By Mary Thurwachter
For folks who have left the island for safer ground during a hurricane, it’s natural to get antsy about returning home to see how houses held up during the storm and to get a jump on the cleanup of fallen branches and other debris.
Not so fast, advises Lt. Chris Yannuzzi of the Ocean Ridge Police Department. You can’t just get in your car and drive across the bridge when the big winds pass. A few things have to happen first.
Police from all the island communities follow state and federal guidelines regarding evacuations, and need to get back to the island first to assess damage and make sure the roads are cleared of debris and conditions are safe for residents to return.
“We don’t stay during the hurricanes if there’s a mandatory evacuation,” Yannuzzi said, “even though the new (Ocean Ridge) Police Department was built to sustain 155 mph winds.” And before the storm, when an evacuation is called for, police will go door to door to make sure everyone knows it’s time to go.
“If they refuse to go, and we can’t force anyone to go, we give them a next-of-kin form and tell them to fill it out and put it in the freezer,” he said. “That way we know where to look if things go badly. If they need us during the storm, we won’t be there.”
If you’re in a shelter, don’t leave until emergency officials announce that it’s safe. Yannuzzi said residents should tune into local TV and radio stations to find out when authorities say it’s OK to go back to the island. Checkpoints will be set up at the bridges and at the north and south entrances to the coastal communities on A1A. Residents should have proof of residence, like a driver’s license or an insurance document, to get through the checkpoints. Before residents leave the island, police will issue placards residents can put in their cars, too. If the power is out and traffic lights don’t work, remember that all intersections must be treated as four-way stops.
After they return to their properties, islanders can begin their own assessments of damage, take photographs of any damage, place tarps on roofs where needed, remove storm debris and, if necessary, begin filing insurance claims and finding contractors to design plans for reconstruction.
Hurricane season runs from June 1 to Nov. 30.
Mary Thurwachter is a West Palm Beach freelance writer and founder/producer of INNsideFlorida.com (www.innsideflorida.com).
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