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Clearwater officials discuss what to do if a Katrina hits

Evacuating and caring for thousands of residents would be a challenge, but the real test would be the recovery after a big storm.

By JACOB H. FRIES
Published September 13, 2005

CLEARWATER - When thinking about the worst-case scenario for a hurricane hitting Clearwater, think Biloxi, not New Orleans.

That was a central theme that emerged in a City Council discussion Monday of the city's preparedness for a storm the magnitude of Hurricane Katrina. Council members, who were meeting in a work session, made no decisions in a wide-ranging discussion that touched on the challenges of moving people before the storm and caring for them and rebuilding after.

First, the good news: Because of Clearwater's elevation, officials expect that flood waters would not persist for days and weeks as in New Orleans but would recede more rapidly.

"In Pinellas County, the water comes in. The water goes out," council member Hoyt Hamilton said.

But a direct hit by a hurricane the size of Katrina would wreck the city in a scenario not unlike that seen in Biloxi, Miss., officials said. There, the 25-foot storm surge flattened entire blocks, wrecked a causeway, destroyed the casino industry, killed dozens and left thousands more homeless.

"The physical devastation is unavoidable," Hamilton said.

And in the case of a mass evacuation from low-lying areas, there would be no way to shelter the number of people who would have to be evacuated for such a storm, said Bill Vola, the city's emergency manager.

"We just don't have the number of buildings to house folks," Vola said. "That is the hard and cold reality of it."

Vola said the city was in the process of upgrading a couple of buildings that could be used as shelters during an emergency, but the council did not discuss those plans in detail. He also said police and others were trying to identify homeless and impoverished residents who might need assistance during an evacuation.

City Manager Bill Horne interjected: "The question is, where are we going to take them?"

And that would not be the only question. City officials acknowledged that they don't have the means to feed a city of 100,000 for a week. Thus, it would be necessary for the federal government to help with emergency aid in a disaster.

Another key issue would be starting rebuilding efforts, officials said.

"The real challenge comes in the recovery phase," Horne said. And for that and other questions, he suggested further discussions.

[Last modified September 13, 2005, 01:45:22]