Tuesday, March 5, 2013
The American Red Cross has released a new mobile app meant to help save lives as Florida’s ‘tornado season’ approaches.
Residents who don’t want to get caught off guard if a tornado forms in the area have a new way to keep track of hazardous weather on their smartphones and other mobile devices. The American Red Cross recently released its “Tornado App,” which is designed to put real-time hazardous weather information in the palms of users’ hands. The new app is free and is available in both English and Spanish for iPhone, iPad and Android users, according to a Red Cross media release. Be warned though: the app does include a “high-pitched siren” that goes off when a tornado moves into a user’s area. It also provides an “all clear” alert when danger passes. The alert sounds even if the app happens to be closed when a tornado is reported. Information …
Thursday, February 14, 2013
The National Weather Service offers tips for staying safe during violent weather.
Do not try to outrun a tornado. You won't win. That's just one of the safety tips offered by the National Weather Service, which is raising awareness this week about weather hazards in Florida, including tornadoes. Here are some safety precautions to take in the event of a tornado: Safety tips, and educational materials for 2013 Safety Week can be found at the links below: http://www.floridadisaster.org/SWAW/ http://www.weather.gov/tampabay/ According to the NWS: Tornadoes tend to form when rapidly rising air in a thunderstorm updraft combines with an increase in wind speed or a change in wind direction known as shear. The larger the shear, the greater the rotation and thus the better chance a tornado will form.
A quarter of insurance claims occur outside the high-risk flood zone.
It's only after a disaster strikes that many people learn the ins and outs of flood insurance. And by that time, it's too late. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) dictates flood zones and insurance premiums across the nation. The National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) administered through FEMA provide property owners and renters with financial protection against flooding. Patch caught up with Susan Wilson, Chief of FEMA's Region IV Floodplain Management and Insurance branch, to get some important tips everyone should know about flood insurance. - Are You Covered: Most homeowners, business owner’, and renters policies do not cover flooding, so a separate flood insurance policy is important protection against the financial …
Tuesday, February 12, 2013
Hillsborough County officials want to shield the dome from high winds.
Hillsborough County is seeking an $81,000 federal grant to build a barrier around the Sun Dome to protect it during a hurricane and storms with major wind gusts, according to Eugene Henry, the county's hazard mitigation manager. The University of South Florida's Sun Dome often conjures images of music performances, stage plays or sporting events. But it also is the county's primary special needs shelter during natural disasters. In 2012, Tropical Storm Debby pounded much of the Tampa Bay area, including Hillsborough County. While the Sun Dome did not have to be opened as a special needs shelter, the county has applied for federal dollars that will make the shelter even safer if they were to need it. Special Needs shelters are for the …
Residents with serious medical conditions may be eligible to stay at the special needs shelter during a bad storm or hurricane.
Hillsborough County offers a special needs shelter during a hurricane to its most vulnerable residents, including people with serious medical conditions. But county officials need to know how many people require services and what kinds of assistance they need. Therefore people need to register in advance and not wait for a bad storm or other natural disaster to happen. By then it's too late. To qualify, residents must complete an application and be approved by the Florida Department of Health. Seminole Heights, here's how to register: 1. Download a special needs application form at hillscountyhealth.org under the heading Special Needs Shelter Program. 2. Print and complete form. 3. Return the form to the health department by mail to PO Box…
Thursday, August 23, 2012
A handy list to keep in case of disaster.
Stay with Carrollwood-Northdale Patch for updates about the weather.
How are tropical storms named? What are the current 126 Atlantic basin names in rotation? Which year, and decade, had the highest number of retired names, such as Hurricane Andrew in 1992 and Hurricane Irene in 2011? Use this primer and charts to learn mo
It's a good bet your school-aged kids know more than you do — and that you know less than you thought you did — about what it takes to name Atlantic basin tropical cyclones, storms and hurricanes. From Agnes to Wanda, here's a primer to get you started, with three charts below, based on information from the National Hurricane Center. ______________ ATLANTIC NAMES Click through for a list of Eastern North Pacific names and for a list of North Pacific names. ______________ RETIRED NAMES BY DECADE (Atlantic Basin) ______________ RETIRED NAMES BY YEAR (Atlantic Basin)
Friday, August 3, 2012
The American Red Cross is offering a free app to help keep you safe just as hurricane season peaks.
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Friday, August 3, 2012
Whether you have an iPhone or Android, the American Red Cross wants to make it easy for you to be prepared during hurricanes. The nonprofit recently announced that its new "Hurricane App" is available for free download in both the iPhone App Store and the Google Play Store for Androids — simply by searching American Red Cross. You can also get the app by dialing **redcross from your mobile phone to generate a text message with a download link. “This app gives you important information and tools to use before, during and after the storm,” said Mario Bruno, CEO of the American Red Cross Connecticut and Rhode Island Region. “With Hurricane season heating up, this is a great time to download our free app to check your readiness and add one …
Tuesday, June 26, 2012
Find out how to help your furry friends during tropical storms and hurricanes
For pet owners, a natural disaster like a tropical storm or hurricane can wreak havoc on the lives of their animals, whose routines may have been disrupted because of inclement weather. The wet weather has also caused an increase in the number of stray animals that local shelters are caring for. Carol Childs, who runs the National Humane Society in Carrollwood at 4039 Gunn Highway, said she's received about 18 cats since Debby hit Tampa Bay on Sunday. "People have been finding them (animals) in puddles," she said. "Because the ground is so wet, they are crawling into motors (of cars)." Childs said people who normally don't mind seeing stray animals are worried about them because of Debby's effect on Tampa Bay. "Because of the rain, people …
Here's how to disinfect water for drinking, washing and cooking.
Flooding can lead to contaminated drinking water, especially for people who use private wells. When public drinking water is contaminated, health officials will issue a boil order. Here are some tips to follow for keeping you and your family healthy during a storm and flooding:
jerseyswamps
6:54 pm on Friday, March 1, 2013
Greetings from the Jersey shore! Nice informative piece about flood ins. Now the real story. Did you know last summer Obama signed a reform of flood ins. called the Biggert-Water Act? The government backed flood ins. program is in the red by billions because of Katrina. To bail it out and to make flood ins. self supporting flood zones and flood ins. received a total makeover. You may not know it … more ›