Surviving the Season | 2024 Hurricane Special from WESH 2 (2024)

OH MY GOD, OH MY GOD. WHEN IT COMES TO BEING DISASTER READY, CONSIDER NANCY IS IMPORTANT. HURRICANE SEASON 2024 IS FORECAST TO BE A BUSY ONE, AND WITH SO MUCH DESTRUCTION IN OUR RECENT PAST IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD, THERE WERE WITHOUT ELECTRICITY FOREVER. WE ALL NEED TO BE PREPARED BEFORE A HURRICANE IS ON THE HORIZON. THE WESH TWO NEWS AND FIRST WARNING WEATHER TEAMS ARE HERE TO HELP YOU MAKE A PLAN AGAIN. WHAT IS THE SITUATION THAT WORKS BEST FOR YOU FROM PREPPING YOUR OWN HOME TO KNOWING WHO TO LOOK TO FOR HELP, PROBABLY YOUR YEAR ROUND, WE PREPARE FOR HURRICANES. WE ARE BRINGING YOU THE RESOURCES YOU NEED TO REACT TO ANY STORM THAT COMES OUR WAY TODAY, TODAY, THIS WEEKEND YOU CAN GO AND SIT DOWN WITH YOUR FAMILY AND FIGURE OUT WHAT THOSE IMPORTANT DOCUMENTS ARE, THAT YOU HAVE EVERYTHING YOU DO TO BE SELF-SUFFICIENT ALLOWS THE FIRST RESPONDERS TO GO HELP THE OTHER PEOPLE THAT AREN’T. THIS IS SURVIVING THE SEASON. 2024. THE WESH TWO HURRICANE SPECIAL WITH SUMMER KNOWLES AND STEWART MOORE. WE ARE IN VOLUSIA COUNTY WHERE REMINDERS OF THE VERY REAL DANGERS OF HURRICANE SEASON STILL SCAR THE COAST. IT’S BEEN TWO YEARS NOW SINCE HURRICANES IAN AND NICOLE WREAKED HAVOC HERE WHILE THE DEBRIS IS GONE, VACANT LOTS NOW REPLACE BEACHSIDE HOMES AND LIFE HERE AND ACROSS PARTS OF CENTRAL FLORIDA JUST ISN’T THE SAME. BY ALL ACCOUNTS, HURRICANE SEASON 2024 COULD BE EVEN MORE DANGEROUS AND DESTRUCTIVE THAN WHAT WE HAVE SEEN IN RECENT HISTORY. SO FOR THE NEXT HOUR, THE WESH TWO NEWS AND FIRST WARNING WEATHER TEAM WILL HELP YOU GET STORM READY SO THAT NO MATTER WHAT FORMS OFF OF OUR COAST, YOU AND YOUR FAMILY WILL BE ABLE TO WEATHER IT FIRST MORNING. CHIEF METEOROLOGIST TONY MAINOLFI WITH US NOW FROM THE WESH TWO STUDIOS AND TONY EACH YEAR LEADING INTO HURRICANE SEASON PREDICTIONS COME OUT ABOUT THE KIND OF SEASON THAT WE’LL SEE THE NUMBER AND SEVERITY OF STORMS. HOW’S THE FIRST WARNING WEATHER? HURRICANE SEASON OUTLOOK SHAPING UP? WELL, IT’S DEFINITELY LOOKING ACTIVE. YOU KNOW, IT’S DUE IN A NORMAL SEASON. WE HAVE 14 NAMED STORMS, SEVEN HURRICANES, AND THREE OF THOSE BECOME MAJOR. A LOT OF FOLKS ARE INDICATING THAT THERE’S GOING TO BE 2025 NAMED STORMS. COLORADO STATE 23 NAMED STORMS. OUR OWN FORECAST 16 TO 20 NAMED STORMS. BOTH IN THAT 8 TO 10, 8 TO 11 RANGE, WITH HURRICANES AND 3 TO 5 MAJOR HURRICANES. AND HERE’S THE REASON WHY WE BELIEVE THAT IT’S GOING TO BE AN ACTIVE SEASON. LA NINA IS DEVELOPING NOW, AND WE THINK IT’S GOING TO PEAK DURING AUGUST, SEPTEMBER AND OCTOBER. THAT MEANS THAT THERE’S LESS WIND SHEAR WHEN YOU HAVE LESS WIND SHEAR, IT GIVES STORMS A BETTER OPPORTUNITY TO DEVELOP ACROSS THE CARIBBEAN. THE GULF AND THE EASTERN TROPICAL ATLANTIC. SPEAKING OF WHICH, THE MAIN DEVELOPMENT REGION WATER TEMPERATURES ARE NOW 3 TO 5 DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL. THOSE ARE THE TWO KEYS. REASONS WHY WE THINK THAT THIS IS GOING TO BE A WELL ABOVE NORMAL HURRICANE SEASON, AND TONY. WE KNOW AT THE START OF HURRICANE SEASON, THE ATLANTIC OCEAN IS AT SOME OF ITS WARMEST TEMPERATURES EVER, AND THAT’S WHAT HELPS STORMS REALLY REV UP AND DEVELOP EVEN FASTER. SO TONY EXPLAIN HOW LA NINA PLAYS INTO THAT AND WHY IT COULD MAKE FLORIDA A BIG TARGET THIS HURRICANE SEASON. WELL, SO STU, ONE OF THE THINGS WE LIKE TO LOOK AT IS THE OCEAN WATER TEMPERATURES. AND WHEN WE SEE THE BLUE HERE ACROSS THE CENTRAL AND EASTERN PACIFIC, THAT’S THE FIRST INDICATION THAT A TRUE LA NINA IS TAKING SHAPE. AND REMEMBER NOW WHEN YOU HAVE A LA NINA DEVELOPING THAT MEANS THE UPPER LEVEL WINDS ACROSS THE TROPICAL ATLANTIC. THE CARIBBEAN ARE MUCH WEAKER. THAT MEANS THAT ANY DISTURBANCE THAT TRIES TO DEVELOP THROUGH THIS CORRIDOR IS NOT GOING TO BE SLOWED DOWN BY THESE POWERFUL UPPER LEVEL WINDS THAT ARE TRYING TO RIP IT APART. SO THAT’S REALLY THAT COMBINED WITH THE ABOVE NORMAL WATER TEMPERATURES THROUGH THIS CORRIDOR, IS THE REAL REASONS THAT WE’RE CONCERNED FOR VERY, VERY ACTIVE AND ABOVE HURRICANE SEASON FOR THE UNITED STATES, NOT JUST FLORIDA. ALL RIGHT. YOU JUST HEARD TONY EXPLAIN WHY THIS HURRICANE SEASON, HE AND SO MANY FORECASTERS ARE REALLY CONCERNED WE COULD BE FACING MULTIPLE MONSTER STORMS. SO NOW WE ALL HAVE TO DO OUR PART TO MAKE SURE WHATEVER COMES OUR WAY, WE ARE READY. AND THAT MEANS BEING PREPARED AT HOME AND WITH OUR FAMILIES. WHAT IS THE SITUATION THAT WORKS BEST FOR YOU NOW? IS THE TIME. FLORIDA’S STATE DIRECTOR OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT, KEVIN GUTHRIE, SAYS TO WALK YOUR YARD, LOOK FOR THINGS THAT CAN GET PICKED UP OR FALL DOWN. LOOK FOR WAYS TO MAKE YOUR ENVIRONMENT SAFER. ABSOLUTELY GOOD TO DO IT NOW AND GET ALL THAT STUFF DONE WAY AHEAD OF THE DISASTER. PEOPLE MAY NOT NOTICE YOU MENTIONED THIS BIRDBATH. THAT’S RIGHT HERE. THESE ARE ONE