Q&A with Bay County Emergency Services: Here's what you need to know about hurricane season

BAY COUNTY — The Atlantic Hurricane Season is upon us and Bay County Emergency Services Deputy Chief Bradley S. Monroe has all the latest on how Bay County residents can prepare.

Hurricane season lasts from June 1 to Nov. 30. Bay County has seen its fair share of catastrophic storms, including the Category 5 Hurricane Michael in October 2018.

“There's still cleanup going on and, of course, these massive wildfires that we had just a few weeks ago show us that there's still a lot of debris out there and we've worried about that,” Monroe said. “And unfortunately, we didn't deal with that until just a few weeks ago, and so we may have to deal with that some more. But the aftermath of these serious storms, like Michael, the category five storms, four and five storms, leave devastation that takes a community a long time to recover from.” 

Monroe discusses with The News Herald what Bay County leaders have learned from recent hurricanes and how residents can stay safe.

Hurricane guide: emergency contacts in Bay County

And evacuation routes and shelter information

Q: What does this upcoming hurricane season look like for Bay County?  

“We know that it's been slightly above average and that could be adjusted during the year as we move into hurricane season in June. It's not uncommon for (the National Weather Service) to take a second look at things. I’m going to say the Weather Service would take a second look at things and up their predictions (if need be). But we think we're going to be an average or slightly above-average season this upcoming season.” 

Q: With the discussion of climate change and worsening storms, is there potential for category 5 storms, like Hurricane Michael, this season? 

“I think there's always potential for that. I think we've been lucky. We haven’t experienced that. A lot of the smaller serious storms went to the west of us or the states just due west of us, Mississippi, Louisiana, Alabama and Texas, which Texas and Louisiana have accounted for many over the last few years.

“But it can happen, it depends upon the weather patterns and fronts moving through. I'm no meteorologist. A perfect scenario sets up, we could have a serious storm. I think Michael has shown us our vulnerability in that aspect.” 

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Q: What should residents have in their hurricane toolboxes and where can they get these supplies?

"Most of these items can be purchased at the department stores, like Walmart, at the big-box supply stores, like Home Depot and Lowe's. The flashlights and lanterns usually cost $40 or less. Items costing $50 or less, so tarps and cookers and that sort of stuff. Batteries, smoke detectors, fire extinguishers, carbon monoxide detectors and generators are also a good thing to have.

“I think one of the most important things, having those supplies and figuring out what you're going to do. I recommend you go to the state website, floridadisaster.gov/getaplan, and there's tips to make a plan for your family or your business. History has shown us that in serious storms, like Michael, 30% to 40% of the businesses never come back. And so, it's important to have a plan for your business. And it's even more important to have a plan for your family and your pets.”

Q: How should residents find their evacuation zone?

“They can look at the county website and navigate to the Emergency Management Division page and get the information on the storm surges and that sort of stuff, of areas that are most likely to flood during a storm due to storm surge. There's a guide that's available to be downloaded and a lot of information for the folks who are looking for guidance and how to prepare for storms.”

Q: Is there a different plan for tourists who happen to be visiting during a hurricane? 

“In the worst-case scenario, we would ask them to leave but the situation is with a lot of hotels and stuff like that have cancellations, airline cancellations due to bad weather. But we encourage people to, when you're in hurricane season, to keep an eye on the weather. Alert Bay is a good source. We have the county emergency services webpage on Facebook where we release information. 

“If you're someone who's planning to come to Bay County, they can look at the website and get the latest NOAA and Weather Service predictions for the area. Most of the time, these tropical storms and stuff like that only affect us for just a few days. And so, the tourist industry can come right back afterward. We try not to scare people away but, obviously, we are concerned about their lives and safety. And we weigh that in all our decisions.” 

Q: How can people stay up to date if their power has gone out or they have evacuated?

“We saw communication failures after Hurricane Michael, radio for several days was the best way the EOC communicated with our citizens and so having a battery-operated radio or I think they have the bind-up type of radios now. Something that will work and having the batteries available in case we have that critical communications failure again is what I would recommend.”

Q: What are some things Emergency Management learned from Michael and has implemented in its protocol or training?

“I think Hurricane Michael taught us the importance of preparedness. It is important for residents to receive these emergency notifications that Alert Bay sends, follow our Twitter and Facebook for official up-to-date information. Our Twitter handle is @BayCountyEM, Facebook is Bay County, Florida Emergency Services.

"I would highly recommend that we use our local sources. We have excellent weather forecasters here and television stations and radio stations that convey those weather reports out on a regular basis. It's just a matter of paying attention, especially when we have a storm in the Gulf.”

Q: What else should Bay County residents know about the upcoming season? 

“I think that we should always be on alert when we go into hurricane season and not drop our guard just because this is not a year that's predicted to be an overwhelmingly bad year. I'm reminded that Hurricane Michael and Hurricane Sally occurred in years when we had a slow year. Storms get in the Gulf of Mexico, it's totally different. It presents a situation where the storm could affect us all away from the Texas coastline to the Keys. We have to be prepared and pay attention to what's going on.” 

This article originally appeared on The News Herald: Hurricane season: Bay County EMS deputy chief shares tips to prepare