Season
According to forecasts from the National Weather Service of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the Atlantic hurricane season, which begins June 1 and ends November 30, will be 85% above normal, with a 10% chance of a near-normal season and a 5% chance of a below-normal season.
For their part, meteorologists at Colorado State University (CSU) agree that activity will be approximately 170% of an average season over the last thirty years.
NOAA also predicts that 17 to 25 named storms will form, that is, whose sustained winds will exceed 39 miles per hour. Of them, between 8 and 13 will become hurricanes, whose winds will exceed 74 miles per hour. Of the latter, of Four to seven will be major hurricanes, Category 3, 4 or 5, with gusts exceeding 111 miles per hour.. These forecasts are usually 70% correct.
Condado ¿Are you ready?
Mayor Daniella Levine Cava met with the press at the headquarters of the County Emergency Operations Center and assured that Miami-Dade is ready, and urged residents to follow three key steps to prepare for the hurricane season.
“The first thing is to be informed. Visit our page web miamidade.govdownload the free application ReadyMDC and call 311 for guidance.”
“Second, prepare for the storm: prune trees, have supplies of hygiene items and food that can be kept for at least 72 hours, and take advantage of the tax holiday to buy what you need.”
The tax-free product sales holiday coincides in Florida with the start of the hurricane season, starting on June 1 and ending on Friday, July 14, 2024. Items related to preparing to face strong storms can be purchased.
The mayor urged county residents to make an emergency plan that answers these questions: What should I do if I live in a flood zone? What should I do if I need to evacuate? And where are the evacuation centers?
Levine Cava referenced the county’s official hurricane preparedness guide under the title: ARE YOU READY? Are you ready? Each owner must receive it by mail. It contains all the data and recommendations to mitigate the effects of the hurricane season and how to act before, during and after the passage of a storm. There are important telephone numbers, different alerts, how to carry out an evacuation, tips to mitigate damage from floods and extreme heat. It even suggests a list of items families should have prepared in case of a disaster, such as water, non-perishable food, can openers, sleeping bags, prescription medications, hygiene items, money, portable cell phone chargers, extra car keys and How to protect important documents in a waterproof bag.
The guide also explains how to prepare homes before a cyclone hits. It is recommended to take photos of the current state of the home to use in the event of a homeowner’s insurance claim if the house suffers damage. It advises pruning trees around the home, trimming the grass, clearing the ground of leaves to prevent them from clogging drains, securing boats, removing garbage tanks, and saving fuel for electric generators, among other indications.
Also listed are the different Storm Surge Planning Zones, which are different from flood zones, but, as their name suggests, can be affected by storm surges of up to 1.5 feet of water during a hurricane.
City of Miami
For its part, the Miami city government carried out a preparation exercise in the Emergency Operations Center de Miami (EOC), after which Mayor Francis Suárez called a press conference.
Mayor Suárez referred to the forecast for the current hurricane season and stressed the importance of highlighting that it will be more active than normal.
He listed the various preventative measures the City is taking, such as trimming trees and removing debris.
In addition, Miami, which is in the midst of a construction boom, will carry out safety inspections of the cranes in the different constructions. “Recently, we have seen some cranes fall. “We will certainly be inspecting all construction sites to ensure that the necessary steps are being taken to ensure that cranes are safe and cannot cause damage to property or people.”
“The Construction Department will inspect different works to ensure that materials and structures are properly secured.”
Regarding the floods, Suárez maintained that the areas of the city that flooded had been analyzed and “we will be able to dislocate portable water pumps in the areas that are affected. It is a procedure that we perfect every year. Every time there is a rain event, we learn how to do it better,” said the mayor.
The city of Miami has a dozen mobile water extraction pumps and trucks that are located in strategic locations when floods occur.
The residents
The mayor of Miami called on its almost 430,000 residents to be ready. “It is time to review insurance policies to see if they are current. Above all, flood policies, if they live in a risk area,” warned Suárez.
“It is crucial to understand that flood insurance has a waiting period and comes into effect 30 days after contracting. Trying to take out a policy when a hurricane appears is already too late,” said the mayor.
Suárez considers that, as part of the preparation, it is key to get to know your neighbors, exchange phone numbers with them and even implement evacuation plans, “not only with your family members, but with your neighbors.”
In this context, Robert Hevia, chief of the Miami Fire Department, stated that the city’s firefighters are ready. “Regardless of the forecasts, this preparation is no different than what we did last year.”
“Every year, we prepare to face a category 5 hurricane. Our preparation is expandable. “We can respond to both a small disaster and expand to a large event,” the chief explained.
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everyone’s effort
Hevia explained that in the “EOC we carried out an emergency exercise where we coordinated the resources available in the different departments of the city, firefighters, police, public works and communications. “In this exercise, all agencies came together to provide a coordinated response and verify the level of preparation.”
He recalled that in a hurricane, blackouts occur, trees fall, streets are blocked and flooding occurs. Under these conditions, the work of not only firefighters is necessary, but also the participation of the police, the Department of Public Works, FPL, as well as fire prevention inspectors to ensure that the power lines are safe. We also coordinate with the different hospitals and neighboring municipalities. To face a hurricane, coordination is essential. Working together is the only way to fulfill the mission and achieve the goal of being successful,” he insisted.
For the Miami fire chief, “the message to the public must be that to the same extent that we prepare, residents must do so as well.”
According to Hevia, any meteorological event can develop in four or five days, going from being a minor hurricane to becoming a category five. In that period, people do not have time to act accordingly. The time to prepare is now.”
The fire chief invited residents to visit the website miami.gov, where you can find a guide with all the instructions on how to prepare for the hurricane season.
Latest hurricanes
In the last three years, hurricanes Idalia (August 2023), Ian (September 2022) and Elsa (July 2021) have only caused heavy rain and winds. None have directly affected South Florida.
Since 2017, when Hurricane Irma hit the region, Miami-Dade has not been directly impacted by a strong hurricane.
The local governments of South Florida, on their websites, explain to their residents the resources available to face the current hurricane season and agree in urging them to be prepared.
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