OF THOSE ITEMS THAT YOU WOULD NEVER NECESSARILY THINK OF IS NOT MOVING IN A NORMAL STORM. THAT’S CORRECT. YOU KNOW, AS WE WERE TALKING OFF CAMERA, THIS IS A THIS IS A CLASSIC EXAMPLE OF SOMETHING THAT IS SMALL ENOUGH BUT HEAVY ENOUGH TO DO A LOT OF DAMAGE TO YOUR NEIGHBOR. OR MAYBE EVEN YOUR OWN HOME. DIRECTOR GUTHRIE SAYS, MAKE SURE YOU TRIM AWAY DEAD BRANCHES AND REMOVE DEAD TREES THAT CAN FALL, BUT SAFETY EXTENDS INSIDE OF YOUR HOME AS WELL. A HURRICANE COULD LEAVE YOU AND YOUR FAMILY ISOLATED FOR DAYS, WAITING FOR HELP TO ARRIVE. WATER NONPERISHABLE FOOD, ANY MEDICINES. PET FOOD. ANY PET MEDICINES. THOSE ARE KEY. THAT’S LESLIE CHAPMAN HENDERSON, THE PRESIDENT AND CEO OF FLASH, THE FEDERAL ALLIANCE FOR SAFE HOMES. I WANT PEOPLE TO HAVE CASH. AND THE REASON IS BECAUSE EVEN IF YOU’RE NOT EVEN IN THE STRIKE ZONE FOR THE STORM, YOU MAY HAVE A POWER OUTAGE. AND IF YOU WANT TO GO GET A WARM MEAL THAT RESTAURANT MAY NOT HAVE WI-FI. SO THEY’RE NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO TAKE YOUR CREDIT CARDS. AND THESE ARE THE THINGS WE LEARN FROM PEOPLE AFTER THE STORMS, SHE SAYS. BUY THINGS YOU NORMALLY NEED AND USE THE ITEM SO YOU ARE CONSTANTLY REMINDED YOU HAVE THINGS TO HELP YOU LIVE THROUGH DAYS OF ISOLATION. MY THING I DO IS, IS I KEEP A SHELF AT MY HOME THAT ALWAYS HAS PEANUT BUTTER AND JELLY, TUNA FISH AND OTHER THINGS THAT I CAN EAT. AND THEN AS WE USE THEM, WE JUST REPLENISH. YOU SHOULD HAVE WATER, BATTERIES FOR MUST HAVE DEVICES. IF YOU CAN AFFORD A GENERATOR. ONE OF THOSE MEDICINES AND SEVERAL OTHER THINGS. ENOUGH TO LAST FOR DAYS. COMPILING A HURRICANE KIT IS NOT ALWAYS EASY, BUT COSTS SHOULD NOT BE A BARRIER. THE EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT DIRECTOR SAYS. TAKE ADVANTAGE OF TAX FREE HOLIDAYS AND USE TIME TO YOUR ADVANTAGE AS WELL. YOUR KIT DOES NOT HAVE TO BE BUILT IN A DAY. WE KNOW GETTING READY FOR HURRICANE SEASON CAN BE DAUNTING FOR SOME. THERE’S A REAL COST TO PREPPING A HURRICANE KIT FOR YOUR FAMILY, AND IF YOU ARE LIVING PAYCHECK TO PAYCHECK, THE FINANCIAL STRAIN CAN BE REAL. SO I WANTED TO FIND OUT HOW ALL OF US CAN GET STORM READY WITHOUT IT FEELING SO FINANCIALLY BURDENSOME AND WHAT HELP MIGHT BE AVAILABLE FOR OUR NEIGHBORS IN NEED. AND THE LIGHTS WE LOST LIGHTS FOR. I THINK ABOUT 3 OR 4 WEEKS. DID YOU GROW UP PREPARING FOR HURRICANE SEASON? NO, NO WE DIDN’T HAD WE HAD NOT PREPARED. IT WAS JUST SOMETHING THAT YOU HAD TO ENDURE FROM SEASON TO SEASON. BOTH GLORIA AND DORIS JUSTICE AGREE. GONE ARE THE DAYS OF JUST ENDURING A STORM. WHENEVER A HURRICANE COMES THROUGH. NOWADAYS, THEY SAY THEY PLAN AND PREPARE YEAR ROUND AND FOR GOOD REASON. I THINK MY FIRST ONE WAS DONNA HURRICANE DONNA THAT CAME AND WENT TO CAROLINA AND DOUBLED BACK. IT TOOK MY THE ROOF OFF THE HOUSE FROM HURRICANE DONNA IN 1960 TO HURRICANES IAN AND NICOLE IN 2022. AND EVERY ONE WE’VE SEEN IN BETWEEN, THE SENTIMENT IS THE SAME FEELING ALONE, UNSUPPORTED AND OR UNPREPARED IS NOT HOW ANYONE OR ANY COMMUNITY WANTS TO FEEL DURING OR IN THE AFTERMATH OF A HURRICANE. HURRICANE IRMA THAT REALLY LEFT A LASTING IMPRESSION IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD. THERE WERE WITHOUT ELECTRICITY FOREVER, AND WE HAVE SENIORS OUT THERE WHO ARE ON OXYGEN. AFTER CONNIE MCMILLAN, THOMAS WITNESSED A LACK OF ACCEPTABLE EMERGENCY RESPONSE TIMES IN THE AFTERMATH OF HURRICANE IRMA. SHE SAYS SHE CREATED THE DISASTER RESILIENCY INITIATIVE. IT’S NOW ONE OF MANY ORGANIZATIONS SEMINOLE COUNTY OFFICIALS WORK WITH TO HELP RESIDENTS PREPARE AND KNOW WHAT TO DO BEFORE AND AFTER THE STORM. RED IS FOR YOU TO STOP AND THE YELLOW IS. I MAY NEED HELP IN A COUPLE OF DAYS, AND IF I PUT THE GREEN OUT, IT MEANS TO KEEP GOING. YEARS BACK, WE IDENTIFIED LOW FIXED INCOME TRANSPORTATION, DISADVANTAGED SENIOR COMMUNITIES, DIFFERENT FAITHS THAT MAY NEED ADDITIONAL ASSISTANCE OR ALSO MAY NOT FEEL COMFORTABLE GOING TO OTHER PLACES TO GET ASSISTANCE. SEMINOLE COUNTY EMERGENCY MANAGER ALAN HARRIS, ON THE COUNTY’S HUB AND SPOKE MODEL. THERE IS A HUB THAT IS IDENTIFIED SOMEWHERE IN THE COMMUNITY BASED ON THE EMERGENCY, AND THEN THE NEIGHBORS HELPING NEIGHBORS GO OUT AND GET THE INFORMATION TO EACH OTHER TO COME GET ASSISTANCE. IN ADDITION TO LINKING UP WITH COUNTY AGENCIES, EXPERTS SAY PERHAPS THE MOST IMPORTANT AND COST EFFECTIVE WAY TO PREP IS BUILDING COMMUNITY. THERE’S ONE PERSON KNOCKED ON MY DOOR IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT, WANTED TO KNOW IF I HAD A TARP, AND I SAID, YES, I DO. SO I GOT OUT, WENT TO THE BACK OF OF THE YARD, TO THE SHED, AND PULLED THE TARP OUT FOR THEM. AND THEY CAME BACK THE NEXT DAY AND THEY THANKED ME BECAUSE THEY WERE ABLE TO KEEP THE WATER FROM COMING INTO THEIR HOME. WE ALWAYS TRYING TO HELP EACH OTHER OUT. I DO, YOU KNOW, AND WITH FOOD OR WHATEVER, IF I GOT IT AND YOU NEED IT, YOU CAN HAVE IT AFTER BACK TO BACK