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Hurricane Preparedness

Important phone numbers and websites:
Pinellas County Emergency Management: (727) 464-3800
www.pinellascounty.org/emergency

Find your evacuation level: (727) 453-3150
pubgis.co.pinellas.fl.us/hurricane_txt

Sign up for the Community Notification Service to receive text emergency information on your cell phone: (888) 689-8905

Register for special needs transportation: (727) 464-3800
www.pinellascounty.org/forms/special-needs.htm

We are less than one month away…

The 2007 Atlantic hurricane season starts Friday, June 1, and all pre-season predictions are calling for a very busy season. Now is the time to work on completing your hurricane preparations, including assembling your disaster survival kit, finding your evacuation level and building an updated list of important phone numbers.

When you hear about these pre-season predictions, do you ever wonder how they are formulated? One of the most respected – and anticipated – predictions is prepared at Colorado State University. Noted hurricane experts Phillip Klotzbach and Dr. William Gray consider many weather conditions in such places as the tropical Pacific and the North Atlantic at different altitudes. By gathering this data and observing the activity level of past hurricane seasons, the Colorado State forecasters get an idea of just how busy a season can be.

Are they always right? Well, weather is a very complex system, and the team will make adjustments to its forecast throughout the season. Look for updated forecasts from Colorado State on May 31, Aug. 3, Sept. 4 and Oct. 2. For more information on the program, visit hurricane.atmos.colostate.edu.

For the record, here are the names for the 2007 Hurricane Season:

Save money – and save your home!

Mark your calendars for June 1–12. During this 12-day period, hurricane preparation essentials, such as batteries, weather radios, generators, shuttering materials up to $200, coolers, etc., can be bought sales tax free. Each year, the Legislature offers this tax holiday to help residents prepare for hurricane season. Many retailers prominently display exempt items throughout their stores.

Before you go shopping, take a moment to carefully consider what you need to purchase in order to complete your preparations. By doing so, you can avoid impulse buying and take the time to weigh the merits of each product.

For a downloadable list of disaster kit essentials, visit www.pinellascounty.org/emergency.

Just what the doctor ordered

One of the most important things to include in your disaster survival kit is your necessary prescription medications. But, what happens when an emergency is declared and your insurance company claims it is too early for you to get a refill?

Last year, the Legislature passed the Emergency Prescription Refill bill (Florida Statute 252.358 and 462.0275). This law requires all insurers and managed-care organizations to suspend refill-too-soon restrictions when a patient seeks a refill in a county that is:

• Currently under a hurricane warning issued by the National Weather Service
• Declared to be under a state of emergency in an executive order issued by the governor; or
• Has activated its emergency operations center and its emergency management plan

It also allows patients outside of these areas to get an emergency 72-hour refill if the pharmacist is unable to readily obtain refill authorization from the doctor. Please talk with your doctor and pharmacist now about how this new law can affect your prescriptions.

Make sure you are ready this hurricane season. In addition to having a supply of your medication on hand, keep a list of each one you take, including the name of the doctor who wrote the prescription, the name of the drug, dosage instruction and the name of the pharmacy where you had it filled.

Work smart in the heat

When working outside to prepare for a hurricane, you must consider the effect of heat. Your body normally cools by sweating but, in high humidity, sweat doesn’t evaporate as quickly, preventing your body from releasing heat quickly. Very high body temperatures may damage the brain or other vital organs and can lead to death.

The following tips from your Pinellas County Health Department can help you stay safe in our hot and humid environment:

• Drink plenty of non-alcoholic or sugary liquids (water is the best choice)
• Wear appropriate clothing and sunscreen
• Limit outdoor activities during mid-day hours
• Use a buddy system – check on neighbors and those at risk
• Give yourself time to adjust to the temperature
• Never leave infants, children or pets in a parked car
• Know the symptoms of heat disorders (heat rash, heat cramps, heat exhaustion and heat stroke) and be ready to give first aid treatment or call for help
• Heat stroke is a medical emergency – have someone call for help immediately while you keep the victim cool until help arrives.

For more health-related information regarding hurricane season, visit the Pinellas County Health Department’s webpage at www.pinellashealth.com or call (727) 824-6900.

