Hurricane Irma Morning Update Sept 7
Hurricane Irma is about 900 miles away from the Treasure Coast. Irma is a strong Category 5 storm now with maximum sustained winds of 180mph
Do NOT start trimming trees
Regular yard waste pickup is scheduled for the rest of the week, but crews likely will not have enough time to pick up any extra loads as they try to clear the streets ahead of Irma. Any extra yard waste that is not picked up in Port St Lucie can be brought to McChesney Park on Cashmere Blvd, and Lyngate Park on Lyngate Drive. Waste trucks will be available at each location to pick up yard waste and trash from 7:30am until 4pm today and tomorrow. Hazardous waste will not be accepted.
Sandbags
Sandbags are going to be available starting today on a first come, first serve basis. Residents can go to the Port St Lucie Public Works Compound on Thornhill Drive starting this morning at 10am, and will be handed out while supplies last. There is a limit of 10 bags per vehicle. Sandbags are also available in Martin County at the South Side of SE Aviation Way. You have to bag it yourself, and there is a limit of 25 per person.
Martin County Shelters
At this time no shelters in Martin County are open.We think that five general shelters plus a special needs shelter will soon open.
Martin County residents with special needs are highly encouraged to pre-register with the county before the shelters are activated, and you can do that online. When evacuation orders are issued within the county, registrants are contacted and advised regarding transportation details. Friends and family of those in need of this service should help to assist with online registration. The website to go to is Martin dot FL dot US slash Special Needs. Only service animals are allowed in the shelters, regular pets are not allowed.
However, the Humane Society of the Treasure Coast currently has availability to shelter pets should evacuations be ordered. If you want to take advantage of the service, register online at HSTC1 dot org slash disaster, or in person at the Humane Society of the Treasure Coast on Leighton Farm Avenue in Palm City.
From Martin Department of Health.
The Florida Department of Health in Martin County is reminding residents about health risks associated with the aftermath of a storm. Flooding that occurs after the hurricane may contain raw sewage. If you have open cuts or sores that are exposed to floodwaters, keep them as clean as possible by washing them with soap and disinfected or boiled water.
Do not eat any food that may have come into contact with water from floods or tidal surges, as they could be contaminated. Food in a fridge is only safe for up to four hours after the power goes out. Food in a fridge without power for longer than four hours should be thrown out.
And carbon monoxide poisoning is all too common after a storm. Do not burn charcoal or gas grills inside a house, only use in a well ventilated area. Never use a generator indoors. Even ventilated areas can build up a deadly level of CO. You cannot see or smell carbon monoxide, so a battery-operated or battery back-up CO alarm is critical.
Important Numbers
Here are some important numbers and websites to remember during the storm.
The Martin County Emergency Operations Center has activated their citizen rumor control hotline. The number is 772-287-1652. It will be open from 8am until 6pm until Friday when it will be operational around the clock.
You can also get information at Martin dot FL dot US slash hurricane.
The City of Port St Lucie also has a hotline. That number is 772-873-6397. There is also a website, City of PSL dot com slash Irma, where information will be updated frequently, including a list of area gas stations with fuel available.
Residents of Fort Pierce can check out City of Fort Pierce dot com for updates. The St Lucie County information hotline is 772-460-HELP.
DON’T PANIC IF YOU SEE PLASTIC BAGS ON GAS PUMPS
MILLER SAYS BECAUSE ALL THE PORTS AND HIGHWAYS ARE STILL OPEN, TANKERS WILL BE ABLE TO GET TO STATIONS THAT HAVE RUN OUT. SAME FOR WATER AND OTHER SUPPLIES. Retailers are also moving quickly to fill the shelves.
Home Depot Spokesman Matt Harrigan says they started over this past weekend… and have 300 truckloads of supplies on the way to Florida.
Free Xfinity
Comcast will offer free Xfinity WiFi service across Florida to help residents and emergency personnel during Irma. Comcast will open more than 137,000 Xfinity WiFi hot spots throughout the state for anyone who needs them, including non-Xfinity customers.
Residents can visit Xfinity.com/wifi for both indoor and outdoor hotspot locations. People in range of the hot spot can select the “Xfinitywifi” network name and be automatically connected in the future.
Xfinity customers can sign in with their usernames and passwords for automatic connection.
Non-Xfinity internet subscribers should visit the “Not an Xfinity Internet Customer” section on the sign-in page. From there, non-customers will be able to renew their complimentary sessions every 2 hours through Sept. 15.
BULLETIN Hurricane Irma Advisory Number 33 NWS National Hurricane Center Miami FL AL112017 500 AM AST Thu Sep 07 2017 ...EYE OF IRMA MOVING WEST-NORTHWESTWARD OFF THE NORTHERN COAST OF THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC... SUMMARY OF 500 AM AST...0900 UTC...INFORMATION ---------------------------------------------- LOCATION...20.0N 68.3W ABOUT 95 MI...155 KM N OF PUNTA CANA DOMINICAN REPUBLIC ABOUT 210 MI...335 KM ESE OF GRAND TURK ISLAND MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS...180 MPH...285 KM/H PRESENT MOVEMENT...WNW OR 290 DEGREES AT 17 MPH...28 KM/H MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE...921 MB...27.20 INCHES
The Government of the Bahamas has issued a Hurricane Warning for the Northwestern Bahamas.
A Hurricane Warning is in effect for... * Dominican Republic from Cabo Engano to the northern border with Haiti * Haiti from the northern border with the Dominican Republic to Le Mole St. Nicholas * Southeastern Bahamas and the Turks and Caicos Islands * Central Bahamas * Northwestern Bahamas A Hurricane Watch is in effect for... * Cuba from Matanzas province eastward to Guantanamo province A Tropical Storm Warning is in effect for... * Dominican Republic from south of Cabo Engano westward to the southern border with Haiti * Haiti from south of Le Mole St. Nicholas to Port-Au-Prince * Cuba provinces of Guantanamo, Holguin, and Las Tunas