HURRICANES IN 2022, OUR COASTLINE IS MORE FRAGILE THAN EVER. JUST BECAUSE THERE’S A SEAWALL DOESN’T MEAN NECESSARILY THAT THAT THINGS ARE 100%. OKIE DOKIE. OKAY, WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT FLOODING ALONG THE COAST AND INLAND TOO, ESPECIALLY IF YOU NEED TO EVACUATE YOUR HOME. SURVIVING THE SEASON CONTINUES AFTER THIS. CENTRAL FLORIDA IS HOME TO MORE THAN 100 MILES OF FRAGILE SEASHORE, SPANNING FROM FLAGLER TO BREVARD COUNTY. HERE IN VOLUSIA, IT’S CLEAR THE DAMAGE THAT CAN BE DONE IN ANY GIVEN STORM WHILE HOMES ARE LOST, LIVES WERE NOT. AND THAT’S WHY, AS METEOROLOGIST KELLIANNE KLASS EXPLAINS, THE EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT IN OUR COASTAL COUNTIES ARE SO ADAMANT ABOUT GETTING YOU OUT OF HARM’S WAY AS A STORM APPROACHES. A QUIET EMERGENCY OPERATION CENTER IN VOLUSIA COUNTY WILL BE PACKED WITH LOCAL AND STATE OFFICIALS DURING A HURRICANE. THAT’S WHERE I SPOKE WITH CLINT MEACHAM, DIRECTOR FOR VOLUSIA COUNTY EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT, WHO SAYS THERE’S A LOT THAT GOES INTO CONSIDERATION WHEN MAKING EVACUATION ORDERS AHEAD OF A STORM. THEY CAN BE MANDATORY OR THEY CAN BE VOLUNTARY. WE DON’T LIKE ISSUING MANDATORY EVACUATION ORDERS, SO WE TRY AND DO EVERYTHING FROM A VOLUNTARY STANDPOINT. AND WHEN WE ISSUE THOSE EVACUATION ORDERS THAT MEANS THERE IS SOME IMMINENT THREAT THAT HAS A DIRECT IMPACT ON LIFE SAFETY. AND WE ARE TRYING TO GET PEOPLE TO MOVE OUT OF THAT IMPACT AREA TO A SAFER AREA. EVACUATION ORDERS MAY SEEM LIKE AN INCONVENIENT TO YOU AND YOUR FAMILY, ESPECIALLY IF YOU’VE RIDDEN OUT A STORM, BUT EVERY STORM IS DIFFERENT. IT ALL COMES DOWN TO WHAT THREATS EACH STORM BRINGS FOR THE COAST, THE THREAT IS STORM SURGE. THAT’S WHEN THE WIND PUSHES A BODY OF WATER ON SHORE ABOVE ITS PREDICTED TIDE. FLAGLER COUNTY EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT DIRECTOR JONATHAN LORD SAYS THIS IS THE MAIN REASON WHY THEY EVACUATE. SO STORM SURGE IS REALLY THE THREAT THAT WE USE TO EVACUATE, AND THAT’S FOR ALL OF COASTAL FLORIDA, BECAUSE FLORIDA HAS REALLY GOOD BUILDING CODES. SO WIND IS LESS OF A RISK DIRECTLY TO A HOME. THAT’S NOT NOT AN ABSOLUTE NOT A RISK, BUT IT’S LESS OF A RISK. SO IT’S ALL ABOUT STORM SURGE. SO HOW DO YOU KNOW WHEN YOU NEED TO EVACUATE COASTAL COMMUNITIES ARE DIVIDED INTO EVACUATION ZONES. MANY OF THEM LISTED A, B, C, AND SO ON. A BEING THE FIRST TO EVACUATE AND THEN B AND C BREVARD AND VOLUSIA COUNTIES FOLLOW THIS SYSTEM, BUT THE ZONES IN FLAGLER COUNTY ARE DIFFERENT HERE IN FLAGLER COUNTY. IN PALM COAST, WHICH IS OUR LARGE CITY IN FLAGLER COUNTY, WE ACTUALLY HAVE LETTERED SECTIONS. PEOPLE KNOW THEIR NEIGHBORHOODS BY THE B SECTION OR C SECTION ALL THE WAY UP TO THE Z SECTION. WE WERE ABLE TO KIND OF CHANGE HOW WE APPROACH AND EDUCATE OUR PUBLIC AND ABLE TO AND ABLE TO BETTER, MORE ACCURATELY MESSAGE WHAT AREAS HAVE TO BE EVACUATED BECAUSE WE COULD USE THE NEIGHBORHOODS INSTEAD. EACH OF OUR COASTAL COUNTIES ALSO HAS DIFFERENT BRIDGE RESTRICTIONS. BREVARD COUNTY CAUSEWAYS AND BRIDGES NEVER CLOSE IN A STORM IN VOLUSIA COUNTY, CAUSEWAYS WILL TYPICALLY SHUT DOWN WHEN THE WIND REACHES A CERTAIN SPEED, BUT KALYN SAYS THAT THIS IS ON A CASE BY CASE BASIS. TRADITIONAL, UM, UH, THOUGHT PROCESSES. ONCE WE HIT 39 MILES AN HOUR IN SUSTAINED WIND WINDS, NOT GUSTS, SUSTAINED WINDS WILL CLOSE THE BRIDGES. UM, BUT THAT CAN VARY FROM SITUATION TO SITUATION. WELL, THAT’S A GOOD BENCHMARK. AND A GOOD DECISION POINT. IT MAY BE THAT, YOU KNOW WHAT? WE’RE ONLY GOING TO SEE 39 MILE AN HOUR SUSTAINED WINDS FOR AN HOUR. SO MAYBE INSTEAD OF CLOSING THE BRIDGES AND HAVING THE POTENTIAL IMPACT OF EVERYTHING THAT IMPLIES, MAYBE NOW IS THE TIME TO CONSIDER, YOU KNOW WHAT? LET’S JUST ISSUE A A WARNING FOR HIGH PROFILE VEHICLES AND FOR FLAGLER COUNTY BRIDGES WILL NOT CLOSE DURING A STORM UNLESS IT IS DAMAGED. SO IN GENERAL, WE WILL NEVER STOP PEOPLE LEAVING THE ISLAND. WE WILL MESSAGE THE PUBLIC WHEN WE CAN, WHEN IT’S NOT SAFE TO BE ON THE ROADS. IF IT’S NOT SAFE TO BE ON THE ROAD, IT’S NOT SAFE TO BE ON THE BRIDGE EITHER. LOCAL OFFICIALS CAN’T STRESS ENOUGH TO TAKE THESE EVACUATIONS SERIOUSLY, AND IF YOU DECIDE NOT TO LEAVE BEFORE THE STORM HITS, THERE’S NO GUARANTEE THAT THEY WILL BE ABLE TO RESCUE YOU DURING THE STORM. INLAND, WE KNOW THERE ARE EQUALLY DEVASTATING STORM CONCERNS DURING HURRICANE IAN. ALMOST TWO FEET OF RAIN FELL IN 12 HOURS, LEADING TO UNPRECEDENTED FLOODING ACROSS MANY COMMUNITIES. FIRST WARNING METEOROLOGIST CAM TRAN TAKES US TO OSCEOLA COUNTY TO SEE HOW THEY ARE WORKING TO MITIGATE FLOODING DANGERS. AS MORE PEOPLE MOVE TO THE COUNTY. AFTER THE DAMAGE HURRICANE IAN DID IN 2022, BILL LINTON, OSCEOLA COUNTY’S EMERGENCY MANAGER, HAS MADE IT HIS MISSION TO PROTECT COUNTY RESIDENTS FROM FLOODING ONE OF THE MOST VULNERABLE AREAS IS THE LAKESHORE DRIVE IN SAINT