Episode 42 Hurricane Season 2018- Let's Get Prepped with Tom Iovino

Hurricane season 2018: Let’s get prepped

 

This week, we get prepped for the 2018 hurricane season with emergency management specialist Tom Iovino from the Florida Department of Health in Manatee County. Host Dan Zehner talks with Iovino about some less than obvious dangers related to hurricanes, and Iovino proffers excellent great advice for anyone near hurricane-prone areas, from Texas to Maine.

 

Iovino says that the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration, NOAA, and the Colorado State University hurricane researchers predict a slightly more intense hurricane season for 2018.

 

The good news, Iovino says, is that a hurricane gives you warning. So people in the affected areas have time to prepare and act.

 

He describes the personalities of last year’s hurricanes: Big, slow-moving Harvey in Houston that dropped three feet of rain up to 100 miles inland. Irma, which was supposed to wallop South Florida as a Cat 5 but took a last-minute turn, helping the Tampa Bay area dodge devastation. And Maria, which destroyed most of Puerto Rico’s infrastructure.

 

Iovino recommends we guard against “hurricane amnesia.” It’s not just coastal areas; even inland cities, like Atlanta, can be affected by tornadoes and heavy rains. 

 

Primary problems, post hurricane, are lack of cellular and electrical service. Iovino reminds us of the senior care center in Florida that didn’t have a generator – causing patients to die.

 

Shadow evacuation is when people in non-evacuation zones evacuate anyway – causing tremendous traffic delays. Iovino says we need to educate people that for non-evacuation zones, designated local shelters are safe. You don’t need to drive far to be safe.

 

Special needs? If you or a family member has special medical needs, talk with your physician or local health department to get on a local “special needs” list. Don’t wait until the hurricane is bearing down on you. Get on a local list immediately so you can have a plan.

 

Iovino has a list of excellent tips for everyone in hurricane-prone areas.

 

• Next time you shop, buy batteries and water.
• Fill water or pop bottles about half-full with tap water. Freeze them and use them to keep food cold when the power is out.
• Flashlights! Buy several and keep them handy.
• Try to have the same battery size for your radio and flashlights.
• Keep insurance policy numbers, and key contact numbers, in your wallet.
• What about your pets? Decide how and where you’ll transport them.
• Be sure to pack your medicines.

 

Remember that “stuff is stuff,” Iovino says. “But lives can never be replaced.”

 

Visit these places for more details about disaster forecasting and planning:

 

• gov
• National Hurricane Center
• Your county emergency management office
• Your nearest local weather office for down-to-the-minute forecasts