Hurricane season: how to prepare
CLEARWATER, Fla. (WFLA) – Hurricane season is here and experts say now is the time to prepare.
Hundreds of people descended on Clearwater’s High Point Elementary School on Saturday morning to fill one of these bags with lots of things to ensure they are prepared for this hurricane season.
“With this radio, I have it set up so I can hear the National Weather Service,” said Clayton Parrott, Pinellas County emergency management engineering systems coordinator. “That’s how I know if storms or something like that are coming.
Parrott introduced this commando runner Saturday at Pinellas County’s Hurricane Preparedness Expo, demonstrating an important tool that would be deployed should a hurricane hit the Tampa Bay area.
“It’s not how many we’re going to have this year, it’s whether we’re going to get this one?” he said.
Experts say now is the time to prepare and create a plan that includes your pets as well.
“Please don’t leave them behind,” said Jennifer Renner of Pinellas County Animal Services. “When you create a plan, it’s important to include your pets in that plan.”
Hurricanes can sometimes be accompanied by power outages, which can result in traffic lights not working.
This can lead to serious problems along the way.
That’s when signal engineers like Melbourne Edwards come into play.
“If signals fail, please treat it as a four-way stop,” he explained. “We’ll come out [and] Check why the signals failed.”
“The idea is to safely restore the signal,” Edwards continued.
The show also featured emergency shelter conditions, a 35-foot storm surge banner and some free pet services.
Experts like tree trimmer William Redding of Pinellas County Public Works Urban Forestry were also on hand to offer advice.
“Ask for help and advice on how to prepare and what you should be doing to be prepared,” Redding explained.
The Max Defender 8 team is here to help prepare your home and family for the upcoming hurricane season.
Read our WFLA News Channel Hurricane-Ready Guide 2023 below:
If you live in Pinellas County, this hurricane guide was developed by Pinellas County Emergency Management with you in mind.