CLOUD. LINTON SAYS HE’S LOOKING TO IMPLEMENT TIGER DAMS SIMILAR TO WHAT DAYTONA BEACH IMPLEMENTED AFTER HURRICANE NICOLE TO PREVENT FLOODING. SAME THING IN THIS AREA. SO SOME OF THAT FLOODING THAT HAPPENED OVER TO WHAT WE CALL CANAL 31, UM, AND THE BLACK PRAIRIE PRESERVE AREA IN THAT COMMUNITY, UM, OVER THE OUTFLOW IN THAT AREA THAT BUILT UP AFTER THE LARGE AMOUNT OF RAINFALL THAT CAN ACTUALLY PROTECT AND SECURE THAT AREA. SO WATER WOULDN’T RAMP IN IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING ANY FUTURE EVENTS. THIS IS A FEMA FLOOD MAP FOR OSCEOLA COUNTY. THE AREAS IN YELLOW ARE MORE PRONE TO FLOODING. YOU CAN SEE THAT INCLUDES BOTH EAST LAKE, TOHO AND LAKE TAHOE. THAT’S WHY THE COUNTY IS WORKING ON WAYS TO CONTROL THE WATER FLOW. IN CASE EITHER ONE FLOODS. IN ADDITION, DEVELOPING OUR PARTNERSHIP WITH THE SOUTH FLORIDA WATER MANAGEMENT DISTRICT. UH, WORKING THROUGH THEM, THEY’VE GOT A COUPLE PROJECTS THAT THEY’RE WORKING FOR. TWO, TO STRENGTHEN THEIR WATER CONTROL STRUCTURES AND THAT SYSTEMS THAT MONITOR AND ALSO THE CONTROL FLOOD SYSTEM HERE IN OUR AREA. SO ONE OF THOSE, AGAIN IS IS CANAL 31, WHICH IS THE THROUGHPUT THROUGH EAST LAKE. AND THEN THE BIG LAKE TOHO AREA. THIS WAS THE SCENE IN GOOD SAMARITAN VILLAGE AS SHINGLE CREEK OVERFLOWED. LINTON IS WORKING CLOSELY WITH OSCEOLA COUNTY ENGINEERS TO CONDUCT A STUDY ON HOW TO PREVENT THIS KNOWN PROBLEM AREA FROM FLOODING. IN THIS STUDY, WE’RE EVALUATING WHAT THE EXISTING CONDITIONS ARE BECAUSE THERE’S BEEN A LOT OF DEVELOPMENT AND CHANGES THAT HAVE HAPPENED, AND THEN WE’RE ALSO LOOKING TO SEE WHAT PROJECTS COULD WE DO TO HELP WITH THE FLOODING AND THE THE DRAINAGE ISSUES THAT EVERYONE IS SEEING ALONG THE SHINGLE CREEK BASIN. SO WE’RE GOING TO COME OUT OF THIS PROJECT WITH AT LEAST 3 TO 5 DIFFERENT PROJECTS, CONCEPTUAL LEE DESIGNED FOR US. ANOTHER AREA THAT SEES FREQUENT FLOODING IS BUENA VENTURA LAKES. LINETTE SAYS THE COUNTY IS ALREADY WORKING ON FIXING THE CULVERTS TO GET THE WATER OUT OF THE AREA FASTER, INCLUDING A PROJECT TO ALLEVIATE FLOW BLOCKAGE. SO WITH THIS PROJECT, WE’RE GOING TO PUT A LARGE SKIMMER ACROSS THE OUTFALL STRUCTURE FROM BUENAVENTURA LAKES. IT’S A LARGE DITCH AND IT WILL AS THE WATER FLOWS, IT WILL PUSH THE DEBRIS OFF TO THE SIDE INTO AN ALCOVE AND THEN COUNTY STAFF WILL BE ABLE TO COME WITH EQUIPMENT AND CLEAN IT OUT. SO IT KEEPS THE DEBRIS FROM GETTING INTO THE SYSTEM AND ULTIMATELY TO THE LAKE. OSCEOLA COUNTY IS ONE OF THE FASTEST GROWING COUNTIES IN THE STATE OF FLORIDA. THAT RAPID POPULATION GROWTH, AS WELL AS OUR CHANGING CLIMATE, HAS COUNTY OFFICIALS HERE ALREADY LOOKING WELL INTO THE FUTURE. IN FACT, THEY’RE ALREADY LOOKING AT WAYS TO REMEDIATE FLOODING FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS. WE LOOK AT ALL OF OSCEOLA COUNTY, AND WE TRY TO SAY, YOU KNOW WHAT DEVELOPMENT HAS HAPPENED SINCE THE LAST UPDATE IN 2014, AND THEN WHAT CAN WE DO TO HELP WITH IMPROVEMENTS AND FLOODING AND STORM EVENTS? SO WE’RE LOOKING 40 YEARS INTO THE FUTURE AND TRYING TO PREDICT HOW THE STORMS HAVE CHANGED, BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, THEY’VE CHANGED. AND SO WE’RE TRYING TO SAY, WHAT CAN WE DO TO HELP MAKE OSCEOLA COUNTY MORE RESILIENT IN THE FUTURE? YOU CAN READ ABOUT HOW TO USE THIS IN A BOOK, BUT UNTIL YOU ACTUALLY GET OUT HERE AND PUT YOUR YOUR WAIST IN THE BELT, YOU’RE NOT GOING TO KNOW HOW IT’S GOING TO FEEL. LEARNING WHAT IT TAKES TO BE A PART OF THE CAVALRY. WESH TWO SUITS UP WITH OUC FOR A CRASH COURSE ON BEING STORM READY. IT’S ONE OF THE HAZARDS OF STORM SEASON, THE POWER GOING OUT AND WHETHER IT’S A DOWNED LINE OR MAJOR DAMAGE TO THE GRID. EVERYONE WANTS TO KNOW WHEN THE LIGHTS WILL COME BACK ON. AND THAT DEPENDS ON THE MEN AND WOMEN WORKING FOR THE POWER COMPANY. AND IT IS DAUNTING WORK THAT REALLY REQUIRES SIGNIFICANT TRAINING. FIRST, WARNING METEOROLOGIST MARQUISE MARQUISE GETS A FIRST HAND LOOK AT WHAT IT TAKES TO BE A UTILITY LINEMAN. YEAR ROUND, WE PREPARE FOR HURRICANES TO KEEP THE LIGHTS AND AC ON DURING STORM SEASON, TAKES AN ARMY OF UTILITY WORKERS. WE DO A TON OF TRAINING EVERY YEAR. LINEMEN AND WOMEN WHO PIECED TOGETHER WHAT MOTHER NATURE TEARS APART FOR THE ORLANDO UTILITIES COMMISSION BEING STORM READY MEANS IT’S COMING HERE TO THEIR TRAINING YARD IN ORLANDO. THESE GUYS ARE HONING THEIR SKILLS THAT ONLY MAKES IT EASIER FOR THEM WHEN IT’S ONE 2:00 IN THE MORNING, OR THAT MICROBURST CAME THROUGH ON, YOU KNOW, A JULY AFTERNOON. I CAUGHT UP WITH THIS TEAM FOR AN EXERCISE, RESCUING A FALLEN LINEMAN. BUT I ALSO LEARNED SOME OF WHAT IT TAKES TO BRING THE POWER BACK ONLINE AFTER A STORM. AND FOR THESE LINEMEN, SAFETY FROM UNPREDICTABLE WEATHER HAZARDS IS THEIR TOP PRIORITY. WE NEVER KNOW WHAT IT’S GOING TO DO, SO WE HAVE TO BE PREPARED FOR THAT. WITH ALL OF OUR PPE. AND TRUST ME, ALL THAT PPE DOES WEIGH QUITE A BIT. BUT WITH THE