Emergency management teams seemed well-prepared Thursday to help local residents remain safe when Charley makes landfall.
Published August 13, 2004
Nature's fury is often a matter of geography. Florida doesn't have to worry about volcanos or significant earthquakes, but hurricanes are drawn to Florida's 1,200-mile coastline. Our long peninsula, situated between the warm waters of the Atlantic and gulf, is a taunt to storms. But never in Florida's recorded history have two named storms hit the state within 24 hours. And eight decades have passed since Tampa Bay has suffered from the kind of direct hit that Hurricane Charley is likely to deliver today.
Thanks to the wallop South Florida took from Hurricane Andrew in 1992, Floridians know full well that hurricanes are not glorified rainstorms - they can be highly destructive and even deadly. Hurricane Charley is one to take very seriously. When it makes landfall sometime this evening, it is expected to be at least a Category 2 storm and possibly a Category 3, which means winds up to 130 mph. Beyond the ravaging winds, the storm is likely to bring heavy rain and a storm surge of at least 8 to 10 feet on the beaches.
Are we prepared? Most local emergency coordinators seem to have learned from earlier drills and planning. For example, Pinellas County is lucky to have Steve Spratt as county administrator. He was a public official in Miami-Dade County when Andrew hit, and he knows what to do before and after a big storm. Also, local authorities seem to have avoided the debacle surrounding Hurricane Elena. In 1985, when that storm brushed our coast, the disaster was compounded by a lack of preparedness. Roads were gridlocked by people trying to follow an evacuation order that was issued too late. This time, emergency management teams seem well-prepared, within the limits of their resources.
The evacuation order was given with plenty of notice, and up-to-date information is being provided through a variety of sources. Officials opened animal evacuation centers, distributed sandbags and made other necessary plans. Pinellas County has ordered a level "C" evacuation, which will affect about 380,000 residents, but the county has emergency shelter space for only 70,000 people. Depending on conditions, other area counties also could run short of shelter space. This shortfall is something that should be addressed as soon as this crisis passes.
As much as responsibility for contingency planning falls to county officials, it is also up to local residents to follow evacuation orders. This is no time to slap on a cowboy hat and expect to ride out the storm with a pitcher of margaritas. Bridges are expected to close today when weather conditions command it, and emergency vehicles will not be able to offer immediate assistance in many areas. If you are in an evacuation zone, leave if you haven't already.
We have to hope that Charley's punch is not as powerful or direct as the forecasts warn. But the only course is to brace and prepare for the worst. There will be lessons to learn after Charley as to how we can confront the next big storm more effectively. For now, though, people need to make responsible decisions for their own safety, as well as that of their families, pets and neighbors.
