Hurricane preparations amid the pandemic

Hurricane preparations amid the pandemic

We're just days away from the official start of hurricane season, and the COVID-19 pandemic has presented a number of challenges when it comes to emergency management preparations.

VIOLENT.AD LIBIF A STORM DOESIF A STORM DOES COME OUR WAYTHIS YEAR... THE CORONAVIRUS ICREATING SEVERAL NEW CHALLENGESWHEN IT COMES TO EMERGENCYMANAGEMENT PREPARATIONS.ONE OF THE BIGGEST FOCUSES RIGHTNOW IS SHELTERS.THAT PROCESS IS GOING TO LOOKDIFFERENT THIS YEAR.OUR JESSICA ALPERN HAS THOSEDETAILS.FOX 4 HAS BEEN SPEAKING WITH THEEMERGENCY MANAGEMENT TEAMS FORALL OF OUR SOUTHWEST FLORIDACOUNTIES AS THEY PREPARE FORSTORM SEASON AMID THE PANDEMIC.THE BIG MESSAGE BY FAR HASACTUALLY BEEN ONE THEY PREACHEVERY YEAR.EVACUATING TO A SHELTER SHOULDNEVER BE YOUR FIRST OPTION.NOW MORE THAN EVER WITH THEPANDEMIC AND NEED FOR SOCIALDISTANCING...THEY SAY IT’S IMPORTANT THATTHOSE WHO CAN SAFELYSHELTER-IN-PLACE CONSIDER DOINGSO.IF NOT, HAVE A PLAN TO EVACUATETO A FAMILY OR FRIEND’S HOME ORA HOTEL.BUT FOR THOSE WHO DO ULTIMATELYHAVE TO EVACUATE TO A SHELTER...A NUMBER OF PREPARATIONS AREUNDERWAY TO MAKE SURE IT’S NOTONLY SAFE TO WEATHER A STORM,BUT ALSO THE PANDEMIC.SOTVO (CHARLOTTE RAW)3:12Normally we determine occupancyrates for a shelter on squarfootage.

Well that squarefootage is an environment wherepeople are concerned about beingthat close to each other.

Sohave looked at increasing squarefootage which means reduceamount in building, screeningmeasures, encourage facecoverings, things like you’seeing out in the retasetting.REGISTRATION AT SHELTERS WILL BEANOTHER CHALLENGAND YOU SHOULD EXPECT LONGER,SPACED OUT LINES TO IMPLEMENTSOCIAL DISTANCING.PLUS ALLOWING EXTRA TIME FORSCREENING FOR COVID-19 SYMPTOMS.LEE COUNTY EMERGENCY LEADERS SAYTHEY’RE ALSO CONSIDERING OPENINGMORE SHELTERS THAN THEY USUALLYWOULD.SOTVO (LEE RAW):3:25Making sure people have enoughdistance to themselves and theirfamily in that shelterenviornmentAND WHEN IT COMES TO SCREENINGFOR THE VIRUS... HE ADDS THATTHE COUNTY IS LOOKING INTO WAYSTO SAFELY ISOLATE THOSE WITHSYMPTOMSTHEY ALSO PLAN TO HAVEADDITIONAL CLEANING AT EACHSHELTER.CHARLOTTE COUNTY EMERGENCYLEADERS ADD THAT DUE TO THEPANDEMICTHEY’VE ALSO BEEN UNABLE TO DOTHEIR TYPICAL PUBLIC OUTREACH ATCIVIC GROUPS AND ORGANIZATIONS.INSTEAD THEY’RE RELYING ONPUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENTS ANDPARTNERSHIPS LIKE TONIGHT’SHURRICANE SPECIAL TO GET THISMESSAGE AND MORE OUT THERE.SO BE SURE TO TUNE IN TO MAKESURE YOU AND YOUR FAMILY HAVEALL OF THE INFORMATION YOU