WASHINGTON – Hurricane Dorian continues to gain strength and could be a Category 4 hurricane before making landfall somewhere along Florida’s eastern shore sometime early next week. As FEMA and other federal partners work with officials in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands to assess any damages caused by Dorian, residents in Florida and southern Georgia should take actions now to prepare for this powerful hurricane.
FEMA is coordinating with state, local and tribal officials in Florida as Dorian approaches. Staff and commodities are moving to incident support bases to be ready to support response activities as requested by the state. In addition to the FEMA Integration Team embedded with state emergency management personnel, a FEMA Incident Management Assistance Team is at the Florida Emergency Operations Center in Tallahassee. A Logistics Staging and Transportation Team is also in Florida, and an Incident Support Base is established at Maxwell Air Force Base in nearby Alabama.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is pre-positioning Disaster Medical Assistance Teams and an incident management team is in the southeastern United States for immediate response if needed after the storm. HHS and Florida health officials are working together to support vulnerable populations, including the more than 169,000 Medicare beneficiaries in Florida who rely on electrically powered medical equipment to live independently.
The Time to Prepare is Now
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis declared a state of emergency and said that highway tolls will be suspended for evacuation orders. The Florida Division of Emergency Management urges residents to remain alert and begin preparations today.
- Follow instructions from local officials. Know your evacuation routes; if asked to evacuate, do so immediately.
- Expect disruptions. Be prepared for power and phone service outages, roads blocked by flood and/or debris, water and sewer outages. Talk to your medical provider about a power outage plan for medical devices powered by electricity as well as for refrigerated medicines.
- Stay alert and informed. Download the FEMA App to receive real-time alerts from the National Weather Service and get additional preparedness information. Visit FloridaDisaster.org for information on emergency preparedness, shelters, road closures and evacuation routes.
- Be prepared! Have seven days’ worth of supplies including food, water, prescription medications, flashlights and batteries. Have a plan for pets and seven days’ worth of pet food. Visit FloridaDisaster.org for information on emergency preparedness, shelters, road closures.
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