CLIMBING BELT AND ALL YOUR TOOLS ADDED ON IT, IT ROUGHLY WEIGHS 50 TO 60 POUNDS. YOU CAN READ ABOUT HOW TO USE THIS IN A BOOK, BUT UNTIL YOU ACTUALLY GET OUT HERE AND PUT YOUR YOUR WAIST IN THE BELT, YOU’RE NOT GOING TO KNOW HOW IT’S GOING TO FEEL CORRECT. AFTER GETTING FULLY STRAPPED IN, I TRIED MY BEST TO CLIMB WITH ALL THE WEIGHT ON ME. I DIDN’T GET TOO FAR, BUT WHAT PROVED TO BE MORE OF A NUISANCE THAN THE WEIGHT WAS HOW HOT THE CONDITIONS FELT. ONCE I GOT MOVING AROUND, IT GETS HOT AND PEOPLE FALL OUT FROM THAT HEAT. IT HAPPENS QUICK, SO HEAT EXHAUSTION IS ONE OF OUR BIGGEST PLAYERS CALLED TO DRINK WATER, ISN’T IT? KEEP IN MIND THE DANGERS FACED BY THE OUC LINEMEN EXTEND FAR BEYOND POTENTIAL HEAT EXHAUSTION OFF TIMES. THEY HAVE TO FACE THE FEROCITY OF STORMS HEAD ON. 2004 WE HAD BACK TO BACK TO BACK TO BACK HURRICANES AND CHARLEY WENT THROUGH. THAT WAS THE FIRST TIME I’D EVER SEEN ANYTHING LIKE THAT. I WAS ACTUALLY STANDING IN THIS YARD THE NIGHT THAT CHARLEY BLEW THROUGH, AND I WATCHED ONE OF OUR BAY DOORS OFF THE GARAGE BLOW BY. YEAH, THEY’RE HAVING TO KEEP THEIR SKILLS FRESH. MANY LINEMEN LIKE THIS TEAM FROM UNC COMPETE IN LINEMAN RODEOS ACROSS THE U.S. BRING IT UP SOME. BRING IT UP. HOLD THAT. IT’S A TEST OF THE EXPERTISE THEY BRING WHEN RESPONDING TO A REAL EMERGENCY. WATCHING THEM PRACTICE REALLY DRIVES HOME WHAT AN INTENSE JOB THIS IS. NO MATTER WHAT THE STAKES, THE GUYS DOING THIS COMPETITION ARE NOT SCARED OF ANYTHING. THEY ARE GOING TO JUMP ON THAT REAR LIGHT POLE IN A HEARTBEAT. AND THAT’S WHAT CENTRAL FLORIDA WANTS TO HEAR ABOUT. THE MEN AND WOMEN WHO WILL BE HELPING GET THE POWER BACK ON AFTER A STORM HITS. IT’S NOT ENOUGH TO TELL PEOPLE A HURRICANE IS HEADED TO FLORIDA. IT’S BEEN CALLED A LOT OF THINGS, BUT NOW THE HURRICANE CONE IS GETTING A NEW LOOK. TONY HAS THE DETAILS ON THE CHANGES TO FORECAST GRAPHICS AND HOW THEY’RE MEANT TO KEEP YOU SAFER. NEXT. WELCOME BACK TO SURVIVING THE SEASON, OUR WESH TWO FIRST WARNING WEATHER HURRICANE SPECIAL. IN THE LAST 20 YEARS, WE’VE SEEN SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENTS MADE IN FORECAST THE PATH OF TROPICAL STORMS AND HURRICANES, HELPING PREDICT EXACTLY WHERE THOSE STORMS GO. SPECIFICALLY, THE CONE HAS GOTTEN MORE ACCURATE. OF COURSE, YOU KNOW THE CONE AT HIGHLIGHTS THE AREA WHERE THE CENTER OF THE STORM COULD GO. BUT THE CLOSER A STORM GETS AND AS THAT CONE NARROWS, IT’S CREATED A FALSE SENSE OF SECURITY FOR PEOPLE OUTSIDE OF THE CONE. CHIEF METEOROLOGIST TONY MAINOLFI JOINS US AGAIN WITH MORE ON THE CONE AND HOW THE NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER IS CHANGING IT TO HELP US ALL BE BETTER PREPARED. THAT’S RIGHT GUYS, WE’VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT A NEW CONE FOR SOME TIME, BUT TO BE CLEAR, THE ACTUAL PHYSICAL CONE ISN’T CHANGING. WHAT WILL BE NEW IS THE INFORMATION DISPLAYED IN THE EXPERIMENTAL CONE. IT GIVES YOU A MUCH BETTER FEEL FOR WHAT THE RISKS ARE, WHERE YOU LIVE. HERE’S A SIDE BY SIDE LOOK OF THE OLD CONE ON THE LEFT VERSUS THE NEW EXPERIMENTAL CONE ON THE RIGHT. IT CLEARLY HIGHLIGHTS THE WATCHES AND WARNINGS, WHICH ARE WELL OUTSIDE THE STORM’S CONE. WE WANT FOLKS TO SEE THAT A STORM’S IMPACTS GO WELL OUTSIDE ITS CONE. THIS CHANGE WAS SHOWS UP ON MAPS COME AUGUST WAS INITIATED BY THE NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER. IT’S NOT ENOUGH TO TELL PEOPLE A HURRICANE IS HEADED TO FLORIDA. IT’S MORE OF A SHIFT IN HOW WE COMMUNICATE RISK TO THE PUBLIC AND SPECIFICALLY MAKING OUR COMMUNICATION MORE ACTIONABLE. THE OLD CONE LED PEOPLE TO BELIEVE THAT AS IT SHRUNK ON THE STORM’S APPROACH, AREAS THAT FELL OUTSIDE THE CONE WERE NO LONGER IN HARM’S WAY. THAT SIMPLY ISN’T TRUE. THE NEW EXPERIMENTAL CONE WILL BETTER DISPLAY THE IMPACTS OF STORM SURGE. WATCH AND WARNINGS WHEN POWER OUTAGES, RAINFALL, WHAT TRIPS PEOPLE UP ABOUT THE CONE IS, IS THEY THINK IT TELLS THEM IMPACTS WHEN IT ACTUALLY DOESN’T. WHAT WE REALLY NEED TO STRIVE TO COMMUNICATE TO THEM IS, IS HOW STRONG THE WIND SPEEDS WILL BE IN THEIR COMMUNITY, WHAT TYPE OF DAMAGE THOSE WIND SPEEDS WILL DO, WILL THAT KNOCK MY HOUSE DOWN? WILL THAT KNOCK POWER OUT OR ROADS GOING TO BE IMPASSABLE? ALL SO ONLY THEN WHEN WE GIVE THAT LEVEL OF SPECIFICITY, WILL WE GET TO ACTIONABLE INFORMATION. WHATEVER CATEGORY STORM IS HEADING OUR WAY, THE DETAILED DATA ABOUT IT COMES FROM A SOMEWHAT WILD EXERCISE FLYING A PLANE THROUGH THE HURRICANE. THE AIR FORCE AND NOAA BOTH DO THIS AND FEEDBACK ALL SORTS OF INFORMATION THAT HELPS THEM. AND THE FIRST WARNING WEATHER TEAM DETERMINE WHAT THAT STORM WILL DO NEXT. KELLIANNE KLASS TAKES US ON BOARD ONE OF THESE HURRICANE HUNTERS. WE BRING THE RADARS AND THE DATA TO THE STORM. ADAM ABITBOL, AIRCRAFT COMMANDER FOR THE NOAA HURRICANE HUNTERS, TELLS US THEIR P-3 ORION IS SO SPECIAL BECAUSE AS TWO RADARS ON BOARD, ONE AT THE BOTTOM