Hurricane Corner

These Q&As and replies were extracted from the Hurricane Preparation Meeting June 2nd Video

1. Has the county fortified the local Water Plant? 

Flood Barriers have been added. A feasibility study is being done. At some point in the future there are plans to move the plant to another location. 

2. If my internet is down, how can you access the Facebook page? 

Download the Facebook App to your phone.  Best practice would be to also sign up via Sarasota County Alerts for alerts to not only go to email but to Messages (on your phone). 

3. Last year I was advised to evacuate but the nearest shelter was closed. 

If you are in a zone that is likely to be evacuated, either make plans with friends in safe zones or make other arrangements in advance. In your plan you should have at least 3 or 4 shelters picked out and give yourself plenty of time to get there.  

4. Is FEMA responsible for cleaning up after the hurricane? 

No! The local response and recovery units are responsible, working with the pre-hired emergency disaster contractors, and then FEMA will reimburse the money. 

5. Only AT&T phone service worked last year, anyone with Verizon Service was down. 

If your power and phone service are down and it is vital to contact someone, again people in the community with generators will be opening their homes to those in need of power and phone services. If you just need to listen for alerts, remember your car radio is an option. Solar power weather radios and battery chargers should be purchased and powered up prior to the hurricane event. 

6. Is there any chance of the governor calling martial law during a state of emergency, in this forum related to hurricanes? 

A representative from County Emergency will follow up. 

7. Is the Venice Water Plant tied to other locations in the event the plant gets destroyed? 

Yes, the Water Plant has multiple interconnects to other plants in the county and also regional channels.