Staying ahead of the storm: GNV readies for busy hurricane season
Published on May 31, 2024
By Rossana Passaniti
With a two-week sales tax holiday in Florida beginning on the very first day of hurricane season, residents can stock up on essential supplies for their emergency kits.
From June 1-14, shoppers can purchase a host of items tax-free, including portable radios, manual can-openers, tarps and various pet-related goods. There is no better time, as they say, as the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has predicted a very active Atlantic hurricane season with as many as seven major hurricanes between June 1-Nov. 30.
Preparation is key, say emergency managers. Most Florida residents know to keep flashlights and batteries at the ready but just as important in emergency kits are current copies of insurance policies, veterinary records and prescription information, to name a few.
“Make sure you have an emergency plan for your family and keep a printed copy at hand, along with your emergency kit,” said Gainesville Fire Rescue Deputy Chief Shawn Hillhouse. “I encourage all area residents to visit SafeGNV.org for helpful, hurricane-planning resources and to sign up for alertGNV to get emergency updates by phone or text,” he said.
The alertGNV notification system provides critical information to neighbors during severe storms and other events, such as when a local tornado watch or wind advisory is issued.
Last year, the winds from Hurricane Idalia in late August toppled two dozen trees in Gainesville. Within hours, Public Works crews were clearing that debris from city streets, ensuring safe passage for first responders and the public in the storm’s aftermath.
“We do prioritize clearing roadways, with main thoroughfares and routes to hospitals first,” said Public Works Director Brian Singleton. “Fortunately, we did not need to set priorities with last year’s storms.”
The Public Works crews are among the City’s many municipal employees who restore essential government services in the recovery phase following a storm or other widespread local emergency. They frequently work alongside area first responders, and communication is crucial to their coordinated efforts.
Since 2019, the City’s public safety personnel communicate efficiently via FirstNet, the nationwide broadband network that prioritizes their calls, texts and data ahead of non-emergency traffic on the network.
“Gainesville was the first city in Florida to adopt FirstNet,” said Phil Mann, Gainesville special advisor to the city manager for infrastructure and capital projects. “We armed all our public safety personnel with FirstNet-enabled phones in just one week,” added Mann, who also serves as the American Public Works Association representative to the FirstNet Public Safety Advisory Committee.
Residents also may receive emergency notifications via alertGNV for areal flood advisories or warnings – when flooding is caused by moderate to heavy rainfall.
Once the rains have passed, the City’s flood investigation teams begin to gauge peak flood levels along creeks and other monitored sites across Gainesville. This includes recording high water marks to better understand flood water patterns and trends, and to predict local flood risk. The data also is vital to securing state and federal funding for future infrastructure projects.
Neighbors can help in these efforts by submitting photos of neighborhood flooding on the City’s Flood Reporter app.
“Be safe and avoid floodwaters,” said Andy Renshaw, the City’s floodplain administrator. “Never drive, swim or walk through them. Floodwaters may contain raw sewage, debris or other pollutants, so snap those photos from dry land.”