Print

Email story

Comment

Email editor

Storm warnings

Florida and bay area counties have made substantial progress in upgrading preparations for hurricane season. But more is needed.

By Times editorial
Published May 28, 2006

Eight hurricanes over two years have better prepared Floridians for the storm season that opens Thursday. The government has spent more to speed evacuations, build and equip emergency shelters, coordinate public and private relief and hasten recovery efforts. Residents are more serious about securing their homes, laying in supplies and planning beforehand when and where to go if a hurricane gets close. These changes reflect a new realization about the dangers and responsibilities we face, as government mobilizes for multiple storms and residents accept greater self-reliance as a price for living here.

This attitude makes emergency planning easier, puts money where it is needed most and enables rescuers to focus their efforts on the people and places hardest hit. Yet for all these advances, Florida still lacks shelter space, evacuation options for coastal residents and the equipment to get communities on their feet in a reasonable amount of time. It only now is getting serious about protecting public utilities. These efforts will be costly for years and stretch beyond the public expense of making homeowners' insurance more affordable.

The state

After 15 named storms in 2004, nine of which became hurricanes, and last year's 28-storm season, which produced 15 Atlantic hurricanes, the state has invested hundreds of millions of dollars in shelters, equipment, planning and supplies. It has particularly focused on serving the older, lower-income and sick populations. Lawmakers approved $53-million this year to place generators at "special needs" shelters so those requiring medical attention aren't left without power. Another $45-million went for local emergency operations centers, $29-million for disaster management planning, $15-million to upgrade shelters, $7-million to warehouse ice and water and $3.4-million to do a better job educating the public. Focusing on those who lack the means to escape a storm is the right spending priority. Improving local operations headquarters will help the various jurisdictions better coordinate any recovery, a need underscored the past two years as major hurricanes wreaked unexpected damage as they crossed the state.

Lawmakers set aside $250-million this year for grants to homeowners who harden their property, reinforcing roofs, installing shutters and the like. But that money won't be readily available until the final, most-active months of the hurricane season. Legislators also agreed to require larger gas stations to be able to operate under generator power. That step and others should help stabilize the supply of fuel and other essential commodities, reducing panic-buying after a storm and helping to keep the roads clear so workers can safely conduct the cleanup.

The region

Counties on the central Gulf Coast have added shelter space and generators, better planned for evacuations and more fully accounted for special needs residents who require transportation, shelter, medical care or other services. They have reinforced the message that shelters should be a last resort and that residents should prepare to be on their own for three days after a hurricane. Some area residents also have trained as wardens to organize and care for their neighborhoods until emergency help arrives.

Pinellas County has updated portions of its emergency management plan, boosted its budget for emergency operations, and worked to improve coordination with cities, the Pinellas County School District, the Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority and other counties. With the addition of Gibbs High School to its shelter list, the county has increased shelter spaces by about 5,000, to 75,000 spaces. Pinellas has invested in trailer-mounted generators for special needs shelters, added two pet-friendly shelters and clarified some issues from last year about management and resupply of shelters. Pinellas has made major improvements in transportation planning for evacuations. The transit authority has produced its own written plan which makes it clear that people who don't have a car to get to a shelter can ride PSTA buses on regular bus routes until the onset of tropical storm-force winds.

Hillsborough has expanded its transportation plan, prepositioned more ice, food and water, purchased satellite phones and generators and begun to assess how regular county workers could help with disaster relief. The city of Tampa has reached out to register the homebound and sick for emergency transportation, and Mayor Pam Iorio has explored with Pinellas how to prevent backups on the bridges during a multicounty evacuation. A 1,000-bed shelter for Pasco and Hernando and a new emergency operations center in Citrus County will fill critical gaps in relief services there.

The challenges

Much more is needed to protect a fast-growing state. Pasco and Hernando, even with a new shelter, have room for half of the 76,000 who would seek refuge in a Category 5 storm. Pinellas spent the last year pleading with businesses to provide their buildings for shelters, but got no takers and still needs 60,000 more shelter spaces. Hillsborough has reached only a quarter of the 25,000 who need transportation. Florida's electric utilities will disclose by Thursday what they are doing to make the power grid more storm-resistant. The private sector also needs to explore how to become more involved in a coordinated recovery, whether by contributing goods or expertise, speeding the reopening of stores and consumer services or working with the state in other ways.

This is not just about money. Hillsborough is only now opening a second pet shelter because the school district didn't sense the need earlier on to authorize the space. Emergency managers are right: The biggest challenge is overcoming complacency. But there is complacency within the government, too. With federal forecasters predicting another active season - up to 16 Atlantic named storms, with eight to 10 becoming hurricanes - Florida's readiness is about to be tested. Getting through another year will take common sense as much as the right equipment. So plan, batten down and buy supplies now.

[Last modified May 28, 2006, 06:00:59]