Hurricane Preparedness

Libby Carnahan, UF/IFAS Pinellas County
Sea Grant Extension Agent

Nan Jensen, UF/IFAS Pinellas County
Family and Consumer Sciences Extension Agent

June kicks off hurricane season and five days into the month Tropical Storm Andrea formed in the Gulf of Mexico, proving that it is never too early to review your hurricane plans. Below are some helpful tips.

Review your Disaster Plan
A predetermined hurricane plan takes the guesswork out of an already stressful situation. It is important to know your evacuation zone and designated shelter (In Pinellas County- http://www.pinellascounty.org/emergency/knowyourzone.htm). Meet with your family and discuss what you will do if advised to evacuate. It is a good idea to designate an out-of-state friend as a contact for your family. Be aware of local resources including telephone numbers and websites; a useful list of local resources can be found at http://pinellas.ifas.ufl.edu/marine/pdf/HurricanePrep_StayingConnected.pdf. It is recommended that you talk with your neighbors about how you could work together after a tropical storm or hurricane-identify tools and skills of each neighbor, identify elderly neighbors with special needs, and make plans for childcare in case parents cannot get home. Keep the items that you would most likely need during an evacuation in an easy-to carry container such as a large, covered trash container, a camping backpack, or a duffle bag.

Stock your Supply Kit
To be ready for a disaster, you need to stock six basics in your home: water, food, first aid supplies, clothing and bedding, tools and emergency supplies, and special items.

A five to seven day supply of nonperishable foods and water is recommended. Also include items like a non-electric can opener, utility knife, plastic utensils and dishware, plastic wrap or tin foil to keep foods covered and hand sanitizer to lessen the risk of food contamination in your hurricane preparation kit. Before the storm, turn your refrigerator and freezer to the coldest settings. After a power outage, refrigerated food will stay cold longer if you keep the refrigerator door closed. Food in the refrigerator should generally be eaten within 4 hours; food in the freezer may remain safe for 1-2 days. But when in doubt if food is safe to eat, throw it out.

• Ideal foods do not need refrigeration, are low in salt, and do not require cooking. Some examples are canned fruits, peanut butter, jam, low-salt crackers, cereals, dried fruit, canned soups or meats, juices, and non-fat dry milk. 
• Clean drinking water may be unavailable for days. Aim to have one to two gallons of water per person per day for at least 5 to 7 days. 
• Include any special foods for those with dietary restrictions, and baby food and formula if you have infants in the household. 
• Include medications and special needs for babies or elderly. 
• Don’t forget pet food and water.

It is also important to have key documents in order. Even if you do not need family records during an evacuation, you must prevent them from being destroyed by a disaster. Such records are difficult to replace and may delay an insurance claim or other important matters. Keep these records in a waterproof, fireproof, portable container:

• Copies of will, insurance policies, contracts, deeds, stocks and bonds • Passports, social security cards and immunization records 
• Bank account numbers 
• Credit card account numbers and companies 
• Inventory of valuable household goods 
• Important telephone numbers 
• Family records (birth, marriage, death certificates)

The University of Florida IFAS offers many great resources to help you prepare including the new Gulf of Mexico Alliance funded “Florida Homeowners Handbook to Prepare for Natural Hazards,” and the “Disaster Handbook”, available online.

Hurricane Preparedness

Libby Carnahan,
Pinellas County Sea Grant Extension Agent  

As Tropical Storm Isaac bears down on Haiti, there are still many unanswered questions. Where will it go next? What regions of Florida will be affected? How much damage will the storm surge and winds cause?

However, one thing is certain. It never hurts to be prepared! The University of Florida IFAS program offers a comprehensive online guide to help residents prepare for an impending disaster. The guide can be downloaded at http://www.prep4agthreats.org/All-Hazard-Preparedness/farm-emergency-preparedness-plan.

Highlights of the Disasters: Preparation and Recovery Guide include

• Evacuation Checklist 
• List of “On the Go Papers and Documents” 
• Special considerations for Elderly 
• Special considerations for infants and toddlers 
• How to protect yourself and family post-disaster

Remember, mostly importantly, the safety of you and your family is much more important than that of property. Visit the National Hurricane Center’s website for the most up to date conditions, watches, and warnings associated with Tropical Storm Isaac and all other storms, http://www.nhc.noaa.gov . For additional resources to stay connected in Pinellas County, download our factsheet at http://pinellas.ifas.ufl.edu/marine/publications.shtml

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How to Avoid Post Storm Repair Rip Offs

Nan Jensen,
Extension Agent,
Family and Consumer Sciences


If Debby left you with a list of repairs to take care of, Pinellas County Justice and Consumer Services has some helpful tips to help you avoid becoming a victim of a home improvement scams.

