All Hazards Guide in Web Format! || Important information for people with special needs

Collier County EM Tropical Weather Page

All Nationwide Hurricane/Tropical Storm Watches and Warnings
Hurricane: It's NOT just another storm!
FEMA Tropical Storm Watch

Construya Para Sobrevivir La Tormenta
Preparandose para el huracan

What can I do to prepare for a hurricane?

Knowledge of hurricanes is NOT enough; now it is important to put that information to work.  Go over what you need to do to prepare yourself, your family, and your business for the worst.  The information on this, and our other hurricane related pages explain planning, sheltering, evacuating, and preparing a disaster/hurricane kit for your needs as well as some tips on preparing your home.

Your Family Disaster Plan

• Option A: Stay at Home
• Make sure that your house can withstand a hurricane, and that it is on high ground, well away from the coast.
• Mobile homes and manufactured homes are NOT safe places to stay during hurricane conditions!
• If you live in a mobile or manufactured home, plan to go to a safer place when a hurricane threatens.
• Most recent site built homes in our area have been built to Southern Building Code Conference criteria, which means that they should withstand wind speeds of 110 miles per hour.
• Rapidly rising water from the storm surge may become a major concern when combined with hurricane winds.
• Be prepared for the possibility that you may have to evacuate your home.

 
• Option B: Stay with a friend or relative who has a safe place
• If you expect to stay at someone else's home during a hurricane or other disaster make arrangements in advance.
• Be sure their home will be adequately prepared, supplied and that it is safe.
• Consider where you will go, if your hosts are out of town.

 
• Option C: Relocate out of the area
• You may wish to travel some distance to escape the threatened area.
• Keep a current road map and know where you are going so you can plan the best route.
• Stay away from major bodies of water (Gulf of Mexico, Lake Okeechobee).
• If there is an ill or disabled person in your home, get a doctor's advice on needed accomodations.
• If you leave, GO EARLY to avoid traffic, possible flooding, and high winds.
• Hotel and shelter accomodations will be scarce south of the Orlando/Kissimmee areas.

 
• Option D: Public Shelters
• If you have no where else to go, go to a designated public shelter.
• Stay tuned to LOCAL radio and television stations to find out what time each designated public shelter will open.
• Many public schools in the area can be used as Red Cross shelters.
• Designated shelters will be opened as needed in safe areas.
• If you decide to go to a public shelter, drive there now, and familiarize yourself with the route and exact location.
• Have an alternate route in mind, and drive it now as well.
• Don't wait until the last minute to activate your plan!
• If an evacuation order is given, move quickly, but do not panic!

Contact your local builder's supply store or your Emergency Management office for information on these retrofits. These systems can be constructed by a handy homeowner or licensed professional contactor, but cannot be started an hour before a hurricane strikes!

• Brace Garage Doors
• There are ways of bracing garage doors that are less expensive than replacing old garage doors.

• Brace Trusses and Gable Ends
• Proper bracing of your roof trusses or rafters allows the individual members to work together as a system and resists the collapse of framing members at weak points.

• Straps and Clips
• Many houses constructed in the past 20 years have some sort of straps or clips attaching the trusses or rafters to the top part of the house. Adding proper strapping where it does not exist, or verifying that existing straps or clips are properly installed can make a significant difference during a hurricane.

• Window Protection
• There are several systems available ranging from plywood to sophisticated roll down shutters. Windows are extremely vulnerable, and this is an important way to protect your home and family.

• Re-roofing
• If you must replace your roof due to normal wear, make sure the contractor replaces any deteriorated plywood sheathing to comply with the current standard nailing patterns. This is relatively inexpensive, and makes a big difference in improving the structural stability of older roof systems in high wind conditions.

• We know that storm surges can rise over 25 feet above normal tide levels. With the exception of a few areas, a large percentage of our residents live in areas that are less than a few feet above sea level. The land rises from approximately 5-6 feet along the coast to 40 feet in the inland areas.

• A hurricane above category 1 on the Saffir-Simpson scale (or La escala SAFFIR/SIMPSON para huracanes) would cause serious flooding in many parts of our area. In the event of a major hurricane hitting Southwest Florida, many low lying coastal areas would be flooded to varying depths by the storm surge and tides which accompany the storm. Tides of 3-4 feet could occur as much as 24 hours before the "eye" of the storm reaches the coastline. Many of our coastal roads could be under water well in advance of the storm's arrival, restricting their use as evacuation routes. Many areas are subject to flooding by storm tides.

 
• Anyone living or working in these areas should be prepared to evacuate as soon as a Hurricane WARNING is announced, and seek shelter at a higher elevation. Evacuation should be completed early to avoid the high winds and heavy rains which precede the arrival of the center of the storm. If you live in an area prone to flooding, you may be stranded and without fire, police or emergency medical support until flood waters recede!