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Are You Prepared?

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By JULIA FERRANTE

The Tampa Tribune

Published: June 1, 2008

After a few uneventful years without a major storm, Pasco County emergency officials worry residents have let their guards down as hurricane season begins today.

"I think people have been lulled into complacency because 2006 and 2007 were quiet," Pasco Emergency Management Director James Martin said. "They're predicting 15 named storms this year, but the technology is not enough to say where they will go. It could be 15 storms chasing fish in the Atlantic or one named storm with very significant damage."

Pasco has three new shelters this year, for 25 total, able to house 30,000 people, or about 6 percent of the county's approximately 460,000 residents, Martin said. Two shelters are designated for special-needs evacuees, and one allows pets.

About 2,400 residents with special needs had registered with the county as of last week, Martin said. Some need transportation to shelters. Others need medical attention or equipment.

A contractor has been selected for a planned shelter in Hudson, but it will not be constructed until at least June 2009, Martin said. Gov. Charlie Crist has not signed off on funding.

One of the difficulties in spreading the message about preparedness is that Pasco continually gains new residents.

"It's a constant struggle to educate people," Martin said.

They need to be aware that Pasco is vulnerable not just to hurricanes but also to tornadoes spawned from bigger storms. Also, isolated tornadoes hit the county in 2006 and 2007 with almost no warning, Martin noted. He suggests buying weather radios to receive last-minute alerts.

Residents who do not live in evacuation zones or mobile homes are encouraged to ride out the storm at home unless they are asked to get out. They should have an escape plan, whether it is staying with a friend or leaving a few days in advance if a major storm is looming.

Officials fear evacuees will wait too long, as many did before Hurricane Katrina hit the western Gulf of Mexico coast in 2005.

"When you get into a Katrina-sized, Category 3, 4 or 5 storm, it would be not only Pasco County but impacting a geographic region of Florida," Martin said. "You are not only competing to evacuate with our population of 460,000 people but competing with a population of other counties to the south."

Community organizations also are concerned about complacency.

The Alzheimer's Family Organization in New Port Richey last year began a grant-funded outreach program for special-needs patients, although few have taken advantage, executive director Dominick De Petrillo said. A counselor visits patients in their homes and explains how to prepare for a hurricane.

Alzheimer's patients are particularly vulnerable to hurricanes, according to the organization newsletter. Changes in environment can be stressful for Alzheimer's patients. Storms add to the stress with startling noises and change in routine.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints offered a hurricane preparedness workshop last month in Zephyrhills. About 25 participants learned how to make a 72-hour kit and store water and other necessities, said Lora Morrison, spokeswoman for the church's Tampa stake, Dade City ward.

The 400-member church started a phone tree system for emergencies such as fires or hurricanes three years ago. Families exchange information about where they are going to be and what supplies they have.

"You never know. It may not be a hurricane. It may be a fire," Morrison said. "You start trying to gather stuff for three days. It can take you better than half an hour if you don't already have something ready."

The church hasn't had to use the system, but members want to be prepared, Morrison said. "Since Katrina, it's just been more paramount about doing it and knowing where people are."

It is difficult to pinpoint the exact path of a storm, so the best advice is to be prepared, Martin said. Southwest Florida residents learned that lesson in 2004, when Hurricane Charley appeared to be heading for the Tampa Bay region but turned unexpectedly and hit the Charlotte Harbor area instead.

HOW TO PREPARE

Officials offer this advice:

•Stock a disaster supply kit.

•Leave when emergency officials say it's time.

• Plan for the long haul.

For information or to view evacuation zones, go to www.pascoemergency

management.com.

To preregister for special-needs care, call (727) 847-8959.

To sign up for the Alzheimer's Family Organization's assistance program or to make a donation, call (727) 848-8888 or toll-free 1-888-496-8004.

The county's 24-hour government television station will feature programs on hurricane preparedness through Nov. 30. Pasco 360 airs on Bright House Networks Channel 622 and Verizon Channel 42. Showtimes are 8:30 a.m. and 12:30 and 8:30 p.m.

The station also will broadcast state-produced specials at 6:30 a.m., noon, and 5:30 and 9:30 p.m. daily.

Assistant Bureau Chief Jeff Scullin contributed to this report. Reporter Julia Ferrante can be reached at (813) 948-4220 or jferrante@tampatrib.com.

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