Priorities for Tallahassee after Irma.
There was almost no place in the state where Floridians could hide from Hurricane Irma. The storm has passed, but more tropical systems are looming, and the state’s leaders can’t hide from the realities that Irma exposed.
State officials on Monday put the official death toll from Irma and its aftermath at 34 spread over 16 counties, and the total didn’t yet include at least 17 additional deaths linked to the storm. Property damage is expected to exceed the $25 billion done by Hurricane Wilma in 2005; it could approach the $46 billion inflation-adjusted figure from Hurricane Andrew in 1992.
More than 6 million people were ordered to evacuate to escape Irma. Millions more left voluntarily. Millions of Floridians lost power, and waited days to get it restored. Some are still waiting.
Billions in relief will come from the federal government. Long-term, however, the responsibility for preparing for super storms begins with Floridians and their leaders. Priorities for Tallahassee include:
An independent, post-hurricane review of how the state’s major
utilities fared. Are widespread outages unavoidable with a storm like Hurricane Irma, or could more be done to harden the grid or at least speed up the pace of power restoration? Should backup power systems be more widely required for critical infrastructure? More than ever, Florida’s economy and the well being of its residents and visitors depend on keeping lights, computers and air conditioners on. Storms are a threat to anticipate, but cyber attacks are, too. Greater protections for Florida’s most vulnerable residents. Eight elderly people died after spending three days without air conditioning following Irma in a Hollywood nursing home. Executives from the nursing home, Florida Power & Light and Gov. Rick Scott pointed fingers at each other, but this heartbreaking tragedy wouldn’t have happened if the Legislature had passed a bill in 2006 requiring all nursing homes and assisted-living facilities to have enough backup power to maintain air conditioning. On Saturday Scott issued an emergency rule to require generators at nursing homes and ALFs, but that rule expires in 90 days. It will take legislative action to make it permanent.
Contingency plans for mass evacuations along Interstate 95, the
Florida Turnpike, Interstate 75 and Interstate 10. This would include fuel supplies and generators at turnpike rest stops, generators at interstate rest stops and more northbound lanes when the traffic slows to a crawl. Florida’s senior U.S. senator, Democrat Bill Nelson, has called on the federal government to create a gasoline reserve in the state to prevent shortages during hurricanes. This is more likely to happen if state leaders also take up the call.
A return of the My Safe Florida Home program. For three years after the 2004 and 2005 storm seasons, the program offered 400,000 free wind inspections to homeowners. The inspections showed owners how they could strengthen their homes and earn insurance discounts.
For cities and counties, the priority is a review of how their water and sewer systems functioned — or didn’t. In Central Florida, homes were ruined by flooding or sewer backups in some neighborhoods. Local governments can’t control the pace of power restoration, but they can make floods less likely by ensuring that stormwater systems have adequate capacity and maintenance.
Even after Irma, it’s tempting to downplay the need for a big response from government leaders. Florida recovered following Charley, Frances, Ivan and Jeanne in 2004 and Wilma in 2005. But given the loss of life and property and billions of dollars in economic damage — not to mention the hardships and misery endured by millions of Floridians — it would be unconscionable for leaders to do nothing. Scientists warn that climate change will make future storms stronger and more damaging.
Irma could have been much worse if not for changes in its path that allowed Florida’s biggest cities to escape a direct hit. State leaders should act as if Florida won’t be as lucky next time.