OF THE PLANE, THE OTHER AT THE TAIL, WE BASICALLY JUST TAKE AN MRI OF THE STORM AS WE FLY THROUGH IT, AND THAT’S REALLY UNIQUE BECAUSE THERE’S ONLY THREE PLANES IN THE WORLD THAT HAVE THEM, AND THEY’RE ALL LOCATED AT NOAA’S AIRCRAFT OPERATIONS CENTER IN LAKELAND, FLORIDA. AND SO THAT’S A REALLY COOL CAPABILITY. IT’S REALLY UNIQUE, AND IT HELPS US JUST BUILD AND UNDERSTAND THE STRUCTURE OF THE STORM AS WE FLY THROUGH IT. ON BOARD. EVERY HURRICANE HUNTER MISSION IS A FLIGHT METEOROLOGIST GUIDING THE PILOTS THROUGH THE STORM. I TALKED WITH METEOROLOGIST JEREMY DEHART WITH THE AIR FORCE RESERVE RECONNAISSANCE SQUADRON ABOUT HOW HIS JOB IS SO DIFFERENT THAN MINE. MY PRIMARY JOB IS TO BE A MISSION DIRECTOR. I NEED TO FIND THE CENTER OF THE STORM, ESSENTIALLY, AND SO I WILL LITERALLY BE CALLING TURNS TO THE FRONT OF THE AIRCRAFT, TEN DEGREES TO THE RIGHT, FIVE DEGREES TO THE LEFT TO KIND OF GET US THERE. BOTH THE NOAA HURRICANE HUNTERS AND THE AIR FORCE HURRICANE HUNTERS PROVIDE CRUCIAL INFORMATION FOR OUR HURRICANE FORECASTS. AND THAT STARTS AS EARLY AS THE STORM DEVELOPS TO RIGHT BEFORE IT MAKES LANDFALL. WE’LL FLY ANYWHERE FOR UP FROM MAYBE 12 HOURS APART IN THE STORM TO AS CLOSE AS THREE HOURS APART. IF IT’S GETTING READY TO MAKE LANDFALL. AND WE’RE ON THOSE THREE HOURLY MISSIONS, WE PRETTY MUCH HAVE A PLANE IN THE AIR 24 HOURS A DAY. YOU KNOW, ONE PLANE WILL BE LEAVING THE STORM AND ANOTHER ONE WILL PASS BY IT FLYING THROUGH THE STORM. SO WE GET ALL THAT ACCURATE INFORMATION RIGHT UP UNTIL LANDFALL. EACH PLANE COLLECTS DATA FROM INSTRUMENTS ON THE OUTSIDE OF THE AIRCRAFT, BUT THEY ALSO RELEASE A DEVICE CALLED A DROPSONDE. IT COLLECTS INFORMATION LIKE TEMPERATURE, DEW POINT, AND PRESSURE THROUGH THE ATMOSPHERE AS IT FALLS FROM THE PLANE TO THE SEA SURFACE. THAT DATA COLLECTED IS THEN FED DIRECTLY INTO THE WEATHER MODELS AND THAT DATA IMPROVES THE TRACK FORECAST BY 10 TO 20%, 10 TO 20% DOESN’T SOUND LIKE A LOT, BUT THAT CAN MAKE A HUGE DIFFERENCE WHEN YOU’RE TALKING ABOUT EVACUATIONS OF COASTAL COMMUNITIES. WHEN YOU’RE TALKING ABOUT PRESERVING LIFE AND PROPERTY. AND SO THESE PLANES PLAY A CRITICAL ROLE IN IN GETTING THAT INFORMATION AND REFINING THAT TRACK AND INTENSITY. FORECAST. CAM TRAN HAS MORE ON THE TECHNOLOGY THE HURRICANE HUNTERS DROP AND THE DATA COLLECTED. WHEN THAT HURRICANE HUNTER KELLIANNE JUST JORDAN IS FLYING THROUGH A STORM, IT’S GATHERING DATA NOT JUST ALONG ITS FLIGHT PATH, BUT ALL THE WAY DOWN TO THE OCEAN SURFACE. THAT’S WHERE SOME OF THE MOST CRUCIAL INFORMATION ABOUT A HURRICANE IS FOUND. AND THAT IS WHERE DRONES COME IN. HURRICANE HUNTERS WILL BE LAUNCHING TWO TYPES OF DRONES THIS SEASON TO GIVE SCIENTISTS A REAL TIME PROFILE OF A STORM SYSTEM FROM THE TOP LEVELS OF A STORM, ALL THE WAY DOWN TO SEA LEVEL, THESE DRONES CAN GATHER CRUCIAL INFORMATION LIKE TEMPERATURES, WINDS, HUMIDITY, AND EVEN OCEAN TEMPERATURES AS IT HITS THE WATER. THEY ALSO FLY THROUGH THE EYEWALL TO LOOK AT THE INTENSITY OF THE STORM AND FIND THE STORM’S CENTER. THAT COULD POTENTIALLY HELP TRACK BECAUSE WE CAN RECENTER THAT AND MAYBE A KILOMETER OR TWO, YOU KNOW, A MILE OR TWO DIFFERENT DOESN’T SOUND LIKE A LOT, BUT NOW IF YOU GIVE THAT INFORMATION TO THE MODEL, NOW THE MODEL RECENTERS WHERE THE TRACK IS AND MOVES IT THERE VERSUS WHERE WHERE IT THOUGHT IT WAS. THESE DRONES ARE SMALL. RANGING FROM 3 POUNDS TO UP TO 27 POUNDS. THIS HURRICANE SEASON, NOAA WILL HAVE A TOTAL OF 22 DRONES TO GATHER DATA. ONE OF THEM WILL BE EQUIPPED WITH A VIDEO CAMERA SO IT CAN DOCUMENT ITS JOURNEY AND SHOW WHAT IT’S LIKE TO BE INSIDE A HURRICANE. WE’RE GOING TO TRY TO PUT WHAT WE HAVE PUT A GIMBAL ON THERE IN THE VIDEO. SO THIS WOULD POTENTIALLY SHOW WHAT THE EYEWALL LOOKS LIKE AS YOU’RE FLYING. I MEAN, INTO THE EYE, VERY LOW ALTITUDE, RAGING SEAS. I MEAN, IT SHOULD BE SPECTACULAR. IF WE CAN PULL IT OFF. ANOTHER TOOL THAT NOAA HOPES TO LAUNCH SOON STREAM SONGS. THEY’RE ESSENTIALLY TINY DROP SONGS THAT GATHER INFORMATION ABOUT THE STORM AS IT FALLS. SO EACH TIME YOU GO THROUGH PENETRATE THE EYEWALL, YOU DROP A TEN. THEN YOU GO ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE AISLE, DROP ANOTHER TEN, AND THEN DROP ANOTHER. SO NOW WITHIN THIS SHORT AMOUNT OF TIME, YOU GOT 40 OR 50 KIND OF CIRCULATING AND FALLING IN THE EYEWALL ALL AROUND AND GOING SLOWLY, GOING TO THE SURFACE. AND TRANSMITTING THAT DATA IN REAL TIME. SCIENTISTS DID THE TESTING OF A MULTI STREAM. SONDRA UP IN LAKELAND IN HOPES THESE STREAM SONGS CAN BE USED THIS HURRICANE SEASON. WE JUST JUST TESTED SUCCESSFULLY TESTED A NEW SYSTEM THAT IS, IT’S GOING TO ALLOW US TO DROP 50 AT ONCE. SO WE CAN DROP 50 OF THESE THINGS AT ONCE. AND THAT ALLOWS US TO REALLY UNDERSTAND THE HURRICANE BETTER, IMPROVE THE MODEL. UM, THE AMOUNT OF DATA GETTING INTO THE MODELS EVENTUALLY WE THINK, UM, AND IT CAN REALLY BE, UM, SUPPLEMENT WHAT WE’RE