Tampa FL
5-03-2023 8:50am

It's National Hurricane Preparedness and Most Of Us Aren't Prepared

Sign up for Alert Pinellas to receive messages about emergencies and other important community news.

Editorial note :  if you do nothing else after skimming the headlines of this Tidings Media article :

1.  Sign up for Alert Pinellas to receive messages about emergencies and other important community news. Alert Pinellas is an emergency notification service for Pinellas County, local municipalities and the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office. This service is free to our residents and delivers urgent messages on a variety of situations, such as severe weather, boil water notices, missing persons or evacuations.

2.  Subscribe to Tidings Media as we're going to be working with the National Weather Service to augment Pinellas, Pasco and Hillsborough counties emergency management communications with direct updates from NOAA and the National Weather Service

3.  Bookmark the Tidings Media weather page provided by AccuWeather

At the Pinellas County emergency management offices, they call this time period "earthquake" season.  It's the calm before the storm, but when you are dealing with preparing to help the 1,000,000 residents of Pinellas County during the hurricane season, they're already thinking through and role playing through emergency scenarios in the war rooms at the Pinellas County offices.  

This week is formally National Hurricane Preparedness Week.  Now that the Tampa Bay Lightning are out of the playoffs, and the Rays are coasting on cruise control well atop the the AL East, it's time for you to take a couple of minutes to make sure you're ready for the real season in the Tampa Bay area, the hurricane season.  Take action TODAY to be better prepared for when the worst happens. Understand your risk from hurricanes, and begin pre-season preparations now. Make sure you understand how to interpret forecasts and alerts, and know what to do before, during, and after a storm. If you live in hurricane-prone areas, you are encouraged to prepare before hurricane season begins on June 1.

Hurricane Preparedness Expo

Hosted by: Pinellas County Emergency Management and Largo Fire Rescue

June 3, 10 a.m. – 1 p.m.

High Point Elementary

5921 150 Ave N.

Homeowners Association Hurricane Preparedness Event

Hosted By: Pinellas County Emergency Management and Pinellas Park Fire Rescue

June 17, 10 a.m. – 1 p.m.

Pinellas Park Performing Arts Center

4951 78 Ave N., Pinellas Park

REGISTRATION LINK: bit.ly/PCHOAEVENT

Condominium Association Hurricane Preparedness Event

Hosted By: Pinellas County Emergency Management and Clearwater Fire Rescue

June 24, 10 a.m. – 1 p.m.

North Greenwood Recreation Center

900 N. Martin Luther King Jr. Ave, Clearwater

REGISTRATION LINK: bit.ly/PCCOAEXPO

During an emergency

During an emergency, Pinellas County provides up-to-the-minute information to help you protect yourself, your loved ones and your property. During an emergency, check the Emergency Information page frequently for the latest official information.

Pinellas County activates the County Information Center to answer your questions. You can reach the information center by calling (727) 464-4333. Hours of operation will be announced through alerts, social media and the Pinellas County website.

Alerts

Alert Pinellas

Sign up for Alert Pinellas to get community notifications.

Sign up for Alert Pinellas to receive messages about emergencies and other important community news. Alert Pinellas is an emergency notification service for Pinellas County, local municipalities and the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office. This service is free to our residents and delivers urgent messages on a variety of situations, such as severe weather, boil water notices, missing persons or evacuations.

NOAA Weather Alert Radio

NOAA Weather Alert Radios deliver automatic alerts from the National Weather Service. We recommend that you configure the radio to receive alerts only for Pinellas County using the Specific Area Message Encoding (SAME). Each model of the radio has different instructions for setting it up, so check your owner’s manual. For Pinellas County, use SAME code 012103.

Free Mobile Apps

Ready Pinellas

Ready Pinellas is a mobile app designed to help residents prepare themselves and their families. It is also invaluable in the case of an emergency, with up-to-date information and notifications that are pushed through to your device. There is information that can be uploaded to your phone so that it will be available to you in the case of power outages and loss of cell service. It is available for free download on the Apple App Store and Google Play.

Florida 511

The Florida 511 mobile app provides real-time traffic conditions and incident information for the state of Florida. It is available on the Apple App Store and Google Play. You can alternatively receive Florida 511 information via text message or social media.

Nextdoor

Nextdoor is a social network where you can see news and updates local to your neighborhood or city. Pinellas County and other official agencies use Nextdoor to disseminate important information during emergencies. The app is available on the Apple App Store and Google Play You can also access the network by using the Nextdoor website, which has options for email and text messages.

Social Media

Pinellas County Government

      • Twitter for Pinellas County Emergency Management: @PinellasEM

    Resources

    Pinellas County 2023 All Hazards Preparedness Guide

    Hurricanes commonly pose a risk to Pinellas County, and that makes it important to Know Your Risk, Make a Plan, Stay Informed and Get Involved. Coming soon! The 2023 All Hazards Preparedness Guide can help you navigate the ways to prepare and stay safe. The 2023 Guide will be available online and in print in English, Spanish and Vietnamese by June 1. Check back here for updates.

    Pinellas County Connection Television (PCC-TV)

    PCC-TV offers information on county programs, services and live coverage of press conferences during emergencies. Watch online or on your television by tuning to Spectrum 637, WOW 18 or Frontier 44.

    Videos

    Pinellas County maintains a collection of educational videos and animations about how to prepare for different kinds of emergencies.

    News Media

    Pinellas County provides frequent updates to local news media during emergencies. Be sure that you are getting your information from trusted media outlets. You can confirm important information through official government platforms like this website, Pinellas County social media, the County Information Center and Live Chat.

    Live Chat

    Operators are available Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., to answer your questions. Live Chat becomes part of the County Information Center during emergencies and may be preferable for individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing. It can be found on any page on the Pinellas County website

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