Hurricane season is now in full swing and the City of Doral is reminding everyone that the time to prepare is now.
Doral, as well as the rest of the County and State, are in the potential path of hurricanes, which is why it is imperative that residents and business owners their plans and check on hurricane supplies sooner rather than later.
With public safety the City’s utmost priority, all City departments are working diligently to provide the support you need to keep you, your family and your business safe during a state of emergency.
Pre-Storm Activities
Review your emergency kit. Make sure to have food, water (one gallon per person per day), and medicine for a minimum of three days. Visit the Public Safety page of the City website for a complete list.
Be sure to bring all front yard and backyard decorations, items, and accessories indoors to avoid the possibility of becoming flying projectiles.
Ensure that hurricane shutters are in good working order and are maintained regularly. If your home has hurricane panels, make sure all required hardware and materials are readily available and quickly accessible.
Flooding can be a major concern during a storm. The City maintains all storm water drains but make sure that if you live in a gated community, your association management maintains the storm water drains in your gated community. Ensure that all private storm drains are serviced and cleaned out to assist in alleviating standing water in roads and parking lots. Sand bags are already being prepared and will be made available for Doral residents at Doral Central Park 72 hours prior to a storm (at 3000 NW 87th Ave).
Trim your trees now, well before threat of an imminent storm to avoid having dead branches and pruned landscaping lying around that can become dangerous objects during a windstorm. Proper disposal of these items are critical to avoid property damage in a storm.
For business owners in the City, all outdoor seating and tables, along with loose signs, should be brought indoors. All heavier outside storage materials should be properly secured, as well. City Inspectors will be scoping the city for construction sites and handling out flyers informing to secure loose construction materials.
City Building Department will be available to assist customers with any hurricane permitting and inspection inquiries. For flood information visit our website: www.cityofdoral.com, under the Building tab.
Ronald Reagan-Doral Senior High School is the area’s assigned hurricane shelter, located at 8600 NW 107th Avenue in Doral – but it does not allow pets. For pets, seek out the shelter at the Tamiami Fairgrounds.
Post-Storm Activities
Thirty-five major street intersections in Doral are equipped with portable generator interface devices that allow the hook-up of portable generators for continued operation of traffic signals in case of power outages caused by a hurricane event.
In the event that your property is damaged during a storm, be aware of unlicensed contractors. Make sure to verify that all potential contractors working on your home are properly licensed, insured, and qualified by the State of Florida, and that all appropriate building permits are obtained.
The City of Doral has contractors on standby ready to assist with clean-up and debris removal on City public roads. This will allow first responders to have unimpeded access in case of emergencies. In a continued effort to protect residents and business owners, the Code Compliance Department will be aggressively investigating and enforcing all reports of illegal contracting work performed in the City.
Stay Informed
The City of Doral has the goal of keeping the residents and stakeholders informed. City staff uses various platforms to keep the public notified of hurricane emergency alerts.
City residents and business owners may sign up to receive Automated Weather Alerts through Doral Alerts. This is free of charge and the application can also be downloaded on your smart phone. These alerts are pushed out to registered participants automatically, when the National Weather Service declares inclement weather areas near registered address. Residents and business owners may signup via our website to receive these notifications.
The City of Doral uses these social media outlets to keep residents and business owners informed of any emergencies. Follow our Twitter accounts (@cityofdoral and @DoralPD) and our City Facebook page (@cityofdoral). There you can also find the link to subscribe to Doral Alerts.
For emergencies, please call 911. For Police non-emergencies, call 305-593-6699.
Additional Resources:
• http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/
• http://www.fema.gov/areyouready/
• http://www.fema.gov/national-flood-insurance-program
• http://www.fema.gov/kids/hurr.htm
• http://emergency.cdc.gov/disasters/hurricanes/index.asp
• Doral PD Hotline: 786-871-1465
• Miami-Dade Answer 311 Center
• State of Florida Emergency Information Line 800-342-3557; TTY: 800-226 4329
A full list of contact numbers can be found in the City of Doral’s website — www.cityofdoral.com, under the Resident tab.
