There are steps that you can take to protect your safety after a storm:
Stay inside, if possible. Downed power lines and flooded streets are just two dangers posed after a hurricane strikes. Don't let your curiosity override your safety!
Eliminate unnecessary travel, especially by car. Gas may be difficult to find after a storm and traffic signals may be damaged. Traffic signals may also fail during a power outage, creating traffic congestion. If you do drive while signals are out, be sure to treat each intersection as a four-way stop.
Follow guidelines to keep food at safe temperatures.
If it is hot outside, take steps to remain cool. Wear lightweight, light-colored clothing. To avoid dehydration, drink plenty of water, even if you do not feel thirsty.
Never burn charcoal or use a barbecue grill for cooking indoors.
Exercise caution when using a generator. Never use a generator inside a home or garage.
Water Supply
Water may not be safe to drink, clean with or bathe in after an emergency such as a hurricane. Water can become contaminated with microorganisms, such as bacteria, sewage, agricultural or industrial waste, chemicals, and other substances that can cause illness. You should treat all water of uncertain purity before using it for drinking, food preparation or hygiene. There are many ways to treat water, however often the best solution is a combination of methods.
The Centers for Disease Control and Protection (CDC) offers the following guidance to help you make sure water is safe to use:
Listen to and follow public announcements that will let you know if your tap water is safe to drink or to use for cooking or bathing.
Boiling water, when practical, is the preferred way to kill harmful bacteria and parasites. Bring water to a rolling boil for three to five minutes, keeping in mind that some water will evaporate. Let the water cool before drinking. Boiled water will taste better if you put oxygen back into it by pouring the water back and forth between two clean containers. This will also improve the taste of stored water.
However, during a natural disaster, boiling water may not be possible due to a lack of power. If there is no power, the Broward County Health Department recommends that residents disinfect their drinking water via chemical disinfection as follows:
Tap water can be disinfected by adding eight drops of unscented household bleach to each gallon of water, then mixing the water and allowing it to stand for a minimum period of 30 minutes. Use only regular household liquid bleach that contains 5.25 percent sodium hypochlorite. Do not use scented bleaches, colorsafe bleaches or bleaches with added cleaners. To disinfect cloudy water, add 16 drops of bleach per gallon of water, stir and let stand for 60 minutes. If the water does not have a slight bleach odor, repeat the dosage and let stand another 15 minutes. The Health Department also recommends the use of approved chemical disinfectants available at stores that sell camping and hiking supplies.
Gas Stations and Grocery Stores with Generators
Under state law, effective June 2007, select gas stations must be pre-wired for emergency generator power. This legislation was passed in an effort to provide Florida residents with sources of fuel following an emergency. Broward County maintains an updated list of gas stations that are - or are in the process of becoming - pre-wired for generator power.
In addition, many grocery stores are now generator-equipped - helping to facilitate the availability of water, ice, food and other essentials after a storm. An updated list of grocery stores is maintained by Broward County.
Food and Water: Potential Points of Distribution (PODs)
In preparation for the possibility that food and water may be given out after a hurricane, Broward County has designated several potential points of distribution (PODs). Locations are subject to change, and may or may not be activated, depending on post-storm conditions. At present, the potential PODs within Sunrise are:
Markham Park - 16001 West State Road 84 (primary)
City of Sunrise City Hall/Civic Center Complex - 10770 West Oakland Park Boulevard (secondary)
Emergency officials have determined that ice will not be distributed to the general public. After a storm, ice should be available for purchase from grocery stores and other retailers equipped with emergency generators.
Debris Removal
Cleaning up Broward County after a hurricane is the shared responsibility of the State of Florida, local governments, community associations and property owners.
Sunrise personnel are prepared to respond as soon as the "all clear" signal indicates it is safe to do so. At this time, staff will complete a citywide damage assessment. They will also work quickly to clear public streets throughout the City - starting with major thoroughfares and other critical routes to ensure that police and fire personnel can respond to emergencies. Depending on the severity of a storm, this process could take anywhere from several hours to several days or more, and would generally involve "pushing" the debris from the roadways to the swales and medians for later removal by the City or the adjacent property owner. It is important to understand that the City will only clear public roads; private roads are the responsibility of a community's association.
In most cases, debris removal from residential areas will begin several days after a storm has passed. Haulers may be working more than 12 hours a day to meet the demand for their services. Trash and debris from your home may not be picked up immediately, but if it is properly placed at the curb it will eventually be removed. The timeframe for collection will be communicated by the City to the public through the local media, and via the City's Web site. Information would also be available through the City's Hurricane Information Line - (954) 741-2580.
General guidelines for residential storm debris collection along public roadways include:
Debris placed at the curb must be segregated into vegetation and construction/bulk debris.
Household hazardous waste will not be collected by debris contractors/haulers and should be brought to a designated County drop-off location.
Debris must not block traffic, and piles should be placed away from mailboxes, fire hydrants, phone/cable boxes, power boxes, water meter boxes, parked vehicles, lift stations, and other objects that may interfere with or be damaged by debris collection equipment.
Only debris resulting from hurricane or storm damage is eligible. Debris that is determined to be ?ineligible" will be the responsibility of the property owner or resident.
It is important for residents in communities with private roads to understand that, according to current Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) guidelines, the City may collect only debris from the rights-of-way (swales) along public roadways. While FEMA granted specific exceptions to these guidelines for Broward County following Hurricane Wilma, we cannot assume that this will be repeated for future storms. Specifically, debris removal from private property may be conducted only when:
It eliminates immediate threats to lives, public health and safety.
It eliminates immediate threats of significant damage to improved public or private property.
It ensures economic recovery of the affected areas to the benefit of the community-at-large.
Therefore, communities should anticipate that any debris placed along private roads following a storm for which Broward County is a FEMA-declared disaster area would not be collected. In order to be eligible for collection, debris along private roads would need to be brought by the homeowners association, property maintenance staff or residents to the nearest right-of-way (swale) along a public roadway. Household garbage and recycling will continue to be collected in the normal manner. After less severe storms for which Broward County is not a FEMA-declared disaster area, residents should place debris at the curb in front of their homes for normal trash collection.
10770 WEST OAKLAND PARK BOULEVARD