City is 'hurricane ready'
By Bari Auerbach

This year's hurricane season marks the 12th anniversary of Hurricane Andrew, the costliest natural disaster in U.S. history, serving as a powerful reminder of the importance of being prepared. According to leading forecaster Dr. William Gray, "Information obtained through November 2003 indicates that the 2004 Atlantic hurricane season will be an active one."

Gray's early predictions for the 2004 hurricane season call for a 90% chance of a named storm hitting the Gulf Coast and a 39% chance of a strong hurricante at the category three level or above striking somewhere between the Florida Panhandle and the southern tip of Texas.

In a formal forecast statement, Gray said, "We estimate that 2004 will have about 7 hurricanes (average is 5.9), 13 named storms (average is 9.6), 55 named storm days (average is 49), 30 hurricane days (average is 24.5), 3 intense (category 3-4-5) hurricanes (average is 2.3), 6 intense hurricane days (average is 5.0) and a hurricane destruction potential (HDP) of 85 (average is 71). The probability of U.S. major hurricane landfall is estimated to be 30 percent above the long-period average."

In recent years, the annual December forecast issued by Gray's tropical storm forecasting team at Colorado State University, has been astonishingly accurate with its predictions. For Florida and the entire East Coast, they say, the chances of a major hurricane hitting are 30% greater than average. Gray's team presently pegs the odds of a named storm hitting the Atlantic seaboard at 90%, and the likelihood of a major hurricane there to be 48%.
'Hurricane amnesia'

"A lot of people have hurricane amnesia," said Max Mayfield, director of the National Hurricane Center. "We're still setting up for disaster because of all the development we have along the coast line."

If a hurricane warning is posted, for Sunny Isles Beach residents and visitors alike, the word will be "Evacuate." In order to help inform the public about hurricane preparedness and plans of action before and after a storm, Sunny Isles Beach is distributing a "Hurricane Guidelines" pamphlet available at City Hall (305-947-0606).

Reverse 911 System
When a hurricane approaches, evacuating Sunny Isles Beach is a must because of the dangerous storm surge and wind speeds. Thanks to a grant from the Florida Emergency Management Community Affairs Bureau, Sunny Isles Beachhas a "Reverse 911" system that can actually call residents to relay important bulletins regarding hurricane evacuations and other vital information concerning the safety and well-being of the community.

The Reverse 911 system is a Microsoft Windows based computer program that allows law enforcement agencies to quickly communicate a message through phone lines to residents in a specified geographic region. The system uses a combination of database and computer mapping technologies that enable calls to go out to the entire city or to specifically targeted addresses. Residents can also call into the system to hear important announcements.

Ready To React
Dramatic advances in technology since Hurricane Andrew are helping scientists produce more accurate predictions of where storms will go and how powerful they will become.

Some of the new or improved tools available include satellites; computer models; the GPS Dropwindsonde that can be dropped from aircraft to measure air pressure, wind speed, temperature and humidity within a storm; weather balloons, and Doppler radar.

According to Channel 10 meteorologist Don Noe, "June 1 marks the official beginning of hurricane season and it ends on Nov. 30. In South Florida, the real heart of hurricane season is between August 15 and October 15 - but the time to start getting ready is now.If you wait until the storm is out there it will be too late to get all the necessary supplies."

Noe also emphasizes, "If you don't have shutters, you're asking for trouble. Once the seal around your house is broken and the wind gets inside, the roof can rip off and everything inside will be wrecked. This weekend, pretend there is going to be a hurricane and ask yourself 'what would I do?' Hurricane Andrew in '92 should have been a very good rehearsal."

In addition to a first aid kit, flashlights canned food and other important supplies, Noe advises having enough drinking water on hand to provide for two gallons per person per day.

"The wolf is always out there," he said. "The good news is we're getting better at forecasting and increasing our accuracy of knowing where the storms are going to."

In the event a hurricane or severe storm approaches Sunny Isles Beach, the city will dispatch inspectors to construction sites to ensure debris is secured. Pursuant with an emergency services agreement, the city's landscape contractor will also be on call. If
trees should fall in right of ways, a work crew would come in, cut up the trees and clear the streets.

The Sunny Isles Beach Police Department is also prepared to double up on patrols, calling for increased shifts. In the event of a mandatory evacuation, officers will man intersections to facilitate traffic flow, help people exit and ensure motorists do not enter the city.

Evacuating Condominiums
"Do not stay in a high rise during a hurricane," meteorologist Roland Steadham has advised. "We're finding now that hurricane force winds are much stronger in these high rises, especially at upper levels. You may have a category one storm at the surface but on the 20th or 30th floor, it could be a category three or four storm. For example, there may be 75 to 90 mile per hour surface winds - but at the top of a high rise, winds could be in excess of 130 miles per hour."

Miami-Dade Fire Rescue advises, "When the order is given, we definitely want you to evacuate. Everyone should attempt to identify a friend or family member who lives inland that you could stay with. We will have buses at various locations to take everybody off the beach to shelters. If you don't have friends or you can't get around, you should call the Emergency Operations Center in advance and make special needs arrangements."

For more information about Hurricane Preparedness in the City of Sunny Isles Beach, phone: 305-947-0606. 


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