SEMINOLE COUNTY, Fla. — As hurricane season gets underway, county leaders want to make sure residents are ready ahead of time. The Seminole County Office of Emergency Management hosted a slew of training sessions at the Harvest Time International on Saturday.
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“Seminole County has not been hit by Hurricane sustained force winds since Hurricane Charlie in 2004,” said Allen Harris, Emergency Manager, Seminole County. “While we say that we’ve been through Hurricane Irma, Hurricane Ian, there was not hurricane sustained force winds in any of those events. Yet we experienced major debris, major power outage, cell phones out, all the stuff that we need day to day.”
More than 100 Seminole County residents joined the event. From how to operate a chainsaw to using generators safely in case of power outages, there were multiple training sessions. “Post-hurricane, we get a lot of emergencies,” said Harris. “People learning how to do their chainsaw after the hurricane. People placing the generator in the wrong spot or not maintaining it. Carbon monoxide poisoning is an emergency. We don’t want that to happen.”
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The county hopes to make Hurricane Action Day an annual event, and residents approved the initiative. “Every storm is different. So, it’s good to have a refresher. This is an excellent opportunity,” said Rosanna Rivera, a long-time Seminole County resident. “It’s free, and we just came out, so we need to learn. We need to be prepared.”
Emergency Kits
After the event, each resident was able to take home their very own 72-hour Emergency Kit. The county also explained which items should be packed should a storm hit our region and cause any disruption to the day-to-day routine. Here’s what you should keep in mind:
- Document protectors – birth and marriage certificates, doctors notes, insurance and property deeds should be kept safe, so make sure you have plastic protectors that can seal documents inside.
- Manual can opener – no electricity, no problem. Ensure you have a manual can opener to access nonperishable items.
- First aid kit – pack over-the-counter medicines and/or prescriptions you might need for at least 3 days in your kit, along with adhesive bandages.
- Batteries and flashlight – pack different kinds and sets of batteries and make sure your flashlight is working.
- Disinfectant wipes and water purifier
- Pet bowl, pet treats
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