Miami-Dade mayor urges people to start preparations as hurricane season begins

DORAL, Fla. – Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos Gimenez held a news conference Monday afternoon at the Miami-Dade County Emergency Operations Center regarding hurricane season.

Hurricane season began Monday and runs through Nov. 30.

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“Right now, everyone’s focus should be on advanced preparations,” Gimenez said.

The mayor said everyone should have their evacuation plans in place and should have already started preparing their homes for any potential storms, including by trimming trees.

Gimenez said all residents should have already received their hurricane guides from the county in their mailboxes. They can also view the guide online by visiting the county’s website.

Inside the guide, residents will find a door hangar that has a green side and a red side.

Gimenez said the door hangers should be placed on the outside door knob of residents’ homes after a hurricane passes so first responders know who is in need of help.

The mayor reminded residents that tap water is safe to drink and said residents should have enough food and supplies on hand for up to 72 hours after a storm.

Officials across the southern states of the U.S. are scrambling to adjust their hurricane plans around the coronavirus pandemic.

Click here to download the Local 10 Weather Authority’s Hurricane Survival Guide.

The Associated Press surveyed dozens of local and state emergency management officials from Texas to Virginia, and more than 60% of them say they're still working on plans for public hurricane shelters.

One called an evacuation during the pandemic a nightmare scenario.

Academics who study disasters are worried going into the hurricane season. They say people may want to plan to get by with little government help. But federal emergency management officials say they’re ready and fully funded.

Meanwhile, the first tropical storm of the Eastern Pacific season is drenching parts of Central America and officials in El Salvador say at least seven people have died in flooding.

The U.S. National Hurricane Center says newly formed Tropical Storm Amanda had maximum sustained winds of 40 mph when it came ashore Sunday, though it soon weakened to tropical depression status as it moved across Guatemala.

Forecasters say it could dump 10 to 15 inches of rain in some areas.


About the Authors:

Amanda Batchelor is the Digital Executive Producer for Local10.com.