Disaster Preparedness Guide for Elders

Hurricane season has started and it is a good time to check your emergency plans. The Florida Department of Elder Affairs has published their annual "Disaster Preparedness Guide for Elders". This guide has information about:

• planning for the hurricane season
• manufactured homes and hurricanes
• assembling a disaster supply kit
• disaster preparedness for elders with hearing loss
• disaster planning for your pets
• heat stress and heat stroke
• disaster recovery assistance

You can read the entire guide here.
For local disaster preparedness, evacuation maps and shelters for Pasco County residents, click here. From this page you can choose the Pasco County evacuation maps and the Pasco County shelter list. You can pick up a print version of this brochure at our Pasco County public libraries.

19th Annual Hurricane Expo

The Pasco County Office of Emergency Management will be hosting the 19th Annual Hurricane Expo - on Saturday, June 8th. This seminar can help you to prepare your family and your home for hurricane season. Admission and parking are free. Here are the specifics:

Special Guest Speaker Steve Jerve - 

the Chief Meteorologist from Channel 8 News

 June 8th

10am - 2pm

J. Ben Harrill Recreation Complex 

2830 Gulf Trace Blvd.  

Holiday, FL 34691 

For more information, you can contact the Pasco County Office of Emergency Management at (727) 847-8137 or go online here. 

Hurricane Expos

The Pasco County Emergency Management Team will be hosting two hurricane information expos - one on the west side of the county on June 2nd and one on the east side of the county on June 9th. These seminars can help you to prepare your family and your home for hurricane season. Admission and parking are free. Here are the specifics:

West Side Expo

with special guest speaker Steve Jerve - 

the Chief Meteorologist from Channel 8 News

 June 2nd 

10am - 2pm

J. Ben Harrill Recreation Complex 

2830 Gulf Trace Blvd.  

Holiday, FL 34691

East Side Expo

with special guest speaker - Leigh Spann -  

News Channel 8 Meteorologist

 June 9th

10am - 2pm

5827 Dean Dairy Rd 

Zephyrhills, FL 33541 

Hurricane Season is nearly here!

National Hurricane Preparedness week runs from May 27th - June 2nd and hurricane season officially starts on June 1st. It is important to prepare ahead of time - especially if you have special needs or own a pet.  The Florida Department of Elder Affairs has published a "Disaster Preparedness Guide for Elders".  This guide covers many types of disasters including:

• hurricanes
• fires
• floods
• tornadoes

This is an excellent guide with practical advice - such as how to assemble a disaster supplies kit and create a plan for yourself and your pets.  You can read this guide online here or pick up a print copy at your library.  You can find more information, including videos from the National Hurricane Center.   

Here are local Pasco County resources to prepare for hurricane season: 

• Pasco County's Hurricane Guide (English version)
• Pasco County Hurricane Guide (Spanish version)
• 2012 Evacuation  Map (English)
• 2012 Evacuation Map (Spanish)
• If you have special needs - you will need to pre-register for SNAPS services, like transportation and care.  You can learn more about this service and get the application here. 
• If you have a pet and need to have a place for him/her during an evacuation, there is one shelter that accepts pets. This shelter operates on a first-come, first-served basis and proof of vaccinations is required.  In addition, the pet owners must stay with their pet. More information can be found here.

The Tampa Bay Times has also published an online "Hurricane Guide 2012" here.

It is Time to Prepare for Hurricane Season!

Hurricane season officially starts on June 1st. It is important to prepare ahead of time - especially if you have special needs or own a pet.  The Florida Department of Elder Affairs has published a "Disaster Preparedness Guide for Elders".  This guide covers many types of disasters including:

• hurricanes
• fires
• floods
• tornadoes
• pandemic flu

This is an excellent guide with practical advice - such as how to assemble a disaster supplies kit and create a plan for yourself and your pets.  You can read this guide online here or pick up a print copy at your library.  You can find more information, including videos from the National Hurricane Center.   

Here are local Pasco County resources to prepare for hurricane season: 

• Pasco County's Hurricane Guide - available on this page in English and Spanish.
• If you have special needs - you will need to pre-register for SNAPS services, like transportation and care.  You can learn more here.  The link to the registration form is here.
• If you have a pet and need to have a place for him/her during an evacuation, you will need to pre-register your pet.  More information can be found here.

