They come uninvited, guests with names like Dolly, Sally and Teddy. They run you out of your house and they scatter your most precious belongings to the four winds. After they leave, it is up to you to pick up their damage. And there’s a high likelihood one of them will be visiting you sometime this year.
Dolly, Sally and Teddy are just three of the 21 names for storms in this year’s Atlantic hurricane season, which traditionally begins in June, and is anticipated to have an above-average activity with 15 named storms forming, four of which will develop into major hurricanes, and one that is likely to make landfall on U.S. shores.
To ensure that the citizens of Orange County and Orlando are prepared for the upcoming hurricane season, Orlando Fashion Square and the Orange County Office of Emergency Management are hosting a Hurricane Preparedness Expo June 7-8 in the mall’s West Court.
Twenty county and city agencies will be on hand through the weekend to conduct seminars, hand out hurricane preparedness information, answer questions and provide advice on what you can do to safeguard yourself, your family, your home and other belongings in the event of a hurricane.
The event kicks off at noon, June 7, when Orange County Mayor, Rich Crotty will welcome shoppers to the event and emphasize the community’s hurricane preparedness motto, “Neighbors helping neighbors in times of need.” Orange County District 3 Commissioner Mildred Fernandez will recognize fire fighter Lieutenant Juan Atan for his efforts to recruit more Hispanic involvement in Community Emergency Response Teams (CRTs).
His efforts have resulted in a CRT force that is 20 percent manned by Hispanic personnel, which offers a new opportunity for the Hispanic community to more easily access information and instructions in times of emergency. Visitors to the mall will see a newly created program that gives them an incentive to visit the tables of each agency at the expo.
The “Hurricane Drawing” gives people a card that must be “punched” by emergency- management representatives. Those who complete their punch card will be entered into a drawing to win one of 300 NOAA weather radios. In order to get a card punched, shoppers must visit an emergency-management agency table, pick up their literature and listen to the representatives’ safety tips. In addition to the drawing, the mall has created its own incentive to help keep people safe.
The first 250 shoppers who show mall receipts totaling $50 in purchases from June 1-8 to the mall’s customerservice representatives will receive an Emergency Preparedness Kit that includes a hand-crank flashlight, a battery-operated FM radio and a first aid kit, among other items (limited to one kit per household). “Orlando Fashion Square is a place where downtown Orlando meets, it is a community gathering place,” said Dave Ackerman, spokesman for Orlando Fashion Square.
“We are very pleased to be hosting this expo because we have the ability to bring a large and diverse group of people together in one place so information on hurricane preparedness and safety can be easily provided in an informative and fun weekend event.” Orlando has not seen a direct hit from a major hurricane since three hurricanes crossed the area in 2004, including the devastating category 4 Hurricane Charley.
“We are looking forward to this event at Orlando Fashion Square because we are going to be able to reach out to so many people,” said Preston Cook of the Orange County Emergency Management Office. “It is easy to get complacent and brush aside National Hurricane Center predictions.
After all, Orlando has been in the ‘clear’ for almost four years. Now is an ideal time to remind people of the dangers of a hurricane and the steps that you can take to keep yourself safe.”
