitty litter
• Baby wipes for cleaning without water

The trash bags and kitty litter will become a makeshift toilet when no water is available, said Dunlap. You put the trash bag in the toilet and fill it with kitty litter.

• Residents should also fill their cars with gas
• Obtain at least $1,000 in cash in different denominations
• Begin making ice as soon as a storm threatens. When the electricity goes out, placing a bag of ice in the refrigerator will keep the refrigerator cool
• Purchase a charcoal grill, charcoal and wooden matches or fill the gas tank for a gas grill
• Fill bathtubs with water
• Isolate your hot-water tank to use as a potable water source
• Then double check all of supplies
• Dunlap also invested in a generator. Albert noted that a small generator will run an air-conditioning unit when the electricity goes out.
• You might also want to invest in a battery-powered fan, said Dunlap.
• Also plan for phone lines to be down and choose one person outside the hurricane zone to communicate.

"Then hunker down," he said. "Get in a downstairs closet or interior room with no windows and a real door." Dunlap's disaster supply kit is stored in his closet beneath a staircase where his family will seek refuge from the storm.

For those in an evacuation zone, he advises finding a friend or relative with a home outside the evacuation zone to stay with. Or rent a hotel room. Go to a hurricane shelter as a lost resort because they may be crowded and will lack the comforts of home.

"Don't try to leave the county," he said. "That's a bad idea. The interstates and major roads will have bumper-to-bumper traffic. You'll end up waiting in your car when the storm hits."

He said evacuees should take:

• Important papers, photographs and keepsakes
• Valuables
• The contents of their refrigerators
• Their hurricane supply kit
• Pillows and blankets
• Personal hygiene items
• Water
• Fix a flat
• Don't forget dog food
• Identification so you can get back to your home after the storm

Some death and injury takes place after the storm because people aren't cautious.

Dunlap said residents should be cautious about entering a structure that's been damaged. They should look for downed power lines and localized flooding. There may be snakes and gators in the standing water, he added.

Also look out for two-legged predators, he advised.

"There will be looters and people who prey on the misery of you and your neighbors," he said. "Watch out for one another because the police won't be able to help you."

Following a hurricane, expect to be without electricity for an extended period of time, he said.

People with special needs, those who are dependent on electricity, dialysis and oxygen, should call now to register for a special-needs shelter (813-272-5900). Before the storm strikes, they will be picked up and transported to the nearest special-needs shelter, either The Regent or Riverview High School, Dunlap said.

"With a population of 1.2 million people in Tampa Bay, we'll be depending on you to take care of yourself for the most part," said Dunlap. "Within 72 hours, our goal is to set up pods with supplies of water and ice for residents."