Palmetto Bay’s Hurricane Preparedness Workshop on Saturdayl June 3l attracted residents despite rainy weather.
Taking place at Village Hall from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., the event originally was intended to be set up in the plaza outside but intermittent showers brought the tables for information providers into the lobby of the building.
Leaflets and booklets about keeping pets safe, operating generators, what to do during a storm, securing construction sites, cleanup before a storm, important phone numbers to keep handy, pool safety and information on mosquitoes and the Zika virus were provided. Vendor displays by FPL, a solar power company, roofing and other companies helped residents learn additional storm readiness facts.
Village Mayor Eugene Flinn and Councilmember Karyn Cunningham provided welcoming remarks to the approximately 80 people attending the presentation in the council chambers. They then introduced NOAA’s Science and Operations Officer, Kevin Scharfenberg, who spoke about the impact of Hurricane Andrew and other past storms and the importance of not taking them for granted.
At noon there was a video, FIU remembers Hurricane Andrew, and at 1 p.m. CBS4 Miami Chief Meteorologist and Emmy Awar-winner Craig Setzer addressed the audience on the topic, “Hurricanes and South Florida, is this the year?”
Mayor Flinn said he thought the workshop went well.
“This is another flashback,” the mayor said. “They always talk about when you hear chainsaws and helicopters you flashback to Hurricane Andrew. This is a pleasant flashback. I remember the initial ones we had with Commissioner [Katy] Sorensen, with neighboring Mayor Paul Vrooman.
“These are great. It’s time to get together, assess, prepare and make sure you’re ready for this upcoming hurricane season. I remember the debris piles after hurricanes Wilma and Katrina too, so being prepared is important.”
Councilmember Cunningham said she was pleased with the event.
“I really feel great. This is the third annual hurricane preparedness workshop in recent years. We started as a town hall meeting. In spite of the weather, people came out to get educated on being prepared. I think it’s super important because there is a general sense of complacency as time passes.
“I remember Hurricane Andrew vividly and it was extremely scary, but time dulls those edges and it’s important to keep this on the forefront, especially since Kevin Scharfenberg said it’s going to be an active year,” Cunningham added.
Joseph Bier, a resident, said it was the first hurricane preparedness workshop he had attended in Palmetto Bay.
“I’m a property manager so I’m familiar with these kinds of events, but here in the village it’s the first time I’ve participated,” Bier said. “I think it’s very helpful. The turnout is very good. I’m a Hurricane Andrew survivor so I know how bad it can get. I congratulate our council, especially Karyn Cunningham, our District 1 council member, and the village staff for organizing this. They did an amazing job. It was reassuring to hear from the mayor that the village is ready.”
The event also featured music and hot dogs, chips and sodas for the attendees, between presentations and rain showers.
At the end of the workshop the raffle tickets that had been given out to attendees were placed in a bowl and Setzer drew one. Winner of a gasoline-powered emergency generator furnished by the village was Kristina Cunetta.
She was excited about winning.
“I think it’s awesome,” Cunetta said. “I’ve lived in Palmetto Bay since 1989, went through Andrew, and I’m really happy to win this. I’ll put it to great use. I think everyone should come out to these events and learn — they need to know.”