• Watch out for “fly-by-night” contractors who take deposits and do little or no work. Avoid dealing with anyone soliciting work door-to-door. Take the opportunity to check them out first. 
• Be wary of contractors who ask for advance payment in full. Pay upon completion or as the work progresses. 
• Beware of any contractor who claims that extensive or structural repairs do not require a permit. The contractor should pull the required building permits, not the homeowner.

Keep the following tips in mind to ensure that your repairs are completed satisfactory: 

• Deal only with licensed and insured contractors. Verify that the license is current and active by contacting the Pinellas County Construction Licensing Board at (727) 582-3100 or www.pcclb.com. 
• Be sure that you have a written contract that details the work to be completed. Also, retain proof of payment for the work in case you need it later. 
• Require the contractor to supply a final affidavit indicating that all subcontractors and suppliers used on the job are paid in full. 
• Ensure that the contractor has had the work inspected by the building department before you make final payment. 

To check the complaint history of a business or if you need assistance with a consumer problem, contact Justice & Consumer Services at (727) 464-6200 or visit www.pinellascounty.org/consumer. 

For more information check out the University of Florida publication on Avoiding Frauds and Deceptions at http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/pdffiles/DH/DH21900.pdf

Preparing for a Disaster–Are Your Financial Records in Order?

Nan Jensen,
Extension Agent,
Family and Consumer Sciences

A disaster strikes. Your home and possessions are destroyed. Will you be able to pick up the pieces? Disasters are a part of life. June 1 marks the start of hurricane season and we all need to become familiar with hurricane preparedness strategies such as taking care of our property and how to handle life without electricity for long periods of time. What many people don’t often realize is that financial preparation is another key to survival and to cleaning up after the event.

Important Records
To start, it's important to know where your family records and valuable documents are and be able to pick them up and take them with you, if you must evacuate. Create a “to go” kit for those documents. Purchase a folder, briefcase or other carrying case. Better yet, purchase a fireproof portable cotainer. Examples of papers to include in the kit are:

• Checking account numbers and bank 
• List of savings and investments including CDs, stocks, bonds, and mutual funds 
• Credit card safety record 
• Household inventory – videotape, paper copy, and or disk 
• List of insurance policies with name of company, type of policy and policy number 
• Copy of will and trust documents, living will 
• Copy of titles (house, car, other property) 
• Copy of certificates: birth, marriage, divorce, death, and adoption 
• Passports 
• List of family advisors: accountant, attorney, banker, doctors, dentist, employer, financial adviser, insurance agents, religious leader, banker. 
• Bank account numbers 
• Educational records 
• Investment records 
• Military records 
• Other special papers that would be difficult or impossible to replace if lost. 

Take advantage of paperless record keeping for financial and tax records. If you have access to a scanner, scan your papers and documents into an electronic format and store on a flash drive or CD. Leave the original in a separate storage place. Many important papers should be kept in a safety deposit box. If you use a software package to keep track of your finances, you may want to keep a back-up copy with your "to go" papers.

A Household Inventory
An up-to-date household inventory is especially important to have. Before a disaster, an inventory will help you determine if you have enough insurance to cover the contents of your home. After a disaster, it will help prove the value of the possessions that are damaged or destroyed for insurance or tax purposes.

An inventory consists of a description of each item including model and serial numbers, when and where you bought it, and the cost of the item. Be thorough and include items such as towels and clothing. Costs add up and it would be expensive to replace these things entirely. Also include photos or a video to accompany your inventory and keep it up to date.

The University of Illinois, College of Agricultural, Consumer, and Environmental Sciences provides an excellent guide and relevant forms for conducting a household inventory. Access the guide online at http://www.aces.uiuc.edu/vista/abstracts/ahouseinv.html

If you take time to prepare and organize papers now, it will save you from unwanted stress and chaos in case of a disaster.

It’s Hurricane Season – Are your trees in shape?

By Pam Brown, Urban Horticulture Agent, University of Florida/IFAS Pinellas County Extension

As hurricane season arrives, there are many tree companies that are out and about offering to prune large trees and palms. Much of the pruning that is done can actually create a situation that puts the tree in more danger of failing in high winds than of providing protection. There has been a lot of research done at the University of Florida on the proper way to prune trees and the way that trees behave in high winds.

