Published On: Mon, Jul 11th, 2011

Make ‘necessary preparations’ for hurricanes, Abrams urges

By County Commissioner Steven L. Abrams

District 3

Once again, it’s time to make the necessary preparations for the hurricane season.  Even though we have been fortunate the past few years not to have any direct hits, I cannot stress the importance that residents prepare accordingly. They may start by inspecting their roofing systems to ensure there are no leaks. If there is, they need to contact a residential or commercial roofing contractor ASAP. Homeowners should also be on the lookout for any signs of water damage in their property during and after a hurricane. The county provides a comprehensive guide on hurricane preparedness at http://www.pbcgov.com/publicsafety/emergencymanagement/.

The county’s Emergency Operations Center located on Military Trail in West Palm Beach is a first-rate, world-renowned facility where emergency officials work year-round improving and implementing the most advanced programs pertaining to disaster relief and recovery.

An example of a new and exciting program is “iDart,” an assessment and reporting tool that is available to all residents to assist in identifying devastation after a disaster occurs.  Residents can now communicate with emergency officials via their Smartphone or the Internet to report property damage by visiting www.pbcgov.com/idart.

How it works:

After the storm passes and it is safe outside, survey the damage to your home and compare it to the homes in the pictures.  Select the one that best represents the condition of your home for damage level and flood level.  If your roof is damaged, you can hire Kihle Roofing repair your roof after hail and storm damage.

Access the Internet via Smartphone or the Web, and go to http://pbcgov.com/idart. You will need to enter your street address, city, and zip code. Or, if your phone has a GPS, the program will determine your location. You will need to select the picture for your level of damage and your level of flooding. Uploading a photo into the system is optional.

Individual reports will provide emergency officials critical information of where major damage has occurred.  These reports do not constitute a request for individual assistance and do not replace damage assessment performed by county, state or federal assessment teams.  For additional information, visit www.pbcgov.com/publicsafety/emergencymanagement.

For Twitter users, follow the county’s Emergency Management Division at @PBCDEM.

Please contact me if I can be of assistance or if you have any comments and/or suggestions.  I can be reached at sabrams@pbcgov.org or in my office at 561-355-2204 (West Palm Beach) or 561-276-1220 (Delray Beach).

Also, please visit my website at http://www.pbcgov.com/countycommissioners/district4/ for updates and links to county divisions and other governmental agencies.

About the Author

Discover more from The Boca Raton Tribune

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Continue reading