Just what does your policy cover?

May is a great time to pull out your homeowner's insurance policy and review exactly what coverage you have. Four important questions you need to consider are:

• What is my deductible?
• What is my hurricane deductible?
• Do I need flood insurance?
• Do I have enough coverage to replace my home and belongings?

Some key terms you will also need to know include:

• Deductible: This is the amount a policyholder must pay per claim or loss.
• Hurricane Deductible: This deductible is based on the value of the insured property and applies only to hurricane claims.
• Flood Insurance: This policy will pay when flooding occurs from either storm surge or freshwater flooding. Standard homeowner's policies DO NOT cover flood damage. Check with an insurance agent to see if one is required for your home.
• Actual Cash Value: This is the amount needed to replace or repair your property counting depreciation. So, if your roof is 15 years old, and expected to last 20, you would receive only a prorated portion of the replacement cost.
• Replacement Cost: This is the amount needed to replace or repair your property without accounting for depreciation. In this case, the insurer would pay the amount to repair your roof with a system similar to what was damaged (for example, an asphalt shingle roof with a new asphalt shingle roof).
• Ordinance or Law Coverage: If laws or ordinances require repairs or replacements to a damaged home beyond merely replacing the structure to make it comply with current building codes, this coverage will pay for those improvements. All insurers must offer this coverage. If you decline this coverage, you must sign a waiver form, provided by your agent or carrier.
• Additional Living Expenses (ALE): Some insurance policies provide additional living expense coverage, such as extra costs for food, housing, telephone, transportation (to and from work or school), relocation and storage, utility installation and furniture rental for a temporary residence. The policyholder must keep receipts for expenses and submit them to the insurance company for reimbursement.

Now is the time to also make improvements to your home enabling it to withstand hurricane force winds. Homeowners should check with their insurance agents to determine what measures would offer discounts on their hurricane insurance premium. Typical measures include reinforcements for the roof and any covering (for garages, windows and doors).

Homeowners can find a great deal of information about their insurance policies by checking with the state's Department of Financial Services. Call (800) 342-2762 or visit www.fldfs.com.

Website of the month

The Hurricane Watch Net’s Doppler Radar Sites page www.hwn.org/home/radarsites.html

Powerful weather radars have revolutionized weather forecasting since they were introduced shortly after World War II. These radars can peer deep into the heart of a hurricane to show its exact location and characteristics. The Hurricane Watch Net, an international association of short-wave radio operators, has plotted the location of radar sites in the United States, Bermuda, Mexico and Cuba. Click on any of those sites to access its current radar image, which could become important as the 2007 hurricane season heats up.

May’s checklist

• Carefully monitor weather forecasts daily to stay up-to-date on the latest conditions.
• Now is a great time to give your survival kit a thorough review. Check to see if you have enough batteries, nonperishable food and other essentials to last a minimum of 72 hours without assistance.
• If you have young children, help them put together a survival kit for themselves. Kids can pack quiet games, favorite non-perishable snacks, their own flashlight with extra batteries and other comforts. This will help them feel a little bit in control over a potentially scary situation.

Weather facts of the month

• The World Meteorological Organization has established a rotating list of storm names that is used every six years. The 2007 list of hurricane names will be the same as the one used in 2001, with the following exceptions:
• Andrea replaces Allison, a tropical storm that devastated southeast Texas with heavy flooding, killing 41 people
• Ingrid replaces Iris, a category 4 storm that had a severe impact on Belize, killing 31 people
• Melissa replaces Michelle, a rare November category 4 storm that ripped through Cuba, killing 17 people throughout the Caribbean
• The same list of names was used six years earlier during the busy 1995 season (19 storms), the third most active season after the 2005 (28) and 1933 (21) seasons.
• This list was also used during the 1989 season, when powerful Hurricane Hugo made landfall in the Carolinas, causing $16 billion in damages and claiming 76 victims (35 in the United States). Humberto is now the H name on the list.
  

City Hall: 2747 Sunset Blvd. Belleair Bluffs, FL 33770-1978 | p:727.584.2151 | f: 727.584.6175 | Hrs: M-F, 8:30am-4:30pm

Official Site for Belleair Bluffs Inc. 1963 - 2008

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