East Volusia, FL-2020 New Smyrna Beach

NATURAL DISASTERS

Tornado Warning A funnel cloud has been sighted in the area and may have contacted the ground. Preparation Plan ahead what you will do and where you will go. A family disaster plan is a must: • Obtain a NOAA weather alert radio. • Build a disaster supply kit. • Designate a “safe area” in the center of your home away from windows. • Evacuate if in a mobile or manufactured home to a site built facility. • Leave your car and seek permanent shelter. • If trapped outside, seek shelter in a ditch or depression in the terrain. Volusia County Emergency Management 386-258-4088 • 386-736-5980 386-423-3395 Floods Important Information for Residents and Property Owners Regarding the Risk of Floods in Volusia County For the majority of the county, the primary caus- es of flooding are tropical systems and afternoon thunderstorms, which generally occur from June to November. Certain areas of Volusia County are low-lying and subject to flooding from rising wa- ter. Specific areas include the Northern Peninsu- la, property adjacent to the St. Johns and Halifax Rivers, the Stone Island area, and south east por- tions of the County including Edgewater, New Smyrna Beach, and Oak Hill. Stormwater runoff occurs in many locations and may cause flooding. This problem has recently become more critical because of development in areas subject to urban flooding. Many homeowners and businesses do not carry flood insurance, which can result in high uninsured losses. Everyone in Florida Volusia County Emergency Management works with our cities, towns, the National Weather Service, the Na- tional Hurricane Center, and the State Department of Emergency Management to monitor flood and storm threats and to advise the community accordingly. Warning systems include a community-wide emergen- cy telephone notification system, Brighthouse emer- gency alert systems, Doppler radar, and the Emergen- cy Alert System. Flood Safety Measures Do not walk through flowing water. Drowning is the number one cause of flood deaths. Currents can be deceptive; six inches of running water can sweep you off your feet. Do not drive through flooded areas. More people drown in their cars than anywhere else. Stay away from power lines and electrical wires. The number two killer after floods is electrocution. Electric current can, and does, travel through water. Report downed power lines to your electric utility. is at risk from flood waters. Flood Warning System

Flood Insurance For most people, their home and its contents repre- sent their single greatest investment. Property losses due to flooding are not covered under most standard homeowners insurance policies. You can protect your home and its contents with a Flood Insurance Policy from the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). To find out more about flood insurance for property and its contents, contact your insurance agent. There is a 30-day waiting period from the time of application until Grass clippings, tree limbs, soil erosion, overgrown vegetation and other debris adversely impact the carrying and storage capacity of drainage systems. Flooding occurs more frequently and reaches higher elevations, subjecting property to more flood risk, when drainage systems are clogged. Per County ordi- nance, it is illegal to dump trash and debris into drain- age ways. If you experience localized drainage prob- lems, notify your Public Works Department so that the problem can be corrected. you obtain the flood insurance you need. Drainage System Maintenance Important Numbers Volusia County Emergency Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 386-258-4088 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 386-736-5980 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 386-423-3395 Citizens Information Center (CIC) (Only During a Disaster) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-866-345-0345 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 248-1792 (TDD) Shelter Transportation: VOTRAN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 386-322-5100 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 386-943-7050 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 386-424-6810 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 386-226-7852 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 386-943-7626 Directions to Shelters in Adjacent Counties Brevard County. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 321-637-6670 Flagler County. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 386-586-5111 Lake County . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 352-343-9420 Putnam County. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 386-329-0379 Seminole County. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 407-665-5102 Volusia County Animal Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 248-1790 For More Information Visit Our Web Site . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.volusia.org/emergency Directions to Shelters in Volusia County: Volusia County School District

Wildfires

When wildfire threatens • Listen to the news media or your NOAA Weather Alert radio for emergency messages to learn where the danger is. • If told to evacuate, DO SO IMMEDIATELY. • Tell someone you are leaving and where you are going. • Choose a route away from fire hazards and listen to public safety officials. Remember, the most important thing you can do is to prepare your family and your home before the unthinkable happens. • Have an escape plan. • Update your insurance annually. • Trim trees and create a defendable space around your home. For more information, contact your local fire department. (See page 1 of your phone book for listings.) Building A Disaster Resistant Community Volusia Prepares is a community-wide effort to re- duce the impact of natural and man-made disasters on Volusia County through pre-disaster planning and preparation. Businesses, community groups, government agencies and citizens are working together to help identify haz- ards and vulnerabilities within their neighborhoods and to make their homes and workplaces safer. Education- al programs, personal and business disaster planning, and information on home projects that can be done when remodeling are available. For more information, please contact Volusia County Emergency Management at a telephone number listed on this page. Preparedness – it’s not an idea but a Florida lifestyle! Preparing For Tornadoes Tornadoes are a violently rotating column of air attached to a thunderstorm and in contact with the ground. They are classified as weak (EF0-EF1), strong (EF2-EF3), and violent (EF4-EF5). Florida typically experiences tornadoes in the EF0 through EF2 range. No place is completely safe from a tornado, but you can lessen the impact on you and your family. Tornado Watch Tornadic winds are imminent in the area. Hail, frequent lightning, dark wall clouds, a dark often greenish sky and a loud roar similar to a freight train characterize tornadoes.

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