The county is hosting a 30-minute show on preparing for a disaster that will live stream at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 5. The show is part of the county's successful eSeries that discusses aspects of emergency preparedness.  "The series has been really successful. It's given people a whole new way to learn about hurricane preparedness. People are going on the site and watching the videos at their leisure. That's working out well," said Mary Burrell, county spokesperson. In this segment of eSeries, host Tom Iovino will interview Bryan Koon, Florida’s Emergency Management director, to talk about…

ST. PETERSBURG – Hurricane Irene did not make a direct hit on Florida, but the storm delayed about 11,300 child support checks to families across the state. The Pinellas County Clerk of the Circuit Court reassured families Wednesday that their child support checks are in the mail. County courts in Florida received notice Friday that there was a delay. The payments were held up, when the Pennsylvania facility that prints the checks for the Florida Department of Revenue was closed due to flooding caused by Irene. High waters shut down businesses and roads in some areas of Pennsylvania. The …

Taking steps to protect your boat from storms and hurricanes can help lessen damage from violent storms. I spoke with Harbormaster Denis Frain with the Gulfport Marina. “Preparation is very important,” he says.  During hurricanes, boats can sink and many end up stranded on land. Experts advise owners to check policies for recovery costs. You may also want to know if personal belongings are covered. You can remove your boat from the water, or choose to tie it up at a marina. Most experts however, discourage boat owners from leaving boats on lifts or on storage racks as they can topple over. …

Forecasters are monitoring a potential tropical cyclone in the Gulf of Mexico that could could create a cloudy, rainy holiday weekend for Gulfport and the Tampa Bay area.The trough of low pressure lingering south of Louisiana has a 70 percent chance of developing into a tropical cyclone by Saturday afternoon, according to the National Weather Service in Ruskin. Forecast models suggest the system, if it forms, will remain west of the bay area, with the center off the Texas coast by Labor Day on Monday. But the closer the storm ends up to Florida, the more clouds and rain for the weekend, …

As what’s left of Hurricane Irene continues to batter the Northeast, Gulfport residents may be wondering what they can do to help out. At this point, cash donations can do the most good, said Janet McGuire, spokeswoman for the American Red Cross Tampa Bay Chapter. “Donate to the disaster relief (fund),” she said. While residents can designate their donations for a specific event, such as Hurricane Irene, she advises against this. “People don’t understand” if they donate to a specific disaster, the money is locked in for that disaster. That means if something else happens – even in the exact …

Hurricane Irene brought a breeze to the Tampa Bay area on Thursday, and that breeze is expected to continue with noticeable gusts today as the Category 2 hurricane chugs up the coast. The National Hurricane Center in Miami reports that tropical-storm-force winds now extend up to 290 miles from the center of the storm. The Tampa Bay area sits outside that reach, but the local seven-day forecast from the National Weather Service still calls for elevated winds through Sunday, with gusts of up to 24 mph. Irene is currently located off the east coast of Florida and is expected to move north of the…

Hurricane Irene appears to be bypassing Florida, bringing a sigh of relief to many beach residents. For those who wait for the last minute to rush out for supplies, Irene's near miss should remind everyone of the importance of early hurricane preparation. It is important to remember that hurricane preparedness is more than just having extra water, batteries and candles. Your house should also ready to withstand a storm. Making sure your home is structurally strong enough to withstand even a moderate storm is necessary but can be expensive as well. For those who live on the beach, especially …

That breeze in the air is Hurricane Irene blowing past Florida on its way up the East Coast.  The storm moved through the central Bahamas on Wednesday and is picking up speed and strength in the Atlantic Ocean as it churns toward the Carolinas. The latest forecast track from the National Hurricane Center in Miami projects Irene will make landfall in coastal North Carolina on Saturday afternoon, and a hurricane watch has been issued for the area. Even though Irene is bypassing Florida, tropical-storm-force winds are extending up to 255 miles from the center of the storm, according to the …

Hurricane Irene is expected to skirt Florida on Thursday and Friday as it heads up the East Coast, according to the latest forecast model from the National Hurricane Center in Miami.  The Tampa Bay area was placed in the five-day forecast cone on Monday morning. Newer forecasts from the National Weather Service have moved Irene's track farther east. Still, the Bay area could receive heavy rain and wind from the storm at the end of the week, with local seven-day forecasts currently calling for scattered thunderstorms and gusting wind on Thursday and Friday.  Irene, a Category 1 hurricane, is …

There's a reason the corridor between Tampa Bay and Titusville is known as Lightning Alley. It experiences the most lightning in the United States annually, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and 90 percent of those strikes occur between May and October, generally between noon and midnight.  According to NOAA, “on average, lightning is responsible for more weather-related deaths in Florida than all other weather hazards combined, and Florida has the highest number of lightning casualties of all 50 states.” Lightning is the result of a complex process related to …

