Miami Quarterly Newsletter
JULY 2007
Disaster Preparedness Addendum

HURRICANE SEASON IS HERE!

The Miami Field Office recently participated in an exercise with State and local officials that included a worst case hurricane scenario: Hurricane Ono is a Category 5 (155 winds) large hurricane that cuts across 10 counties and produces 22 inches of rain in the region. Flooding immediately begins with most impacted areas under 1 to 4 feet of water for up to three weeks. Winds and storm surge damage or destroy 1,005,526 structures in the most impacted areas. An event as large as hurricane ONO will require assistance from local, state and federal government agencies, however the first 72 hours of relief can ONLY be provided by your agency.  No one is going to be able to assist in the first 72 hours or possibly longer.

What can you do now to prepare (if you have not already done so) for this hurricane season?  Start with visiting some or all of the sites listed below for plans, guidance and speakers who are willing to visit your non-profit, management company, housing authority or other form of business to talk about hurricane preparedness.   It is highly recommended that any organization has a Continuity of Operations (COOP) plan in place.  There are several free resources that you can access to help your organization create a COOP plan.  Once your COOP is created you must test it by conducting exercises and mock scenarios at least once per year. 

Web Sites for Continuity of Operations (COOP) and Hurricane Preparedness Plans:

www.floridadisaster.org/

floridadisaster.org/business/

www.ready.gov/business/plan/index.html

www.miamidade.gov/oem/business-inform.asp

www.broward.org/hurricane/hm_businesses.htm

www.fema.gov/hazard/hurricane/hu_season.shtm

HUD also has programs and waivers that your agency and/or clients can benefit from following a disaster declaration.  Visit the HUD Disaster Recovery Assistance webpage for more information at www.hud.gov/offices/cpd/communitydevelopment/programs/dri/

It is also important that you keep your residents informed on how they can prepare for emergencies.  Web sites for family planning:

floridadisaster.org/family/

www.ready.gov/

www.miamidade.gov/hurricane/

www.broward.org/hurricane/10step.htm