First, allow me to provide a bit of biology 101 refresher. The green leaves on trees and the green fronds on palms are the source of the food, through the process of photosynthesis, that these plants need to thrive and grow. When you remove green leaves and fronds, you reduce the ability of the plant to produce the food necessary to support the roots and top growth adequately. Fertilizer contains nutrients that are necessary for making proteins and enzymes but it is not the source of the food necessary to sustain the tree.

Let’s look at palms since they are so often badly pruned. When green fronds are removed, the palm is weakened. And, when all but a few of the fronds are removed in what is commonly called hurricane pruning, the trees is in more danger of failing in the wind. Those lower, fronds are mature, hardened fronds that protect the newer, more fragile fronds near the growing point of the palm. Without the mature fronds for protection, the top of the palm is more likely to sustain wind damage during hurricanes or other high winds. In addition, when this type of pruning is continued over time, the palm is weakened and may develop nutrient deficiencies and eventually decline and die. Palms are pruned primarily for people reasons and not the health of the palm. It is perfectly acceptable to remove dead fronds and blooms or fruit. And, I find that when a frond is hanging too low over the sidewalk, just cutting off the tip end of the frond will make it light enough to spring up out of the way of pedestrians. Removing the frond bases that remain attached to the trunk with a chainsaw creates wounds where insects or disease can possibly enter.

Our large shade trees are also being damaged by improper pruning. According to Dr. Ed Gilman of the University of Florida, this common malpractice on large trees of removing many or all interior low branches is considered over-thinning or “lions-tailing”. He states that “When people prune trees in this abusive manner, excessive live tissue is removed from the tree and no structural pruning is performed. This creates poor form and numerous wounds, and the tree becomes more prone to failure especially if there are few trees nearby. Old trees can decline as a result of removing too much live tissue. Only a small amount of live tissue may be too much to remove on a mature or over-mature tree. There should be a very good reason, such as to reduce likelihood of branch failure, when removing more than ten percent of the live foliage on mature trees.” Also, please do not allow anyone to top your trees for any reason.

Reducing the amount of foliage on the ends of the branches, and thus the weight, is a better way to reduce risk of branch failure during high winds. The canopy can be opened up without removing all of the interior branches and attached foliage. An arborist certified by the International Society for Arboriculture is trained in the proper way to prune and protect trees. However, all certified arborists are not equal. When requesting a quote from an arborist, ask to see their certification card, proof of liability insurance (ask for this no matter who you hire), references, and also ask if they will be with their crew when the work is done. I would suggest three quotes and then maybe even go to look at some trees that they have pruned.

You can find certified arborists in our area on the Internet at: http://www.treesaregood.org/findtreeservices/TCSHome.aspx. Or, you may call our Lawn & Garden help line (582-2110) Tuesday – Thursday and request a copy of the current list.

The following links lead to the extensive University of Florida information on tree pruning on the Internet:

http://hort.ifas.ufl.edu/woody/pruningpalms.html, http://hort.ifas.ufl.edu/woody/pruning.html

http://treesandhurricanes.ifas.ufl.edu/

In addition, you can view a 50 minute video called “Trees and Storms” on the Internet at: http://pinellas.ifas.ufl.edu/lawn_garden/index.shtml. Go to the right side of the page under "Hot Topics" and click on “Trees and Storms”.

Trees add considerably to the value of our property and keeping them healthy while providing protection from damage to our homes is a delicate balance that requires planning and caution. I hope that you will do your homework before allowing just anyone with a truck access to your trees.

After the Hurricane: Are We Prepared to Feed Our Family?

By Janice Wade-Miller, Education Instructor, Families & Consumers Science

With the memory of the devastation left across the Gulf Coast by the hurricanes of 2004 and Katrina in 2005 still fresh in our minds, we can only reflect and ask ourselves, "Are we prepared to feed our family?” While most people are not prepared for hurricane season, there is still time to pull together a plan and a no-cook food kit.

Aside from physical safety, safe food for our family is all-important in making the days following a hurricane as comfortable as possible for our loved ones. All of us need to prepare a no-cook food kit which should contain non-perishable food and pet food for at least 4 days. You should also be ready to be self-sufficient for at least three days and have on hand at least one gallon of water per person per day. This kit can be used if you were asked to stay in your home for sheltering without electric power.

Here is a list of foods to consider assembling when you are readying your home for the upcoming hurricane season. Remember to keep in mind that canned foods, once opened, can be heated in their can over a fire with the can serving as a cooking pot. Pick and choose the food to buy based on your family’s food preferences and needs. All items listed here will keep indefinitely without refrigeration. Some items require hot water for reconstitution.

