HURRICANE SEASON STARTS JUNE 1st..... ARE YOU PREPARED???
There are several Special Needs (Medical) Shelters in Hillsborough County. A special needs shelter is a temporary emergency facility capable of providing care to residents whose medical condition is such that it exceeds the capabilities of the Red Cross Shelter but is not severe enough to require hospitalization. Health Department doctors and nurses support these shelters. You must be pre-registered before the hurricane. Early registration allows emergency officials to quickly identify and check on those that need medical attention. Special Needs applications are available by calling Hillsborough County's Infoline at (813) 272-5900 or the Hillsborough County Health Department (813) 307-8063. This will help in determining which shelter they should go to and what, if any assistance they require to evacuate. You can download it at http://www.hillsboroughcounty.org/library/hillsborough/media-center/documents/emergency-management/spec-needs-evaluation---english.pdf
FOR THOSE OF YOU WITHOUT SPECIAL NEEDS, be advised that the following shelters are the closest to us. You will be advised as to which one(s) are open for each event:
Valrico Elementary, 609 S. Miller Rd.
Nelson Elementary, 5413 Durant Rd.
Mulrennan MS, 4215 Durant Rd.
TO LEARN ABOUT PROTECTING YOUR PET, call 813-744-5660. The ones that accept pets are:
Shields Middle School 15732 Beth Shields Way, Ruskin
Bartels Middle School 9020 Imperial Oak Blvd
Smith Middle School 14303 Citrus Pointe Dr. Citrus Park
Burnett Middle School 1010 N. Kingsway Rd, Seffner
Everyone should file their emergency contact numbers with the Sales Office in the event of an emergency. This is especially true for those residents who live alone. With that info in their file for you, it will be much easier to contact a relative in the event of any emergency. This is a good time to prepare your home by making sure that all trees around your home are trimmed and that the exterior of your home is in good order. You can also start stocking up on batteries, non-perishable food, and water. Make sure that you don't let your medications run out. Keep the gas tank in your car full. Have some cash on hand. Have you had your hurricane straps checked recently to make sure that they are secure? Do you have a cellphone in the event that our phone service is interrupted for a long time? There is a government-sponsored program that will provide individuals who quality with a free cellphone. To see if you qualify, go to
https://www.safelinkwireless.com/Enrollment/Safelink/en/NewPublic/index.html
For more info on hurricane preparedness, go to
https://www.hillsboroughcounty.org/en/residents/public-safety/emergency-management/hurricane-and-storm-season-in-hillsborough-county
