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Hurricane Season 2008 is officially upon us!
The hurricane season starts June 1st and runs through the end of November. Hurricanes in our area have occurred most often in July, August, September, and October so NOW is the time to get prepared!
Some Before/During/After Advice:
If you would be willing to be part of a communication network after a storm please contact the Consular’s Office. With many peoples e-mails down after a storm it can be really difficult to get news out regarding flights available, local conditions etc.
Before -
Be sure to locate your assigned shelter now. Note if parking is available, pets are allowed, etc. Call Protecion Civil at: 987-872-6452 for a list of the shelters or you can pick one up at the office of Protecion Civil which is now located at the Bomberos on 11th y 60 (in Cozumel) or visit:
http://ssp.qroo.gob.mx/ProtCivil/RefugiosCOZ.pdf
http://ssp.qroo.gob.mx/ProtCivil/Refugios2007/CZ.xls
Remember, things could close or become unavailable and electricity may go off. Have a stash of cash, canned foods, bottled water, flashlights, batteries, candles, a portable radio , any medications needed, fill the gas tank in your car, charge cell phones ,etc. Have bleach on hand to decontaminate flooded surfaces or cisterns.
Prepare a travel kit for use in case of evacuation to a shelter. Include all important identification documents, 2-3 days worth of clothing, medications, bedding, food, water, flashlights, etc. Put everything that could be damaged in waterproof bags. Set the refrigerator at its coldest setting in anticipation of the power failing.
Buy some solar powered lighting or batteries to set out in the sun every day to charge and use at night for light. Clean up outside - anything that could become a flying missile should be brought in or tied down. Prune any tree limbs that could be a hazard, especially those that are dead or dying. Have plywood cut; sized to your windows, ready to board up - much safer than tape, which can create daggers of glass. There is a new product available that looks to be really good protection for your windows during hurricane season:
Visit Playa del Carmen Armor Screen Hurricane Proof Protection Screens or call (984) 873 1015 for more information.
Monitor the weather news closely. In addition to TV (local cable channel 21), Radio Sol (tune to 89.9 FM or 810 AM) promises to have weather reports and announcements of evacuation orders in English this year. Emergency telephone for police assistance is 066 or 060. Red Cross ambulance is 065
Sign up to receive storm alerts by email (highly recommended) at:
http://www.palmbeachpost.com/storm/content/storm/email/
and tropical storm risk.com (http://tsr.mssl.ucl.ac.uk /)
Some other great web resources:
http://www.redcross.org/news/ds/0305hurricane/
http://www.redcross.org/services/disaster/0,1082,0_564_,00.html
http://www.redcross.org/services/disaster/0,1082,0_563_,00.html
http://www.bt.cdc.gov/disasters/hurricanes/index.asp
http://www.fda.gov/consumer/updates/hurricane052307.html (Food and medication storage info - very helpful)
http://www.weather.com/
http://weatherunderground.com/tropical/ (Good tracking maps and strike possibilities at this one)
http://weather.cnn.com/weather/
Close and secure gas tanks. Close water supply at intake to prevent possible contamination from flooding. Once your home is secure, go to a shelter if your home is on the coastline, likely to flood, or cannot withstand strong winds. Leave food and water for pets on as high a surface as they can reach, in case of flooding. If you can, leave a window cracked open to keep wind pressure from building up. If you leave your home, turn off the electricity from the breakers before you leave.
During -
If there is lightning, stay off the phone to avoid being shocked. Stay indoors and away from windows. The smallest room in your house is the safest. A closet or a doorway frame is the strongest point. Don't be tempted to go out until you get an all clear. If there is a lull, it may just be the middle (eye) of the storm. Above all - Stay calm.
After -
Do not return to your home until advised to do so by authorities. Roads may be closed or unsafe. Water may be contaminated. Live wires may be exposed. Do not step in water; there may be live electrical wires, broken glass or other hazards.
As soon as you are able notify your loved ones that you are okay, but after that, use the phone only for emergencies, leave the phone lines open for others.
Most important - stay calm, stay safe - Cozumel has a lot of natural protection from storms (and Playa del Carmen had a lot of protection from Cozumel)and with some preparation on your part, we can all get through another season safely - Despite rumors to the contrary, we all survived Wilma , so the rest should be a cake walk!
You can always find the latest information on the family of US government websites:
Pueblo.gsa.gov, USA.gov, ConsumerAction.gov, Kids.gov, and GovGab.gov
Anne Harris USCA - Cozumel
Cell: 044-987-876-0624 (for emergencies only please)
Office phone: 987- 872-4574
Hours 12:00-2:00 PM M-F
Location: Villa Mar Mall in the Main Plaza (behind Fat Tuesdays), 2nd floor right rear, across from Cozumel On Line.
E-mail:
This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it
Fax:987- 872-6662
http://merida.usconsulate.gov/index.html
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