A Hurricane Irma report card on who delivered, and who didn’t during storm.
Hurricane Irma brought out the best and worst in South Florida. Its ferocious winds and pelting rains tested our preparedness. Its lingering power outages test our patience. And while heartened by stories of neighbors helping neighbors, we’re horrified th
Gov. Rick Scott: The governor did a great job sounding the alarm early and often about the threats posed by Hurricane Irma. He declared a state of emergency that commanded attention, including in Washington. He hit a drumbeat of warnings to those in evacuation zones and everyone else who needed to prepare. He waived tolls and lifted regulations. He quickly visited hardest-hit areas to focus relief efforts and share information. And when his iPad gave him fits and he spoke from the heart, he presented not only as a leader, but a likable leader. Gov. Rick Scott: Unlike his predecessors, the governor kept reporters from listening to twice-daily briefings from emergency operations officials, preferring to control the information and communicate everything himself. His tight rein on information about trouble spots — flooded roads, search-and-rescue operations, gas deliveries — kept you from getting spin-free information in real time. A photo of reporters with ears pressed to the command center’s window is a bad optic for a governor who talks about transparency. It’s also disappointing that he refuses to acknowledge climate change and the threat warmer waters pose for making hurricanes more powerful and frequent. President Donald Trump: The president promised Gov. Scott “all the federal resources” needed to fix the damage of Irma, a big and welcome promise. But when he arrived in Naples to survey the damage, Trump’s words failed to soothe. He spoke of “such a small number” of people killed and then encouraged Scott to run for the U.S. Senate. We wanted a president in that moment, not a politician. Television forecasters: For all of Hurricane Irma’s wobbles and shifts, weather forecasters gave us fair warning about a storm expected to be bigger and badder than anything we’d ever seen. And though you can criticize TV reporters’ risk-taking, absent such images, some people might not understand the threat. Spaghetti models: Yes, computer models and the forecast “cone” provided much-needed warnings. But days of shifting “spaghetti” models was enough to make us swear off pasta. And what’s with that “vaunted European model?” Why did Europe develop the vaunted model? Florida Power & Light: The state’s largest power company was ready for the storm, staging crews to respond quickly once Irma passed. Its linemen worked day and night alongside crews from 30 states. Compared to Hurricane Wilma, it restored power to a greater number of people faster. And in recent years, it replaced vulnerable wooden poles with sturdier concrete poles — plus other upgrades — to harden the network.
FPL: Given that FPL spent $3 billion to strengthen the system, it was surprising to see the breadth of East Coast outages caused by mostly tropical storm-force winds, with occasional Category 1 hurricane gusts. Also, the company’s website and mobile app performed poorly. FPL should listen to its customers and rethink how it communicates when power might be restored. It also should put nursing homes and schools on the priority list for power restoration. Rehabilitation Center at Hollywood Hills: The nursing home where eight residents died is the poster child for emergency mismanagement and regulatory failure. How could its personnel not realize — and do something about — the peril facing their patients? There’s a hospital across the street, for heaven’s Memorial Regional Hospital ER staff: Kudos to Memorial’s emergency room team for demanding that attention be paid to the nursing home across the street after three of its patients arrived in distress. They surely saved lives. Florida Legislature:
Sweltering conditions pose health risks for elderly patients, yet state lawmakers refuse to require nursing homes to have back-up generators that power air conditioners. The eight deaths in Hollywood are a testament to the power of the nursing home lobby and the failure of the Florida Legislature.
Broward evacuations: Several mayors have criticized Broward County for ordering a mandatory evacuation of all homes and businesses east of U.S. 1. They say the call was made too soon and the zone was too big. Their criticism deserves examination. Evacuations should be based on science, not the curve of a road. Broward County: The county’s emergency management team provided text messages, robocalls and emails for those who signed up for alerts. And did you notice how few traffic lights came down? Those black mast-arms are expensive, but they’re a real improvement over cablehung signals. If only their lights stayed powered. Broward Mayor Barbara Sharief:
The mayor was Broward’s face of the storm on national television and at twice-daily press conferences. She projected confidence and provided useful information to help people prepare, evacuate where required and reach shelters when needed. But she also created confusion about the number of evacuees and by saying 100 mph winds would arrive Saturday afternoon between 3 and 4 p.m., when the National Weather Service forecast such winds for Sunday night. Mayors and law enforcement also say Sharief failed to alert them to the evacuation order. And the day of the storm — the most critical day of all — she provided no briefings. Sens. Bill Nelson and Marco Rubio:
How nice to see Florida’s senators become bipartisan buddies, if only temporarily. They visited storm victims in the Keys, passed out food in Belle Glade and called for federal aid to fix everything from storm-damaged bridges to crippled cell phone service. If only it didn’t take a natural disaster for Democrats and Republicans to work together. South Florida drivers: Look, folks. When a traffic light is out, you’re supposed to treat the intersection like a four-way stop. Some of us did, and felt good about ourselves. But too many thought that if the car in front of you goes, you go, too. The key point of a four-way stop is to stop and wait your turn. No honking required. First responders: Police officers and sheriff ’s deputies across the region guarded our homes against looters, stopped arguments at gas pumps and kept our streets safe. Firefighters and paramedics similarly put their sense of duty first. These folks deserve our gratitude for working around the clock, away from their families. We are better because of them.