Disaster Preparedness Guide for Elders

The Florida Department of Elder Affairs has released the 2010 Disaster Preparedness Guide for Elders. This guide includes tips to prepare for:

• hurricanes
• floods
• fires
• tornadoes
• severe thunderstorms
• pandemic flu
• extreme temperature

In addition, there are sections about special needs, caring for your pet in emergencies, and disaster recovery. Click here to access this guide. In addition, local disaster preparedness information can be found at the Pasco County Emergency Management website - here.

Hurricane Expo 2010

Hurricane season starts June first - are you ready? The Pasco County Office of Emergency Management will be hosting "Hurricane Expo 2010".  This year's theme is "Weather you go or stay, prepare today". Public safety agencies at the expo will teach you how to protect your home from hurricanes and how to prepare a plan for possible evacuation.

Saturday,  May  15

9:00am - 2:00pm 

New Port Richey Recreation Center

6630 Van Buren Street, New Port Richey

(between Massachusetts Avenue and Main Street)

Free Parking and Free Admission

Featuring Steve Jerve, Chief Meteorologist
News Channel 8 Presenting at:
12 Noon

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Additional Pasco County hurricane preparation information and online emergency preparedness guides:  

Pasco County provides emergency shelters for people with special needs, but you need to register ahead of time for these shelters. The registration form can be downloaded here. The completed form must be faxed or mailed to the Pasco County Office of Emergency Management.

You will also need to plan ahead if you have a pet. Pasco County has one shelter that allows pets, but you must meet certain qualifications and pre-register your pet. More information about this program is at this website. The pet registration form can be found here.

The "Emergency Readiness for Older Adults and Caregivers" publication recommends that you:

• Know the basics: know your evacuation route; know where your shut-off valves are for your household utilities; have a designated contact person who lives away from your local area; get to know your neighbors.
• Have your emergency supplies ready - have a personal evacuation bag packed and have items necessary to shelter in place.
• Make a personal plan - What special needs do you have? Do you have limited mobility or receive health care assistance in your home? How will you get this assistance in an emergency?

Detailed checklists for preparing for emergencies can be found in the Emergency Readiness publication mentioned above and the FEMA Are You Ready? guide. Links to more resources for emergency preparedness can be found here.

Preparing For Hurricane Season

Hurricane season began on June 1st. To prepare for hurricane season, you should review your insurance policies and find out about flood insurance - some facts and myths about flood insurance are in a post of the PCLS Resident Information Center Blog and more information can be found at www.floodsmart.gov.

Some emergency preparation guidelines from the "Emergency Readiness for Older Adults and Caregivers" publication include:

• Know the basics: know your evacuation route; know where your shut-off valves are for your household utilities; have a designated contact person who lives away from your local area; get to know your neighbors.
• Have your emergency supplies ready - have a personal evacuation bag packed and have items necessary to shelter in place.
• Make a personal plan - What special needs do you have? Do you have limited mobility or receive health care assistance in your home? How will you get this assistance in an emergency?

Detailed checklists for preparing for emergencies can be found in the Emergency Readiness publication mentioned above and the FEMA Are You Ready? guide. Links to more resources for emergency preparedness can be found here.

Pasco County provides emergency shelters for people with special needs, but you need to register ahead of time for these shelters. The registration form can be downloaded here. The completed form must be faxed or mailed to the Pasco County Office of Emergency Management.

You will also need to plan ahead if you have a pet. Pasco County has one shelter that allows pets, but you must meet certain qualifications and pre-register your pet. More information about this program is at this website. The pet registration form can be found here.

After a hurricane or disaster:

Seniors can find help through their local Area Agency on Aging helpline. Within Pasco County, FL the number is 1-800-963-5337 (if you have a local phone) and the number is 1-727-217-8111 (if you have a cell phone from outside the county). For other states, you can locate eldercare services through this search website. To apply for disaster assistance, go to the Federal Emergency Management Agency website (FEMA) here. According to a FEMA press release, "Disaster assistance grants are not considered taxable income and will not affect eligibility for Social Security, Medicaid, welfare assistance, and food stamps, Supplemental Security Income (SSI) or Aid to Families with Dependent Children."