No Murder Hornets But Other Disasters Listed In Mitigation Plan

HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, FL — If the year 2020 has taught Hillsborough County residents anything, it's to be prepared for anything to happen.

With that in mind, Hillsborough County, the cities of Tampa, Temple Terrace and Plant City, and several community partners have collaborated over the past year to develop the 2020-2025 Local Mitigation Strategy, the county's all-hazards guide to mitigate the consequence of high-probability natural disasters and less likely but potential threats to the community.

It also includes mitigation techniques that residents, businesses and local governments may implement to help lessen the risks.

Hillsborough County hosted a virtual public information meeting on June 16 to provide the community with information about the LMS and an overview of the potential risks they could possibly face while living in Hillsborough County. Staff addressed questions from participants and invited viewers to provide input via an anonymous survey.

While murder hornets, a giant Asian hornet that's turned up in the Pacific Northwest, posing as a menace to North America’s honeybees, are not listed in the 2020-2025 strategy, examples of threats considered in the mitigation plan include:

• Coastal erosion
• Hurricanes
• Flooding
• Extreme heat
• Sinkholes
• Thunderstorms
• Lightning
• Tornados
• Wild fires
• Drought

Currently, the county is focusing on hurricane season, which launched June 1 and continues through Nov. 30, with August and September traditionally the most active months.

The county is urging residents to fill out the Hillsborough County Hurricane Preparedness anonymous survey, offered in English and Spanish, to measure respondents' attitudes about a variety of factors related to hurricane season and disaster preparedness.

According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, this year is expected to be 40 percent more active than past storm seasons and, coinciding with the coronavirus pandemic, residents will need to prepare now more than ever before, according to county officials.

County officials will use information from the survey as they continue preparations for hurricane season in Hillsborough County. The data will be analyzed based upon a number of factors, including demographic and geographic information, to gain perspectives that reflect the county's diverse makeup. The survey is open to all residents of Hillsborough County, including Tampa, Temple Terrace, and Plant City.