DOING BELOW WHERE THE PLANES FLY. ALL OF THESE NEW TECHNOLOGIES ARE CRUCIAL IN BETTER FORECASTING THE TRACK AND INTENSITY OF TROPICAL SYSTEMS. IT’S ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS YOU NEED TO DO BEFORE HURRICANE SEASON. PULL OUT THE INSURANCE POLICY AND CHECK YOUR COVERAGE. WHETHER YOU RENT OR OWN YOUR HOME, THAT COVERAGE COULD MAKE OR BREAK THE BANK AFTER A STORM. STEP BY STEP, WE ARE WALKING YOU THROUGH WHAT TO HAVE IN YOUR POLICY TO MAKE SURE YOU CAN COLLECT. MICHAEL LANE HAS BEEN IN THE INSURANCE BUSINESS IN FLORIDA FOR MORE THAN 20 YEARS. THE FIRST THING THEY NEED TO DO IS TAKE INVENTORY, TAKE PICTURES OF WHAT YOU HAVE. WE’VE ALL HEARD THE MANTRA TO TAKE PICTURES AND VIDEOS OF YOUR BELONGINGS TO HELP FILE ANY FUTURE CLAIMS, BUT THERE’S A DIFFERENCE IF YOU ARE A RENTER OR HOMEOWNER AND NOT HAVING ENOUGH INSURANCE COULD COST YOU BIG TIME. IF THERE IS DAMAGE TO THE INSIDE OF YOUR PROPERTY. IF YOU ARE A RENTER, THEN YOU NEED TO PROVE WHAT YOU HAD SO IF YOU’RE A HOMEOWNER VERSUS A RENTER, YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR 100% OF YOUR HOME INSIDE AND OUT. WHAT TYPES OF THINGS ARE NOT COVERED IF YOU’RE A HOMEOWNER? AND IN CASE A DISASTER HAPPENS HERE, THINGS LIKE YOUR CAR, IT’S NOT COVERED. YOUR YARD IS NOT COVERED. IF A TREE FALLS IN YOUR YARD AND IT’S KNOCKED DOWN BY A HURRICANE, THERE IS NO COVERAGE FOR THAT. IS THERE A COVERAGE THAT YOU NEED TO HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU AT LEAST GET TEMPORARY HOUSING? IT’S CALLED LOSS OF USE COVERAGE, AND IT’S TYPICALLY 10% OF THE ENTIRE COVERAGE OF YOUR HOME. NOW THAT’S GOING TO TAKE CARE OF HOTEL, FOOD, TRANSPORT OR ANY MONEY THAT YOU SPEND WHILE YOU’RE OUTSIDE OF YOUR HOUSE. AND YOU CAN’T OCCUPY IT. KIDS PROCESS TRAUMA A LOT DIFFERENTLY THAN ADULTS DO. THEY PROCESS THROUGH PLAY. THEY PROCESS WITH THEIR PEERS, AND SO WE GIVE THEM A SPACE TO DO JUST THAT. THE NEW RESOURCE COMING TO ONE CENTRAL FLORIDA COUNTY FOCUSED ON HELPING CHILDREN AFTER THE DEVASTATION OF A STORM SURGE. SURVIVING THE SEASON IS COMING RIGHT BACK. HURRICANES CAN LEAVE BEHIND A LOT OF PHYSICAL DAMAGE, AS WE’VE UNFORTUNATELY. SEEN HERE IN CENTRAL FLORIDA. THOSE STORMS CAN ALSO LEAD TO LONG LASTING TRAUMA. THIS IS ESPECIALLY TRUE FOR CHILDREN WHO MAY HAVE A HARD TIME UNDERSTANDING WHAT’S GOING ON. WESH 2’S CHRISTINA WATKINS TELLS US ABOUT A SPECIAL CAMP IN SEMINOLE COUNTY FOCUSED ON HELPING KIDS HEAL AFTER A STORM. AT FIRST GLANCE, THIS LOOKS LIKE YOUR TYPICAL CAMP FOR KIDS AND FOR 11 YEAR-OLD OVIEDO NATIVES, AMARA, IT FELT LIKE EVERY OTHER CAMP SHE HAD ATTENDED AT THE YMCA ON RED BUG ROAD. WE GO SWIMMING. UH, WE DO A SNACK AND LUNCH. WE DO ARTS AND CRAFTS WHILE THE ACTIVITIES WEREN’T NEW, THEY CARRIED A DIFFERENT PURPOSE THIS TIME AROUND, SO THIS CAMP EVENTUALLY, UM, WILL BE TO HELP CHILDREN LIKE YOURSELF SORT OF PROCESS SOME OF THE THINGS YOU MIGHT HAVE SEEN AND EXPERIENCED. DO YOU THINK THAT’S REALLY COOL TO BE ABLE TO TALK ABOUT YOUR FEELINGS, RIGHT? YEAH, I LOVE TALKING ABOUT MY FEELINGS. ZEMIRO WAS ONE OF 90 KIDS WHO PARTICIPATED IN A TRAINING FOR PROJECT CAMP. IT’S A DISASTER RESPONSE ORGANIZATION TRAVELING NATIONWIDE TO PROVIDE FREE, TRAUMA INFORMED CHILD CARE FOR FAMILIES IMPACTED BY NATURAL DISASTERS LIKE HURRICANES IAN AND NICOLE. KIDS PROCESS TRAUMA A LOT DIFFERENTLY THAN ADULTS DO. THEY PROCESS THROUGH PLAY. THEY PROCESS WITH THEIR PEERS, AND SO WE GIVE THEM A SPACE TO DO JUST THAT. HENRY MYERS SAYS HE MET SEMINOLE COUNTY EMERGENCY MANAGER ALAN HARRIS AT A HURRICANE CONFERENCE IN NEW ORLEANS. MYERS SHARED THE PURPOSE OF PROJECT CAMP, AND HARRIS SAID HE IMMEDIATELY JUMPED ON THE CHANCE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT IT. HE KNOWS FIRSTHAND THE KIND OF TRAUMA THAT CAN COME IN THE AFTERMATH OF A STORM. AS A YOUTH, I DEALT WITH A TORNADO. SO, UH, IN MIDDLE SCHOOL AND THERE WAS NO PROGRAM FOR ME. THERE WAS NOTHING FOR THE YOUTH TO HELP THEM DEAL WITH WHATEVER THAT DISASTER IS. THE CDC SAYS MENTAL STRESS FROM A DISASTER CAN BE HARDER ON CHILDREN BECAUSE THEY SIMPLY DON’T UNDERSTAND WHAT’S GOING ON, AND THEY FEEL LESS ABLE TO CONTROL EVENTS, AND THEY DON’T HAVE A LOT OF EXPERIENCE COPING WITH DIFFICULT SITUATIONS. IT’S PART OF THE REASON WHY, HARRIS SAID. IT MADE SENSE TO BRING PROJECT CAMP TO SEMINOLE COUNTY RIGHT NOW, JUST TO SEE HOW IT WOULD WORK. WE BROUGHT IN PEOPLE FROM CALIFORNIA FROM PROJECT CAMP AND THEY’RE HELPING TO EDUCATE THOSE FOLKS SO WE CAN START IT IMMEDIATELY. SO, RIGHT AFTER THE DISASTER PASSES, WE CAN START THIS PROGRAM WITHIN 48 HOURS. PART OF THE TRAINING INCLUDED THERAPY DOGS LIKE WOODY AND OREO. STUDIES SHOW DOGS LIKE THIS CAN HELP REDUCE STRESS AND ANXIETY. SHANE. THERE YOU GO. CAMP LEADERS ALSO SAID THEY MADE SURE KIDS FELT COMFORTABLE ADDRESSING THEIR EMOTIONS. ZAMORA REFLECTED ON IAN AND THE FLOODING AT HER HOUSE WHEN THE