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Officials review storm responses
By Alan Gomez
Palm Beach Post Staff Writer
Thursday, December 01, 2005
TALLAHASSEE — Even as Tropical Storm Epsilon bobbed around the Atlantic Ocean Wednesday, state officials gathered at the emergency operations center to mark the official end of a second straight record-setting hurricane season Wednesday.
"The good news is, hopefully we're at the end of the hurricane season. The bad news is, we're not at the end of the Greek alphabet," said Lt. Gov. Toni Jennings, referring to the need to go to Greek names this year because the record-breaking 26 named storms exhausted the slate of names.
Storm 2005
Jennings ran off a list of other records this season after hurricanes Dennis, Katrina and Wilma:
• The state EOC was activated 131 days of the 183-day hurricane season.
• Emergency officials distributed 7.4 million gallons water, 54.4 million pounds of ice, 10.7 million pounds of meals and more than 262,500 tarps.
• More than 61,000 volunteers worked 3.6 million volunteer hours.
And emergency management officials repeated sentiments they have stated before legislative committees in recent months, calling on individuals to assume more responsibility, too.
"I like to thank the Florida residents who did have a plan," said state Emergency Management Director Craig Fugate. "For the rest of you, I've got some harsh words. The failure of the public to prepare is one of the lessons we continue to learn each hurricane season."
But Jennings, Fugate and the other emergency officials made little mention of what they can do to fix what shortcomings they had.
State emergency officials were especially maligned following Hurricane Wilma's impact in South Florida. Floridians complained that officials bungled the distribution sites for food, water and ice, that they didn't provide adequate warning of the damage and that communication broke down at several levels.
Fugate said he will focus his efforts leading up to the 2006 hurricane season on figuring out why some residents refuse to prepare properly for storms.
A recent survey found that 40 percent of Floridians did not prepare in any way for a storm, he said. He will try to determine what percentage simply can't prepare because of physical or economic hardships, a population he said the legislature should help, and what percentage simply won't.
Jennings said she will push for a relief package similar to $254 million for affordable housing initiatives legislators approved after the 2004 storms.
Community Affairs Secretary Thaddeus Cohen said his department is studying glass-lined high rises in South Florida to determine why they failed so frequently during the storm.
The important part of this article is at the bottom. 40 Percent of Floridians did not prepare in any way for a storm.
Look at 10 houses on your street 4 of them have No extra food, No extra water and a car with the needle on E.
Officials review storm responses
By Alan Gomez
Palm Beach Post Staff Writer
Thursday, December 01, 2005
TALLAHASSEE — Even as Tropical Storm Epsilon bobbed around the Atlantic Ocean Wednesday, state officials gathered at the emergency operations center to mark the official end of a second straight record-setting hurricane season Wednesday.
"The good news is, hopefully we're at the end of the hurricane season. The bad news is, we're not at the end of the Greek alphabet," said Lt. Gov. Toni Jennings, referring to the need to go to Greek names this year because the record-breaking 26 named storms exhausted the slate of names.
Storm 2005
Jennings ran off a list of other records this season after hurricanes Dennis, Katrina and Wilma:
• The state EOC was activated 131 days of the 183-day hurricane season.
• Emergency officials distributed 7.4 million gallons water, 54.4 million pounds of ice, 10.7 million pounds of meals and more than 262,500 tarps.
• More than 61,000 volunteers worked 3.6 million volunteer hours.
And emergency management officials repeated sentiments they have stated before legislative committees in recent months, calling on individuals to assume more responsibility, too.
"I like to thank the Florida residents who did have a plan," said state Emergency Management Director Craig Fugate. "For the rest of you, I've got some harsh words. The failure of the public to prepare is one of the lessons we continue to learn each hurricane season."
But Jennings, Fugate and the other emergency officials made little mention of what they can do to fix what shortcomings they had.
State emergency officials were especially maligned following Hurricane Wilma's impact in South Florida. Floridians complained that officials bungled the distribution sites for food, water and ice, that they didn't provide adequate warning of the damage and that communication broke down at several levels.
Fugate said he will focus his efforts leading up to the 2006 hurricane season on figuring out why some residents refuse to prepare properly for storms.
A recent survey found that 40 percent of Floridians did not prepare in any way for a storm, he said. He will try to determine what percentage simply can't prepare because of physical or economic hardships, a population he said the legislature should help, and what percentage simply won't.
Jennings said she will push for a relief package similar to $254 million for affordable housing initiatives legislators approved after the 2004 storms.
Community Affairs Secretary Thaddeus Cohen said his department is studying glass-lined high rises in South Florida to determine why they failed so frequently during the storm.
The important part of this article is at the bottom. 40 Percent of Floridians did not prepare in any way for a storm.
Look at 10 houses on your street 4 of them have No extra food, No extra water and a car with the needle on E.
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