Before law school, I worked for nearly two years at the Florida Division of Emergency Management. During major events, I served on the State Emergency Response Team at the emergency operations center in Tallahassee. With Hurricane Dorian projected to impact Florida, I wanted to take a moment to provide you some of the insights that I learned as a former member of Florida’s emergency management team.
First, stay attuned to announcements from your local emergency management officials. Your community leaders are in constant contact with state and federal emergency managers and will keep you informed on the latest developments and provide important information. A link to your county’s emergency management can be found on the Division of Emergency Management website at https://floridadisaster.org/counties/. Listen and follow all instructions from state and local officials.
Second, social media changed the way that citizens and first responders communicate during and after disasters. Even when phone and internet networks are down, you can often stay informed by following the Division of Emergency Management’s Twitter and Facebook accounts. If you are a social media user, follow these pages to stay informed before, during, and after the storm:
- https://twitter.com/FLSERT?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor
- https://en-gb.facebook.com/FloridaSERT/
Third, get all supplies that you need for you and your family before the storm arrives. State emergency management officials recommend that you have enough supplies to last you for seven days. A great checklist of everything that you will need can be found here.
Be sure that you have a copy of your insurance policy and other important documents with you.
From my experience, Florida’s emergency management team is skillful, diligent, and dedicated to its mission. I encourage everyone to stay informed and prepare for Hurricane Dorian.