On Saturday, nearly 1,500 Orange County residents took advantage of the annual Hurricane Expo hosted by the government, to ensure they are prepared for the upcoming storm season.
Although meteorologists have forecast a slower 2014 hurricane season, officials at the Orange County Emergency Management are taking no chances. With 32 community partners in attendance, the free annual event ongoing since the mid-1990s, provided preparedness information, live demonstrations and free preparedness items, including weather radios and first aid kits.
Orange County Emergency Manager, Dave Freeman says, the county has a greater responsibility to always “Be Ready.” If storms affect the east, west or south Florida and residents are evacuated, they will come to Orange County.
“We are the largest inland county in Florida and we are the host county for the rest of the state,” said Freeman. “So, we have to be prepared…. and we have good shelters, but more importantly, we are a tourist destination and so we have a lot of hotel rooms.” The partnership that the Office of Emergency Management has with Visit Orlando allows for the tracking of available hotel rooms in real-time, he added.
Asked whether Orange County residents are prepared, Freeman said there is concern that because it has been 10 years since the major storms of 2004 and coupled with the transient nature of the population, many people might not be prepared as they should.
Ron Plummer, Assistant Manager, Orange County Office of Emergency Management, echoed Freeman’s sentiment.
“There’s a small percentage of people who do take the hurricane season seriously,” said Plummer. “The last major hurricanes were in 2004 and that has been quite a while. So, about 80% of people think it won’t happen and less than 10% think a major storm will occur.” We still want people to be prepared as we never know when the big one can come, he added.
He says parents should involve kids in preparing their disaster kits. “We want kids to get excited about having a kit prepared… let them have a role in going to get something that’s going to be put into it.” About half of the residents who attended today’s Hurricane Expo brought along their kids.
Freeman said there are two important messages in preparing for the hurricane season. First, if you are going to ride out the storm, have a family plan which will include needed supplies, and the ability to access weather information. And second, have an evacuation plan if you are leaving your home or the area.
“It’s much better to evacuate out of the area than planning to evacuate into a shelter,” he said. “Shelters are last resorts and we encourage people to have a plan to move out of harm’s way.”
Orange County Commissioner Pete Clarke (District 3), who opened the 2014 Hurricane Expo, urged residents to be prepared. He reminded of the 9-day hurricane preparedness sales tax holiday which started Saturday, from 12:01 a.m. to 11:59 p.m., June 8.
“This is a tax-free week, so get your hurricane supplies and stock up. Get your disaster kits together,” he urged. “And make sure you are using the phone apps and your weather radios to be advised and informed.”
Orange County recently launched OCFL Alert, a smart phone app that provides critical information during times of emergency. Another interactive application, OCFL 311, allows users to photograph, pinpoint and report problems from their smartphone to Orange County’s 311 Service Center.