For the first time this season a tropical storm has Florida in its possible path, though forecasters say it’s far too early to tell if the state will stay in the storm’s sights. Tropical Storm Emily, the season’s fifth named storm, formed Monday near the island of Dominica and is expected to move to the west northwest at about 12 mph the next few days. National Hurricane Center forecasters expect the storm to make a more northerly swing later in the week and head up the United States coast by the weekend. Though forecasts don’t call for Emily to become the year’s first hurricane, the storm …

Even if a hurricane or tropical storm is not headed your way right now, it's wise to prepare, stock up on materials, inventory your valuables and double check your insurance coverage now. Securing your home can lesson damage and help save money in the event of a catastrophe. According to My Safe Florida Home's website, four hurricanes in 2004 resulted in 1.66 million insurance claims totaling more than $20 billion in insured losses. That's an average claim of $20,000. The statics show that one in every five homes in Florida was damaged, according to the website. My Safe Florida Home posted a …

In an ongoing effort to arm you with important information during hurricane season, this week, Patch has chosen to address flooding. We scoured websites and talked with city officials. The result is a compilation of facts and tips from the experts including the City of Gulfport’s Principal Planner, FEMA, EPA. Pinellas County and the Centers for Disease Control. We also encourage you post your own tips for surviving a flood.   Although our moniker is “The Sunshine State”, Florida has sustained her share of damage from tropical storms and flash floods. Here are some flood facts: even an inch of…

Gulfport Fire Chief James Marenkovic says he knows all too well the importance of having a plan and executing it to keep residents in Gulfport safe. Marenkovic says the department braced for Mother Nature’s wrath during the 2004 and 2005 hurricane seasons. “We really thought we were going to be losing lives,” Marenkovic says. In August 2004, Hurricane Charley was predicted to have a direct hit on Tampa Bay. The Gulfport Fire Department helped evacuate citizens, aid with shelters and continue to answer emergency calls including downed power lines in the city. “All the shelters were full, we …

As part of our ongoing hurricane coverage, this week’s column addresses pet preparedness. Finding a spot for your pet can be stressful and choices are limited. That’s why local and county experts urge you to plan ahead. “There’s no time like the present,” said James Marenkovic, Gulfport’s Fire Chief. Pinellas County offers three shelters through its Animal Services Division. They are: Oak Grove Middle School 1370 S. Belcher Road, Clearwater Thurgood Marshall Middle School 3901 22nd Ave. S., St. Petersburg Dunedin Middle School 70 Patricia Ave., Dunedin Pinellas County residents must pre-…

“We were ready to go, and then it turned,” Sgt. Robert Burkhart said. Hurricane Charley In August 2004, the Tampa Bay area braced for Hurricane Charley. Forecasters predicted a direct hit just north of Tampa. Emergency officials in the area including the Gulfport Police Department readied for landfall. Then, two hours before landfall, the Category 4 hurricane turned, catching many communities off guard. The hurricane hit several counties including Sarasota, Charlotte, Lee and Collier. The eyewall ripped through these areas, causing intense damage to entire neighborhoods. Charlotte County …

Inside the Osceola High School gym on Wednesday morning, a woman passed out on the floor and needed medical assistance. Minutes later a fight nearly broke out between two women who were having a heated verbal dispute. Outside the gym a group of angry citizens stormed the doors and demanded to be let in immediately. A sheriff’s deputy had to intervene to calm the disturbance. Was this some kind of parent revolt over their student’s final report card, a tense meeting involving the school board, or a Justin Bieber concert ticket drop? Turns out the pandemonium was part of Operation MedStock, a …

With hurricane season already underway, Patch is hard at work sifting through information for what experts predict will be an active season. This week, we’re offering information for those who may have special needs, which is defined as those who may require assistance during emergency evacuations. Being prepared and crafting an emergency plan ahead of time, are vital steps toward maintaining independence. Register: The first thing you should do is register as a special needs citizen with the Pinellas County Emergency Management.  You can download and print a hard copy form of the required …

Don't wait until a hurricane is headed your way to figure out an evacuation plan. Determining your evacuation zone, nearest shelters and hotels only takes a couple of minutes with the resources from the Pinellas County Emergency Management team and website.  Know Your Zone Pinellas County has five evacuation zones:  A (Red) - Potential surge is 4 to 8 feet. B (Orange) - Potential surge is 8 to 14 feet. C (Yellow) - Potential surge is 14 to 19 feet. D (Green) - Potential surge is 19 to 26 feet. E (Purple) - Potential surge is 26 to 29 feet. To find out what evacuation zone you live in, enter …

The Great Tampa Bay Hurricane crashed into St. Pete Beach and changed Pinellas County geography 90 years ago. The storm brought with it a 12 foot storm surge and actually separated St. Pete Beach from Treasure Island, creating the Blind Pass channel in October 1921. Officials from the Pinellas County Emergency Operations Center aren’t going as far as predicting another major storm like that will hit this county this year, but they do want residents to be prepared for the worst while hoping for the best. “People think we’re never going to get hit by another hurricane again. So the concern we’…