East Bradenton emergency teams urge hurricane preparation

In the aftermath of a major storm, Jim Emanuelson, the president of the Lakewood Ranch Community Emergency Response Team, sees himself and other CERT members as the eyes and ears of the community for first responders. 

The trained volunteers spring into action and fan out throughout Lakewood Ranch to assess damage, check on neighbors and alert first responders to any dangerous situations. 

With hurricane season officially beginning June 1, CERT members are gearing up in case their services are needed. 

CERT members as well as Manatee County officials urge residents to be attentive and prepared, especially as forecasters are predicting an active hurricane season. 

"You have to pay attention," Emanuelson said. "Hopefully you've got a plan ahead of time."

Hurricane predictions

While forecasters themselves admit it’s still too early to say with certainty what the 2024 hurricane season will look like, predictions so far are sobering. 

In their annual report, scientists at the University of Pennsylvania say their data predict 33 named storms this year. 

The Penn researchers noted this season would rank as the third-highest named storm season on record; the fifth-highest number of total hurricanes; and ninth-highest number of major hurricanes. 

The Penn team also compares 2024 with five previous years that had similar early conditions – El Niño conditions the previous winter, followed by La Niña conditions during the peak of the Atlantic hurricane season (August-October). These five years, called analogue years, also had much above-average sea surface temperatures in the tropical Atlantic early in the year.

“We’ve seen many hyperactive seasons over the past decade, and in just about all cases, like our prediction for this year, the activity is substantially driven by ever-warmer conditions in the tropical Atlantic tied to large-scale warming,” said Michael Mann, presidential distinguished professor in the Department of Earth and Environmental Science and director of the Penn Center for Science, Sustainability and the Media, in the report.

Meanwhile, the highly respected annual prediction from Colorado State University predicts 23 named storms and 11 hurricanes, including five major hurricanes. 

The CSU prediction also sees much higher odds of a major hurricane hitting the U.S. than usual: 62%, compared to the long-term average of 43%. 

Florida might again be in Mother Nature’s crosshairs. The CSU forecasters said there’s a 34% chance for a major hurricane to hit the east coast or Florida peninsula, and a 42% chance that the gulf coast will see a storm make landfall.

Protecting communities

The first few hours after a major storm are often the most chaotic. That's when CERT members hit the streets.

The day after Hurricane Ian in 2022, 160 Lakewood Ranch CERT members fanned out in their neighborhoods. They went door-to-door checking on neighbors and for damages. By 8:30 a.m., volunteers identified 43 blocked roads in the area.

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The teams also discovered two gas leaks caused by fallen trees.

Emanuelson said one gas line was going into a house. CERT members had to use ham radios to relay the information to Manatee County first responders as the homeowner could not reach the 911 system by phone.

Firefighters were quickly dispatched to shut off the flow of gas to the house.

Emanuelson said CERT members are often the first responders’ eyes and ears.

“After a hurricane, we may be the only first responders in our neighborhood for a couple of days, just because our professionals are overwhelmed," he said.

CERT members go through a Federal Emergency Management Agency-approved, 20-hour training course that includes classroom sessions, basic first aid training and a day at East Manatee Fire Rescue where they learn basic fire suppression, lifting and carrying as well as search and rescue techniques.

“We train the same way entry-level firefighters will train,” Emanuelson said.

The Lakewood Ranch CERT is one of the larger teams in Manatee County, but Emanuelson would like to double its size. The organizations has 238 members, but Emanuelson would like to have 420 members because not every volunteer is available during an emergency.

Be prepared

Emanuelson said everyone should have a plan in case a major storm heads their way. 

“I would advise people to build two plans,” Emanuelson said. “What if you stay; and what if you go, and there's a different list of things you want to do in each situation.”

Manatee County Public Safety Director Jodie Fiske said the large storms that have come close over the past couple of years – particularly Hurricane Ian – have been learning experiences.

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“There were several lessons learned, as with every storm impact, for ways to enhance response,” she said.

The biggest lesson Fiske said the county has learned is the importance of the relationships Manatee County has developed with state and federal agencies as the collaboration with those agencies can make the difference when needing access to resources and knowing what to ask for in an emergency. 

Fiske noted the county prepares all year long. 

“There are always new tools to add to the toolbox, and that education and training occurs throughout the year,” she said. “It really depends on the nature of the storm and the impacts we see.”

She said Manatee County recently had its annual hurricane exercise to prepare for the season. 

Regardless of hurricane season predictions, Fiske said the county’s preparations remain the same. 

Fiske urged residents to sign up for the county’s emergency alerts. 

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“Messaging begins as the storm approaches and continues through the landfall; it is critical that members of the public get registered to receive these alerts,” Fiske said.

Manatee County also has a list of resources on its website, including how to build an emergency kit, and lists of evacuation zones and emergency shelters.

Fiske said she worries about citizens getting complacent given the county has “avoided direct landfall for so long.”

“I would much rather have people irritated with me because they had to be uncomfortable and shelter for a night than not be around to be irritated with me,” she said.

Tax holidays coming up

The Florida Legislature has approved two 14-day sales tax holidays from June 1-14 and Aug. 24 to Sept. 6, for disaster preparedness supplies.

Tax-free items include: flashlights and lanterns costing $40 or less; reusable ice costing $20 or less; radios costing $50 or less; tarps and ground anchors or tie-down kits costing $100 or less; coolers and portable power banks costing $60 or less; batteries and fuel tanks costing $50 or less; smoke detectors, fire extinguishers, and carbon monoxide detectors costing $70 or less; and generators costing $3,000 or less.

The holiday also includes a number of items related to the safe evacuation of household pets.

The “home hardening” sales tax exemption, which began in July 2022, will end June 30, 2024. Tax-free items include impact-resistant doors, windows and garage doors.