5 Things Land O’ Lakes Residents Need To Know About Hurricanes

Just because Land O’ Lakes doesn’t sit on the coast, doesn’t mean area residents don’t need to take the 2011 hurricane season seriously, say Pasco County emergency planners. While some of the instructions are different for inland residents, there is still a need to prepare.

Here are five things Land O’ Lakes residents might want to keep in mind this hurricane season:

1. There are no major evacuation zones in Land O’ Lakes – The central part of Pasco County is out of the storm surge danger zone. With that in mind, there are no mandatory evacuation zones here.
2. Residents in manufactured homes may need to evacuate anyway – There is an exception to the evacuation zone for those in manufactured and mobile homes. These residents should have plans on where to go if a storm strikes. They should also pay attention to the news for evacuation orders.
3. Residents will be asked to shelter in place – Pasco County emergency managers want to keep as many residents off the roads as possible. This means anyone in Land O’ Lakes in a site-built home will be asked to stay put, said Jim Martin, the county’s director of emergency management. Those residents should also consider housing friends from other parts of the county if a big storm does hit. “We want everybody off the roads before the winds get to 40 mph sustained,” Martin said.
4. There’s still a need to prepare – Even in Central Pasco, the winds could get high, power lines could be knocked down and tornadoes may form. With those things in mind, Martin recommends preparing a home for a storm and putting together a disaster kit complete with food, water, prescription medications and other necessities. Having a designated safe room without windows is also a good idea.
5. There are several shelters in the Land O’ Lakes area – If there is a need to leave home, Land O’ Lakes residents will find public shelters at Connerton, Pine View, Oakstead and Denham Oaks elementary schools and Sunlake High Schoo. Shelters, Martin said, should be a last resort.

For other hurricane preparedness tips, visit pascoemergencymanagement.org or check out other Land O’ Lakes Patch Hurricane Guide stories.

Hurricane season runs June 1 through Nov. 30.