Preparing for a Hurricane

In Florida, we know hurricanes. We know what they can do and we know how to prepare for them. We watched in horror as our brothers and sisters in the Gulf States were displaced and damaged by hurricanes Katrina and Rita in what is undoubtedly the worst hurricane season on record for that region. We wondered why it seemed to be so difficult for them to evacuate and get to safety. When a hurricane threatens South Florida our evacuation plans go into effect almost automatically. Systematically we evacuate the entire Florida Keys on a single road. Our keys population is nowhere near the population of New Orleans or Houston and we do not have a network of super-highways to evacuate them, only a single road moving north to Miami before our highways become a factor. So why do our evacuations work? Simple! We have a plan. A plan developed and implemented by Local and State authorities, not the Federal Government or its agencies. After all, we choose to live here, so it is our responsibility to manage our needs under any condition. We do look for help from the Federal Government after the storm in rebuilding under-insured areas, to help restore roads and utilities and provide low interest loans for affected businesses. This kind of help takes weeks and months to reach all affected people. And it only comes when States and Local governments make the request. And to make those requests the Federal system expects that the State and Local governments provide a viable plan to make sure that mistakes are not repeated and that Federal Aid is not just a temporary fix. Preparing a hurricane plan for an individual or an entire region requires information from many sources and many experts. A great place to start to gather information and sources is the Hurricane Tracking page from www.ServicesInFlorida.com. Here you will also find links to individuals and organizations that can help you with your plan. P.A. Yager South Florida resident and webmaster and Survivor of hurricane Andrew, 1992.