My Clearwater
It’s Hurricane Season
It’s that time of year again – another hurricane season is
here.
June 1 marks the beginning of the latest season, which
runs through Nov. 30. And with the state and country still
in the midst of a pandemic, it’s more important than ever to
make sure you are prepared now for any tropical activity that
could come our way.
The most important thing to know is if you live
in an evacuation zone, and if so, what level zone
you are in. If you’re in an area that is likely to
evacuate in the event of a local landfall, know
where you might go instead of a shelter.
Evacuating to a public shelter should always
be as a last resort only, especially during a
pandemic.
“It’s pretty much a lifeboat,” said Jevon Graham,
division chief of emergency management for
Clearwater Fire & Rescue and the city’s point
person for hurricane preparedness.
04 MyClearwater
The best thing is to find
a friend or family member who
doesn’t live in an evacuation
zone and plan to go there. Make
those arrangements ahead of
time, and don’t wait until
tropical trouble is perched
just offshore.
The same holds true for
having hurricane-related
supplies at your house. That
includes bottled water, batteries,
non-perishable foods,
duct tape, a radio, firstaid
kit and more.
Now is also a good time to gather all your important papers
you would take with you – documents related to your house,
insurance and medical needs, among others. If you don’t
have flood insurance, consider purchasing a policy sooner
rather than later. Most insurance companies require a 30-day
waiting period before a flood insurance policy goes into
effect.
There’s a lot to do before hurricane season or in the early
stages of what
is expected
to be another
busy hurricane
season.
Last year, there
were 30 named
storms. Thirteen
of them became
hurricanes,
with six of
those growing
into major
hurricanes.
“People need to be prepared for that,” Graham said. “That
doesn’t mean we’re going to get hit, but it’s important to be
ready just in case.”
Sign Up for Alert Pinellas
Receive alerts about emergencies and other important
community news by signing up for Alert Pinellas, an
emergency notification service for Pinellas County. Alert
Pinellas allows you to sign up to receive urgent messages
on a variety of situations, such as severe weather, boil-water
notices, missing persons or evacuations. This service is free to
residents.
When you sign up, you choose how to receive alerts. This
could be a cell phone, landline, text, email – you can enter
multiple methods. Receive alerts for up to five locations.
Register at pinellascounty.org/alertpinellas.
Jevon Graham, the city’s emergency manager, leads
city operations during times of severe weather and
tropical storms. He also manages Clearwater’s
ongoing response to COVID-19.
This graphic, provided by the National Hurricane Center, shows
last year’s storm tracks.
/alertpinellas
