If you’re reading this, we hope that you a) are far, far away from Hurricane Irma’s expected track or b) have made all the proper preparations — be they boarding up your windows and stockpiling food and water or heading (with your pets!) to one of your area’s designated hurricane shelters.
If you’re reading this and you’re none-of-the-above, local officials have a message for you.
“Now’s the time to finish your preparation for the storm and take shelter,” said Hillsborough County Administrator Mike Merrill at a Saturday press conference.
Some 9,226 have so far been housed in emergency shelters throughout the county at this point, he said, including 388 special-needs residents who have been transported to the facilities.
Tampa’s Zone A came under a mandatory evacuation order on Friday. It mostly includes areas on or closest to the city’s waterfront. With recent storm track projections sending Irma essentially right into Tampa Bay, storm surge could be anywhere from 5 to 10 feet in Tampa and St. Petersburg. That doesn’t include flooding from inevitably heavy rains.
While some locals have been preparing for Irma since Labor Day Weekend, others didn’t start until later in the week as Irma’s expected track continued to shift west until Tampa Bay fell, for the first time in decades, directly in the path of a major hurricane. Many evacuated, but a day before the storm’s expected initial landfall in Fort Myers, many were still boarding up their doors and windows with makeshift items like tables, according to posts on social media.
But now, officials are saying it’s time to run for cover.
Hillsborough County Commissioner Stacy White said, “The deadline is upon us” to finish up preparations.
“Make sure that you’ve executed your plan and that you’ve hunkered down in your shelter or that you’ve completely evacuated your area,” White said. “Right now in the immediate future, please, please take measures to protect yourself, your neighbors and your loved ones.”
While there is plenty of misleading information and hurricane mythology out there (some of which FEMA has debunked here), he urged residents with any questions to rely on the county for good information.
“I know that in times in crisis it’s often hard to know who to go to and who to listen to for guidance,” he said. “As chairman of the Hillsborough County Commission, I can unequivocally say that we are here.”
The county’s emergency response website (hcflgov.net/staysafe) has information like links to help residents determine whether they live in a zone that’s being evacuated, shelter locations and sandbag availability. Hillsborough County residents can also call 813/272-5900 at any time. Hillsborough Area Regional Transit (HART) is using its buses to transport evacuees to shelters.
Pinellas County residents can visit pinellacounty.org for information on shelter openings, evacuation zones and more, or they can call 727/464-4333. County officials have issued mandatory evacuations in Zones A and B. Access to Pinellas County’s barrier islands — Clearwater Beach, Treasure Island, St. Pete Beach, Tierra Verde, etc. — will be totally cut off Sunday morning at 6 a.m., Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri told the Tampa Bay Times (though individuals seeking to leave after then will be allowed to do so).
Dramatically punctuating the importance of early, solid preparation: the fact that, though first responders will be working around the clock before and in the aftermath of the storm, they will not be conducting rescue efforts for the duration of the storm itself.
“That threshold is going to come quickly and we’re not going to be able to help you,” said Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister.
Another thing to expect: it’s possible the vast majority of residents will lose power.
Gordon Gillette, resident and CEO of Tampa Electric, said up to 70 percent of Hillsborough residents could lose power — it’s unknown how the rest of the region will fare in that regard. Gillette stressed safe behavior around potentially hazardous conditions, including staying out of standing water, avoiding power lines and leaving generators outdoors, as their exhaust can be dangerous.
One thing is clear: if one’s inclination is to ride the storm out in the region’s most vulnerable areas, just don’t.
Hillsborough County Commissioner Sandra Murman said her home is in an area that is subject to an evacuation order. While she initially thought of staying, she said, she has decided to do the safe thing and evacuate.
“I have talked to my neighbors and a lot of people are staying put, she said. “That is scary; they think they can tough this out. Storm surge is real…If that storm surge has 6 to 9 feet, I’m going to have 6 feet of water in my house.”
Get the latest on Irma’s track here.
Pro tips on making it though Sunday night here.
This article appears in Sep 7-14, 2017.