Bread, Cereal, Rice and Pasta Food Group
Bread
Crackers
Granola bars
Breakfast bars
Pop tarts
Pastry Cold cereals
Instant hot cereals
Ramen noodles
Canned noodle soups
Instant noodle soups

Vegetable Food Group
Vegetable soups
Tomato soups
Small cans tomato, carrot, or V-8 juice

Fruit Food Group
Small cans of fruit
Boxed fruit juices
Small cans of fruit juice

Meat, Poultry, Dry Beans and Nuts Food Group
Canned tuna, salmon, clams, shrimp, sardines, pork and beans, chili, stew, ravioli, spaghetti, meat spreads, or chicken (Pack single servings as these products require refrigeration after opening.)
Peanut butter
Shelled nuts
Jerky
Dried meat sticks (as long as they do not require refrigeration after opening)

Milk and Dairy Food Group
Powdered milk
Cocoa mix
Canned evaporated mild
Shelf-stable boxes of milk
Snack puddings
Parmesan cheese
Snack packages of cheese and crackers

Other foods (little nutritional value)
Instant coffee
Tea bags
Bouillon
Candy or Chips
Snack Jello
Sugar

Here are some general food safety tips:

When in doubt, throw it out. Don't eat food that may have been exposed to flood water.

Use bottled water if it is available. Don't drink water that may have been exposed to flood water. If you don't have bottled water, boil it for 1 minute before using, let it cool and put it into clean containers to make it safe for drinking and adding to canned foods. If you can't boil water, you can disinfect it using household bleach. Bleach will kill some, but not all, types of disease-causing organisms that may be in the water. If the water is cloudy, filter it through clean cloths or allow it to settle, and draw off the clear water for disinfection. Add 1/8 teaspoon (or 8 drops) of regular, unscented, liquid household bleach for each gallon of water, stir it well and let it stand for 30 minutes before you use it. Store disinfected water in clean containers with covers.

Keep refrigerator and freezer doors closed. If the power goes out, keep refrigerator and freezer doors closed as much as possible. Your refrigerator will keep food cold for about 4 hours if it's unopened. A full freezer will keep an adequate temperature for about 48 hours if the door remains closed.

Use appliance thermometers. Thermometers should be in your refrigerator and freezer. When power is restored, check your freezer thermometer. If it reads 40°Fahrenheit, the food is safe and may be refrozen. Refrigerated food should be safe as long as the power was out no more than 4 hours.

Keep coolers on hand. Coolers can help keep refrigerator food cold if the power will be out for more than 4 hours. Purchase or make ice cubes and store them in a clean cooler. This ice can be used for drinking. Freeze gel packs ahead of time for use in coolers. Clean and sanitize your bathtub and then fill it with clean water beforehand for use in adding to soups, hand washing and personal hygiene.

Throw out spoiled food. Discard any perishable foods—such as meat, poultry, seafood, eggs, or leftovers—that have been above 40°Fahrenheit for 2 hours or more.

Cooking and eating habits must change to fit the situation during a power failure. You may have no stove to heat food, no refrigeration, and limited water. In addition, health risks from contaminated or spoiled foods may increase. Use these ideas to prepare hot food during a power outage.

Fireplace -- You can cook on skewers; wrap food in foil and place in the hot coals, cook on a wire grill over the flames; or you can cook over the flames in heavy cookware such as cast iron or heavy aluminum. A Dutch oven is probably the best piece of cookware, because it can be used for baking, boiling, stewing, or pan frying.

Outdoor grills -- Foods can be cooked on outdoor grills, but use the grills outside. Do not use them in closed areas, not even in a garage.

Fuel-burning camp stoves or charcoal burners -- Use these cookers outdoors only. Fumes from these can be deadly.

Candle food warmers, chafing dishes, and fondue pots -- If using candle warmers (similar to canned candles) or chafing dishes to keep food hot and protect yourself from food borne illness, be sure to use a food thermometer and check frequently to make sure the food stays at 140 °F or above and out of the “temperature danger zone.”

Wood-burning stoves -- Most wood-burning stoves have a flat metal crown which can hold a metal cooking pot. Use this to warm or cook canned food when you need it.

References:
University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Web site
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/

Pinellas County Extension Web site
http://pinellas.ifas.ufl.edu/fcs/fcs_dealing_with_disasters.shtml

Hurricane Season Will Be “Well Above Average.”
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2008/04/080409-hurricane-forecast.html

Guidelines for Assembling No Cook Food Bags
http://www.foodsafetysite.com/consumers/resources/nocook.html

Prepare for Hurricane Season: Advice From FDA
http://www.fda.gov/consumer/updates/hurricane052307.html

Emergency Disinfection of Drinking Water
http://www.epa.gov/ogwdw/faq/emerg.html