Emergency Evacuation in SW FL: Evacuating For a Hurricane

Hurricanes rank as one of the worst natural disasters in the world. It can be argued that hurricanes have become more unpredictable, intense, and powerful, often wreaking havoc. But as troubling as they can be hurricanes usually allow for a degree of warning and preparation before they hit (unlike some other natural disasters). So for those in Southwest Florida that live in a hurricane evacuation zone, being prepared is a critical part to staying safe. And a large component of preparation is knowing how and when to evacuate.

This article discusses emergency evacuation measures in order to stay safe during a hurricane. Hurricane preparedness is the number one way to be safe, secure, and smart when Mother Nature hurls a natural disaster your way. Below we discuss how to prepare for a hurricane along with knowing when and how to evacuate if you are located in an evacuation zone.

Preparing for an Emergency Evacuation

Preparing for an evacuation is a key component of hurricane preparation. Before any storm you should know your hurricane zone, have emergency alerts set up, have an evacuation plan, and know where to go if you have to evacuate.

1) Keep Updated and Remain Attentive

Local authorities and weather personnel constantly monitor hurricane progress. Paying attention to these authorities will keep you informed of a hurricane’s trajectory, category, and dangers. To remain attentive to weather updates, use radios, television weather channels, and smartphones with weather alerts.

Sign Up For Your County’s Rapid Emergency Communication System

We recommend signing up for your local county’s emergency communication alert system, such as AlertLee in Lee County. These will provide updates and alerts, including evacuation communications.

Below are the different mass emergency communciation systems for different counties in Southwest Florida.

AlertLee – Lee County
Alert Char lotte – Charlotte County
Alert Co llier – Collier County
Alert Manatee – Manatee County
Alert Sarasota – Sarasota County’s system that covers Sarasota, North Port, Venice, Longboat Key, and unincorporated Sarasota County.

If your county is not included, you can find for your rapid, emergency alert system by doing a search engine search for “Alert [your county]”.

2) Develop a Comprehensive Emergency Evacuation Plan

Create a detailed, thorough evacuation plan in the event that you need to evacuate. It would be best if you had multiple plans and contingency plans in place, knowing different routes and destinations where you could go to escape an approaching hurricane. Work through scenarios with your loved ones, planning multiple evacuation routes, designated shelters, and meetup locations.

You can find evacuation routes by Florida county below:

If your county is not listed, you can find your map here: https://www.floridadisaster.org/planprepare/disaster-preparedness-maps/

3) Prep and Update Your Emergency Kit

Each person in your family or group should have an emergency kit that includes non-perishable food, bottled water, extra medications, personal first-aid kits, flashlights with extra batteries, and important documents, like insurance information, ID, and residence info.

Review your kit every few months, even in the off-season, to ensure nothing has spoiled and everything is where it should be in case of emergencies. Refresh contents as needed.

4) Consider Pets

Pets should also have emergency kits. In fact, in order to bring your pet to a shelter they must have an emergency kit.

These kits should include Ziploc bags containing plenty of dry kibble, bottled water, medications, extra ID tags, a leash, and comfort belongings, like toys or a blanket.

If you are not interested in staying in a shelter you can find a hotel or accommodations that accept animals. You can find a list of Pet-Friendly Lodging options on the Lee County website (click the link).

Special Provisions for Individuals with Disabilities or Special Medical Needs

For loved ones who are disabled or have support needs, add a list of medical conditions to their emergency kit and keep an extra copy in the car glove box. You should also thoroughly plan their evacuation with transportation and assistance as needed.

Transportation Assistance

People with special medical needs may be unable to transport themselves to a local hurricane shelter. In this case, you can apply for transportation assistance with Lee County. Fill out an application and wait for approval upon successful processing.

Please note that applications won’t be processed without five days of predicted hurricane trajectories.

Shelters

Some shelters are better equipped than others to help people who have disabilities. While all shelters aim to keep individuals safe, only some boast trained personnel or medical staff can assist those with disabilities. Call ahead to ensure your shelter selections offer assistance and potential medical care.

You can register yourself or a loved one at http://www.leeeoc.com/, and you can find out more information at the county’s Special Medical Needs Shelters page.

Finding Your Shelter

Some people find it easier to hunker down in a shelter instead of traveling evacuation routes to visit with loved ones or head to another state to wait for the hurricane to pass. Families sometimes can’t leave the trajectory zone in time to reach a safer, more secure location, making hurricane shelters essential. Schools are often turned into hurricane shelters, but where are they located?

Here’s a comprehensive list of hurricane shelters in Lee County.

At Eurex Shutters, we suggest you and your loved ones incorporate shelter plans into your hurricane prep. Pinpoint where you would go in an emergency and have backup plans in case some shelters get overcrowded.

Do you have pets? Call ahead to ensure a hurricane shelter accommodates them, usually dogs and cats. Pet-friendly shelter locations change and will depend on the storm’s trajectory.

Hurricane Evacuation Tips

Get familiar with the evacuation zone

Evacuation zones are everywhere and rarely change, but routes depend on a hurricane’s trajectory. Familiarize yourself with every route, and make multiple plans based on each evacuation zone. Prep to avoid congestion or traffic bottlenecks. Plan to leave promptly.

You can find evacuation route maps on the Florida Disaster website: https://www.floridadisaster.org/planprepare/disaster-preparedness-maps/

Plan for your pets

Dogs and cats are recognized as pets for shelter stays, but if you have other pets, you must make other arrangements. Birds? Fish? Take them with you in designated carriers, but plan ahead where you will stay, what you will do with your animals, and how long you may be gone. For dogs and cats, carry extra ID tags, pet-friendly emergency kits, carriers, and supplies to last a couple of weeks at minimum. Pet shelters will require you to accompany your pet and for each pet to have a prep kit.

Stay calm but act quickly

There’s nothing worse than stressing and losing focus when a hurricane approaches. Stay calm. Follow evacuation instructions you prepared, and implement your evacuation plans by gathering emergency kits, loading the car, and heading for a designated route. Remember you do not have to wait around until after an evacuation order is given. You can leave early and put yourself at an advantage if you are confident a storm will hit.

Be Cautious & Prepared When Returning Home

Returning home means facing whatever the hurricane may have done to your city, property, and home. Proceed with caution. Flooding, downed power lines, and fallen trees could present serious hazards, so follow safety precautions set by local authorities to prevent accidents and avoid harm. And remember to be safe and smart, proceeding with caution.

Kids? Pets? Dependent with functional needs? It is best to keep them in a safe place, like the car, while you survey any damage to your home. Be careful and move cautiously, gauging hazards before you allow your loved ones to do the same. Remember its better to be safe than sorry.

In Conclusion: Emergency Evacuation Readiness

Living in Florida means living with the possibility of a natural disaster (or two) every hurricane season, so it’s crucial to develop an effective evacuation plan for everyone in your household. The most important takeaways to this should be to remember to be prepared and have a solid evacuation plan. You want to be familiar with your local evacuation routes, shelter locations so you know where you can do and be prepared to do so.