May 31, 2023 • 5 mins
Thursday, June 1st is the beginning of hurricane season. St. Petersburg is holding its annual Hurricane Expo from 5:30 to 7:00 p.m. at Campbell Park. We speak with city emergency manager Amber Boulding.
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(00:01):
Gordon Bird here with Beyond the News. Hurricane season begins Thursday, June first,
and the City of Saint Petersburg ishosting a hurricane Expo Thursday from five
to thirty two seven pm at CampbellPark Recreation Center on fourteenth Street South.
Amber Bolding runs the Office of EmergencyManagement for the City of Saint Petersburg and
(00:21):
Amber Bolding welcome to Beyond the Newsanyone. Thank you for having me.
Now you're going to be giving peopleat this event a lot of basic information.
I'm looking at your flyer for theevent. These are some of the
answers to questions that you might notthink to ask if you haven't been in
a storm. That's right. Youknow, we've had a lot of folks
(00:43):
that are moving down to the areato you know, enjoy our beautiful city
and they may not come from aplace where we've had you know, they've
had to deal with hurricanes before.So we want to make sure that we
started that basic level. You know, what are we preparing for and then
on top of that, you know, what are the impacts that we could
see and how does that help usbuild our preparedness. And finally, we
want to give you know, folksa you know, a place to start.
(01:03):
So we're going to have vendors andyou know, community partners that will
be there giving out information with theirtables as well as some things to get
their you know, own hurricane preparednesskit started. Now you're also giving out
something that I think is a greatvalue as far as a hurricane starter kit
that again is being done with thehelp of some of your vendors. What
(01:23):
are some of the items that peopleare going to receive if they attend your
expo, that's right. So whenfolks come in first, they'll be given
a bag that can be you knowused for that starter kit, and they'll
walk around and start collecting different itemsthat are community partners will be giving out.
It can be as simplest for staid kits, maybe some flashlights,
batteries, different handout set shows youknow, how to fully build your kit,
(01:49):
you know, especially taking advantage ofthe hurricane Preparedness week in tax free
week that we're in right now.So it'll just be you know, looking
at those supplies and getting an ideaof you know, what they need for
their kit. There it's a statekit because they plan to shelter at home
or if it's their go kit,because they're going to hit the road and
evacuate to a shelter or family orfriend's house. And as you point out,
there are going to be different decisionsmade by people. Saint Petersburg is,
(02:15):
of course a city right on thewater, but there are places that
will have to evacuate and places thatwon't. We're staying in place might be
an option. So what's the overallpicture as far as the advice that you
give your residence. That's right.I mean, you're exactly right in Saint
Petersburg where a coastal city, andwe have a lot of you know,
(02:36):
our geography that will be directly impactedby flooding and storm search. But we
also have a really high area ofSaint Pete that will be a non evacuation
zone. So it's so important thatresidents they know what their risk is and
that starts with knowing your zone.So no your zone, are you in
an A, B, C,D E or a non evac So that
way, when Panel's county orders amandatory evacuation, you know what to do.
(02:58):
You know if you have to goor if you're able to stay.
And what we tell our residence isrun from the water, hide from the
wind, you know. So ifyou're in that surge zone, you should
not consider, you know, stayingbecause if you know, we've learned anything,
especially last year looking at Hurricane Ian, we don't want to stay in
those surge zones because storm surge isthe most deadly effect that you're going to
(03:20):
have from a hurricane. So youhave to know your zone and you have
to know when you need to goand when we say evacuate, you don't
have to go hundreds of miles.You don't have to leave the Bay area
or even leave the state unless that'swhat you're comfortable with in your plan.
Tens of miles is fine. Youhave to get that to that higher ground,
run from the water. Now,if you are in that non evacuation
part of Saint Petersburg, of coursethere still will be problems. You will
(03:45):
be effectively in Ireland for a fewdays, so having a lot of supplies
on hand is going to be critical. That's correct, and that's part of
doing you know, your own riskassessment. Every household is going to be
different. Even though you may bein a non evacuation, you electrically dependent
and if you are, it's probablynot the best idea to stay if you
need electricity to live, because oneof those impacts of a hurricane is electricity
(04:08):
can be knocked out for a gooda bit of time. So looking at
if you need to go to aspecial need shelter which will have that generator
power backup, or you know,maybe it is leaving the area. So
it's really looking at, you know, every situation for each household. Do
you have pets, do you havekids, or you a caregiver? What
are your responsibilities for your job,So to look at all of that together
(04:29):
to give you the holistic picture ofdo you stay, do you go?
And if you stay, what doyou need to stay? Because again lessons
learned from hurricanes and Michael, youknow it's gonna be three days, five
days, seven days potentially before youknow help really comes in and helps,
you know, deliver that water,deliver the food, and get people back
on their feet. So we tellresidents you really need to be your own
(04:51):
first responder. You need to beprepared for those first seven days with no
assistance. And what does that looklike for you? You know, what
supplies are you going to need forthose seven days? Food? Water,
pets, kids get a look atit all once again. That Hurricane Expo
is Thursday, five thirty to sevenpm at the Campbell Park Recreation Center on
(05:11):
fourteenth Street South. Amber Bowling,thank you very much for joining us on
beyond the News
Gordon Bird here with Beyond the News. Hurricane season begins Thursday, June first,
and the City of Saint Petersburg ishosting a hurricane Expo Thursday from five
to thirty two seven pm at CampbellPark Recreation Center on fourteenth Street South.
