Hurricane Preparedness
It's hurricane season once again. Prepare your home now for an apporaching storm. The city has put together some great checklists to help you in you preparation. You can print them out on your home computer or pick up copies of the checklists in the lobby of City Hall.
3 Day Preparedness Checklist
5 Day Preparedness Checklist
Condominium Checklist
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Hurricane Season lasts from June 1 through November 20!
Although thunderstorms
and lightning are a more frequent threat within the
Tampa Bay area, as a barrier island community, St. Pete
Beach is extremely vulnerable to the damaging effects
of hurricanes and tropical storms. With an average land
elevation of about 7.5 feet above sea level, the island
is highly susceptable to the storm surges and flooding
associated with these large storms. In serious storm
threat situations, residents and guests of the city are
among the first to asked to evacuate. This is your complete
guide to being prepared and protecting your family and
property from the effects of storms.
About watches and warnings:
Hurricane
Watches are issued when a storm threatens
coastal and inland areas and the development of hurricane
conditions is a real possibility.When
a watch is issued, you should:
- Fill
your car with gas and check the battery, oil and waterCheck
flashlight and radio batteriesStay
tuned to radio or TV stations for updates on the stormYou
should also make arrangements for the safety of your
pets because pets are not permitted in public sheltersMake
sure all members of your family are aware of the storm
and your plans for evacuation
- Refill
prescription medications
Hurricane
Warnings are issued when hurricane conditions - winds
in excess of 74 MPH, high water and/or storm surge
- are expected in a specified area within 24 hours.
You must be prepared to evacuate at anytime after a
hurricane warning has been issued, even if the weather
does not seem threatening at the time.
When
a warning is issued, you should:
- Clear
your yard of loose objects, bicycles, lawn furniture,
garbage cans and anything else that might become a
missile in a high wind
- Secure
your boat if you have one. Remember, most draw bridges
will be closed to boat traffic when the evacuation
order is given
- Protect
windows and sliding glass doors, take down awnings
and otherwise try to secure your home
- Gather
items that you will need to take to the shelter or
other place of safety
- Be
ready to evacuate when the order is issued
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Evacuation Routes:
If you are on or south of 44th Avenue, you
evacuate via the Pinellas Bayway Bridge. If you are north of
44th Avenue, use the Corey Causeway Bridge. See the map.
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Cell Phone Alerts
The City of St. Pete Beach has teamed up with Pinellas County to give you disaster information directly to your cell phones. The free program (for both the city and residents) sends text messages to your cell phone, keeping you up-to-date on all St. Pete Beach storm information regardless of where you may have evacuated. To receive the alerts call 1-888-689-8905 from your cell phone, then enter zip code 33706. It’s easy to sign up and just as easy to opt out, all you have to do is follow the prompts. ___________________________________________________
Hurricane Re-Entry Tags
To expedite the re-entry process to St. Pete Beach after an evacuation, we have recommend all residents and businesses to purchase re-entry tags before a storm strikes. Click here to download the form; simply fill it out and turn it in to the Police Station or Fire Station 23. Remember, the resident must appear in person with 1 proof of residency (drivers license, voter id, etc) to pick up the permit. Non-residents cannot pick up the permits for other people.
Why have re-entry Tags?
The City of St. Pete Beach has taken pride in the fact that we have developed one of the most progressive and user friendly disaster plans to be used as direction for the evacuation of our city. However, there has always been on part of our plan which has been a concern; the re-entry process after a mass evacuation. Part of this concern is the necessity of checking identification of all who return to the beach; this process is very slow and often can cause those waiting in line to become impatient.
In order to facilitate the re-entry process to St. Pete Beach after a major storm, we have created a program using hanging tags. Each tag is color coded according to voting district or commerical use.
What do the colors represent?
District 1 uses yellow, 2 uses red, 3 uses blue and 4 uses green. The commercial tag is used for non residents that are owners or employees of businesses on the beach. The commercial tag is also used for caretakers of our elderly or invalid citizens. The tags are sold at the Police Station and Fire Station 23. We charge $1.00 per tag to recoup our cost of the tags and are made to be a permanent one-time only purchase. We also keep a database of the tag numbers, and to whom they were sold, with a special list of lost or stolen tags for teh Fire and Police Departments.
The storm has passed, now what?
The way the tag works is that when the re-entry is opened, the citizen or business person with a re-entry tag hangs it on their rearview mirror. The Police or National Guardsmen will not have to check their ID and will wave the vehicle through. The more people who have re-entry tags, the quicker the re-entry process. We are hoping that this will make it easier for everyone involved.
Why the need to have different colors?
The color representations act as a security system for the patrols after re-entry. Only vehicles belonging to addresses in a specific area should have the color designated to that area. In other words, vehicles in District 1 should have yellow tags; if it does not, the patrol knows to stop and inquire why that vehicle is in that district. This should help the patrols in preventing looting and vandalism.
Do hotels also get hang tags?
The hotels on the beach buy enough to cover their emergency staff. Usually the manager purchases the tags for his or her hotel and only hands them out when an evacuation is called. The plan is to then have the employees turn them back in to the manager after the emergency is over so that one person has control of the tags.
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Tropical Storm Alberto Update
Tropical Storm Alberto left the City of St. Pete Beach relatively unscathed. We did receive minor flooding in low-lying areas but luckily did not receive the full brunt of the expected storm surge. The wind did knock down several signs and fences along Gulf Boulevard. Upham Beach fared the worst from the storm. Alberto washed away roughly 1/3 of the sand. Pinellas County is evaluating the situation and examining the T-Groins to see if they sustained any damage from the storm.
6/13 8:30am Storm Watch Update
6/12 4:30pm Storm Watch Update
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