​by County Commissioner Hal Valeche

June 1 marks the official start of our annual hurricane season and now is the time to take necessary steps to ensure that you and your family are well prepared.

Palm Beach County Division of Emergency Management remains at the ready to help minimize the impact of emergencies and disasters to our community through education, planning, and response by coordinating information and resources.  Our online link, http://discover.pbcgov.org/publicsafety/dem/ will take you to numerous publications and resources to assist you.  In addition to the Hurricane Survival Guide, which covers shutters and home reinforcement, shelters, information for older adults and those with special needs, preparing your yard, pet safety, and other practical checklists and contact information, you will also find flood and evacuation zone guides, hurricane tracking maps, lists of stores powered by generators, damage assessment forms, and much more.

Our emergency managers are staying informed on the newest hurricane forecast technology that industry experts hope will improve accuracy and warning times to give the public a better idea when damaging winds will reach them and when to complete their preparations or evacuate.

Palm Beach County has launched a new Mass Notification service, ALERTPBC, which allows the Emergency Operations Center to alert you of public safety issues in your community.  When a notification about a potential safety hazard or concern is issued, you will receive a message on the voice or text communication methods you have registered with the division.  You can register by visiting www.alertpbc.com to create your account.  The information you provide to sign up for the free service is protected and will not be used for any other purpose.  If you do not have internet access, a printed form can be provided to you to complete and return by fax or email.

Make sure that you check your supplies, including expiration dates, and take steps now to undertake pruning of your yard vegetation and trees, if needed.  Last year, immediately after our close brush with Hurricane Matthew, some residents decided to perform extensive yard work that is best done periodically throughout the year.  This added tons of additional debris to what already existed as a result of the storm, compounding delays in hauling away the debris.  So this basic household chore performed after the fact overburdened waste removal services.  While we were lucky the storm did not make a direct hit, this also meant that an emergency declaration was not applicable and additional FEMA funds were not forthcoming to help cover costs for hiring extra haulers.  Trucks can only hold so much debris which had to be transported, requiring more trips, resulting in a longer period of time necessary for removal.

Thomas Jefferson is credited for the saying, "never put off for tomorrow, what you can do today," and this definitely holds true for hurricane preparedness.  Besides, you don't want to be stuck in long lines at the store if a hurricane activation level is announced, or uncertain about your evacuation zone and where you should go if required to evacuate.  Stay prepared and urge your family, friends and neighbors to do the same.

As always, if there is any way that I or my staff can assist you, or if you need a printed copy of specific information, please do not hesitate to contact me at (561) 355-2201 or by email at hvaleche@pbcgov.org.