STORM HIT IN 2022. IT MADE ME FEEL SCARED. I DIDN’T. KNOW WHAT TO DO, BUT I KNEW IN MY HEART THAT GOD WAS WITH ME AND MY MOM AND DAD AND MY BROTHER WERE WITH ME. GRATITUDE CIRCLES, UH, MENTAL AND EMOTIONAL CHECKS THAT WE DO THROUGHOUT THE DAY THAT ARE DESIGNED TO HELP MITIGATE SORT OF THE LONG TERM EFFECTS OF THESE TRAUMATIC EVENTS THAT THEY’VE BEEN THROUGH. OH, OTHER ONE. NOW, THE MAIN GOAL, CAMP LEADERS SAID, WAS TO MAKE SURE KIDS GOT A SAFE SPACE TO PROCESS WHAT THEY’VE BEEN THROUGH, PROVIDING A SENSE OF NORMALCY DURING WHAT. COULD BE A VERY TERRIFYING TIME. WE HOPE TO NEVER SEE YOU AGAIN, RIGHT? HOPE TO NEVER SEE YOU AGAIN. BUT WHAT IF THERE IS A STORM? WE WILL BE HERE. SOMETHING THAT CAN HELP CHILDREN. PREPARE FOR HURRICANE SEASON IS UNDERSTANDING THE BASICS OF METEOROLOGY. YEAH, THOSE BITS OF KNOWLEDGE CAN REALLY BE POWERFUL FOR KIDS AS THEY TRY TO UNDERSTAND THE UPHEAVAL OF STORM CAN BRING. THAT’S WHY WESH TWO IS STARTING A HURRICANE. KIDS. CAST WESH 2’S ERIC BURRIS NANCY ALVAREZ. WALK US THROUGH WHAT IT’S ALL ABOUT AND HOW IT WILL HELP ADULTS AND KIDS GET THROUGH HURRICANE SEASON. HEY EVERYONE, WE’RE SO EXCITED TO SHARE THAT THIS HURRICANE SEASON WILL BE BRINGING YOU FORECASTS, STORM PREPS, SAFETY TIPS, AND MORE DELIVERED DIRECTLY FROM US TO KIDS IN OUR COMMUNITY AND WE KNOW STORMS CAN BE REALLY SCARY. WE ADULTS FEEL ANXIOUS WHEN A STORM IS HEADING OUR WAY. SO OF COURSE KIDS ARE GOING TO FEEL THOSE SAME FEARS AND YOU MAY HAVE A LOT OF QUESTIONS. JUST LIKE THIS ONE. HI, MY NAME IS IOWA. WHAT EXACTLY IS A HURRICANE? THAT’S A GOOD QUESTION AND I CAN’T WAIT TO ANSWER THAT. AND MANY OTHER WAYS. AND THAT’S THE GIST OF OUR HURRICANE KID CAST. WHEN A STORM IS HEADED OUR WAY, WE’LL TAKE QUESTIONS AND CONCERNS FROM KIDS ACROSS CENTRAL FLORIDA. SO CHECK OUT OUR FULL SHOW RIGHT. NOW. IT’S ONLINE AT WESH DOT COM. STILL ALL TO COME. WHEN AND WHERE? METEOROLOGIST ERIC BURRIS DETAILS HIS LONG RANGE HURRICANE FORECAST, BREAKING DOWN DATES AND PLACES UNDER THE BIGGEST THREATS. THIS HURRICANE SEASON. SURVIVING THE SEASON IS COMING RIGHT BACK. EVERY STORM SEASON WITHOUT A DOUBT, THE ONE THING PEOPLE ASK ME WESH 2 AND FIRST WARNING WEATHER TEAMS IS WHEN AND WHERE STORMS WILL HIT. AND EVERY YEAR. WESH TWO FIRST WARNING METEOROLOGIST ERIC BURRIS SPENDS MONTHS STUDYING DATA, WEATHER PATTERNS AND TRENDS TO CREATE HIS LONG RANGE HURRICANE FORECAST. AND THIS YEAR, EVERYONE INA IS B BECAUSE ERIC SAYS WE’RE IN FOR AN ACTIVE AND POWERFUL SEASON. SADLY, YES. NOW LET ME EXPLAIN. WHEN ISSUING OUR LONG RANGE HURRICANE FORECAST, WE OBSERVE WEATHER PATTERNS THROUGHOUT THE WINTER MONTHS LOOKING FOR WHERE STORM SYSTEMS FIRE UP, MOVE AND HOW OFTEN THESE PATTERNS RECYCLE THROUGH. SO BASED ON MY OBSERVATIONS WITH THE PATTERNS, I HAD TO BE QUITE AGGRESSIVE WITH FLORIDA’S PENINSULA THREAT THIS YEAR. OVERALL, THE GULF OF MEXICO IS MY HOTTEST ZONE WITH MOST STEERING PATTERNS REALLY WANTING TO ROLL ALONG THE NORTHERN GULF COAST EAST TO THE FLORIDA PENINSULA. THE PART OF THE PATTERN MOST CONCERNING TO ME FOR US HERE IN CENTRAL FLORIDA IS THE STORM SYSTEM THAT LOOKS TO BE A THREAT AROUND THE PANHANDLE OR SOUTH FLORIDA. BUT WITH THE RIGHT TRAJECTORY COULD BE A THREAT FOR US IN CENTRAL FLORIDA. THE DATES FOR THIS PART OF THE PATTERN RUN JUST AFTER THE 4TH OF JULY AND LATE AUGUST. I’LL ALSO BE WATCHING THE NORTHERN GULF COAST TO THE BIG BEND OF FLORIDA AROUND EARLY JUNE, LATE JULY, AND EVEN EARLY SEPTEMBER, AND THE NORTHERN GULF TO THE CAROLINAS FOR LATE JUNE, MID-AUGUST AND LATE SEPTEMBER. NOW, IN TERMS OF STORM NUMBERS, WE’RE FORECASTING AN ABOVE AVERAGE SEASON GIVEN THE WATER TEMPERATURES BEING AS HOT AS THEY ARE VERY, VERY WARM. TRANSITIONING TO LA NINA. BUT MY RESEARCH FOUND SOMETHING PRETTY INTERESTING. IT FOUND THAT IN SEASONS OF TRANSITION LIKE. WE ARE, THINGS RAN ABOVE. AVERAGE BUT PRODUCED STRONG STORMS. SO HURRICANES AND EVEN MAJOR HURRICANES HAVE A HIGHER PERCENTAGE. HENCE THE HIGHER NUMBERS THERE. SO WHAT SHOULD WE TAKE FROM ALL OF THIS THAT FLORIDA, THIS. YEAR, MORE THAN YEARS PAST RIHEL NEEDS TO BE WATCHING. AND I’LL BE HONEST, OUT OF ALL THE YEARS I’VE BEEN DOING THIS, I WOULD SAY THIS IS THE MOST AGGRESSIVE. FLORIDA FORECAST I’VE EVER MADE. BUT LIKE EVERYTHING ELSE, LET’S JUST USE THIS TO WATCH, TO ALERT TO ONE FACT THE SEASON IS HERE. AND WE NEED TO BE PREPARED. ERIC BURRIS WESH TWO NEWS. YOU HEARD ERIC. WE ALL NEED TO BE PREPARED FOR WHATEVER HURRICANE SEASON THROWS AT US. THE BEST WAY TO GET THERE IS THE WESH TWO HURRICANE SURVIVAL GUIDE. SO HEAD ON OVER TO WESH.COM AND DOWNLOAD YOUR COPY. INSIDE YOU’LL FIND ALL THE ADVICE YOU NEED TO GET READY. PREPARING RIGHT NOW GIVES YOU THE TIME TO BUILD UP THOSE HURRICANE PLANS, SO MAKE SURE YOU GET YOUR COPY ON THE HURRICANE PAGE OF WESH.COM FROM THE ENTIRE WESH TWO NEWS AND FIRST WINNING WEATHER TEAMS. LET’S MAKE IT A SAFE HURRICANE SEASON.