Amber Bolding runs the Office of EmergencyManagement for the City of Saint Petersburg and
(00:21):
Amber Bolding welcome to Beyond the Newsanyone. Thank you for having me.
Now you're going to be giving peopleat this event a lot of basic information.
I'm looking at your flyer for theevent. These are some of the
answers to questions that you might notthink to ask if you haven't been in
a storm. That's right. Youknow, we've had a lot of folks
(00:43):
that are moving down to the areato you know, enjoy our beautiful city
and they may not come from aplace where we've had you know, they've
had to deal with hurricanes before.So we want to make sure that we
started that basic level. You know, what are we preparing for and then
on top of that, you know, what are the impacts that we could
see and how does that help usbuild our preparedness. And finally, we
want to give you know, folksa you know, a place to start.
(01:03):
So we're going to have vendors andyou know, community partners that will
be there giving out information with theirtables as well as some things to get
their you know, own hurricane preparednesskit started. Now you're also giving out
something that I think is a greatvalue as far as a hurricane starter kit
that again is being done with thehelp of some of your vendors. What
(01:23):
are some of the items that peopleare going to receive if they attend your
expo, that's right. So whenfolks come in first, they'll be given
a bag that can be you knowused for that starter kit, and they'll
walk around and start collecting different itemsthat are community partners will be giving out.
It can be as simplest for staid kits, maybe some flashlights,
batteries, different handout set shows youknow, how to fully build your kit,
(01:49):
you know, especially taking advantage ofthe hurricane Preparedness week in tax free
week that we're in right now.So it'll just be you know, looking
at those supplies and getting an ideaof you know, what they need for
their kit. There it's a statekit because they plan to shelter at home
or if it's their go kit,because they're going to hit the road and
evacuate to a shelter or family orfriend's house. And as you point out,
there are going to be different decisionsmade by people. Saint Petersburg is,
(02:15):
of course a city right on thewater, but there are places that
will have to evacuate and places thatwon't. We're staying in place might be
an option. So what's the overallpicture as far as the advice that you
give your residence. That's right.I mean, you're exactly right in Saint
Petersburg where a coastal city, andwe have a lot of you know,
(02:36):
our geography that will be directly impactedby flooding and storm search. But we
also have a really high area ofSaint Pete that will be a non evacuation
zone. So it's so important thatresidents they know what their risk is and
that starts with knowing your zone.So no your zone, are you in
an A, B, C,D E or a non evac So that
way, when Panel's county orders amandatory evacuation, you know what to do.
(02:58):
You know if you have to goor if you're able to stay.
And what we tell our residence isrun from the water, hide from the
wind, you know. So ifyou're in that surge zone, you should
not consider, you know, stayingbecause if you know, we've learned anything,
especially last year looking at Hurricane Ian, we don't want to stay in
those surge zones because storm surge isthe most deadly effect that you're going to
(03:20):
have from a hurricane. So youhave to know your zone and you have
to know when you need to goand when we say evacuate, you don't
have to go hundreds of miles.You don't have to leave the Bay area
or even leave the state unless that'swhat you're comfortable with in your plan.
Tens of miles is fine. Youhave to get that to that higher ground,
run from the water. Now,if you are in that non evacuation
part of Saint Petersburg, of coursethere still will be problems. You will
(03:45):
be effectively in Ireland for a fewdays, so having a lot of supplies
on hand is going to be critical. That's correct, and that's part of
doing you know, your own riskassessment. Every household is going to be
different. Even though you may bein a non evacuation, you electrically dependent
and if you are, it's probablynot the best idea to stay if you
need electricity to live, because oneof those impacts of a hurricane is electricity
(04:08):
can be knocked out for a gooda bit of time. So looking at
if you need to go to aspecial need shelter which will have that generator
power backup, or you know,maybe it is leaving the area. So
it's really looking at, you know, every situation for each household. Do
you have pets, do you havekids, or you a caregiver? What
are your responsibilities for your job,So to look at all of that together
(04:29):
to give you the holistic picture ofdo you stay, do you go?
And if you stay, what doyou need to stay? Because again lessons
learned from hurricanes and Michael, youknow it's gonna be three days, five
days, seven days potentially before youknow help really comes in and helps,
you know, deliver that water,deliver the food, and get people back
on their feet. So we tellresidents you really need to be your own
(04:51):
first responder. You need to beprepared for those first seven days with no
assistance. And what does that looklike for you? You know, what
supplies are you going to need forthose seven days? Food? Water,
pets, kids get a look atit all once again. That Hurricane Expo
is Thursday, five thirty to sevenpm at the Campbell Park Recreation Center on
(05:11):
fourteenth Street South. Amber Bowling,thank you very much for joining us on
beyond the News
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