Looters: Throw the book at ‘em
Cellphone and cable companies: Why does the brush of a hurricane have such a prolonged crippling effect on mobile and cable service? We’ve heard criticisms of AT&T, Comcast, Verizon, TMobile and others for prolonged outages and for failing to communicate when service might be restored. And let’s stop calling phones that depend on internet service
“landlines.” Old-fashioned landlines worked when the power went out.
Evacuation routes: State emergency management officials need to rethink the plan for mass evacuations. Suspending tolls is not enough. In South Florida, both sides of I-95 and the Turnpike should be made one-way north when traffic conditions creep to a crawl. If emergency supplies need to come south — as gas tankers did — figure out a fix. Perhaps they could use the shoulder with a police escort. Tanker truck drivers:
When most traffic was headed north, drivers hauling gas kept trucking south. Along with power company trucks from other states, they looked like the cavalry. Demanding bosses:
Most Florida companies put employee safety above their bottom lines. But a Pizza Hut manager in Jacksonville threatened to fire employees who evacuated before the storm. A corporate spokesman said the manager’s memo did not reflect company policy.
Closed parking garages: Unless reserved for first responders or emergency crews, public parking garages should be made available for residents’ cars. Many were open. But others, including one on Miami Dade College’s south campus, were kept closed. Autoline in Hallandale
Beach: Before the storm, the auto dealer puts its vehicles in a city parking garage reserved for residents. “This is definitely not an example of human nature at its best,” a city spokeswoman rightly said. “This is an example of someone taking advantage.” Rush Limbaugh: The radio host accused the media of exaggerating the threat of Irma — and then fled his Palm Beach home. Risky trees: Homeowners who plant trees susceptible to high winds — and those who fail to trim trees prior to hurricane season — put themselves and neighbors at risk. In Boca Raton, Irma uprooted a ficus tree whose roots had wrapped around a water main. The rupture caused 25 homes to lose water for three days. Construction cranes: The public was told construction cranes could withstand 145 mph winds, but as tropical storm-force winds hit South Florida, two cranes collapsed in Miami and another collapsed on Fort Lauderdale beach. These cranes are riskier than we’ve been told. Why are they not better constructed, better secured and better regulated? Attorney General Pam Bondi:
Bondi put price gougers on notice before the storm. And after receiving calls about 7-Eleven stores charging as much as $24 for a case of water, she brought down the hammer. 7-Eleven’s corporate office said it did not condone price-gouging at its franchised stores, run by independent contractors. Bondi said it agreed to donate $150,000 to the Red Cross and provide free water at three Florida stores. Amazon: The online retailer came under fire for selling bottled water and gallon jugs of water well above the going rate. People also complained that Amazon Prime’s promised twodays shipments for needed storm goods — like flashlights and battery-operated fans — would not be delivered until after the storm. Public schools: Though public schools were closed for the week, some reopened early to provide free meals to low-income students. Public schools also served as emergency shelters, with many principals, teachers and staff staying on to help. Let’s hear it for our public schools.
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Neighbors: Whether long-time friends or saying their first hellos, South Floridians helped neighbors before, during and after the storm. We helped with shutters. We checked on shut-ins. We offered phones to those without service. And as the power slowly returned, we opened our air-conditioned homes to others.
Charitable groups: Businesses, civic groups and religious communities stepped up in a big way to help those in need of a hot meal. As one example, JetBlue sponsored about 20 food trucks near the BB&T Center in Sunrise. And Chabad of Deerfield Beach delivered hot food and drinks to seniors without power at Century Village. Similar efforts were extended to low-income residents in Fort Lauderdale, Hollywood, Belle Glade and elsewhere. Social media: Facebook, Twitter and other social media platforms helped South Floridians share information and signal they were OK. Posts about working gas pumps, extra shutters and even an indoor pet port-o-potty (kiddie pool with sod) helped make Irma more bearable — so long as your WiFi and cell service survived. Street cleanup crews: After Irma swept the beach inland, cleanup crews quickly removed piles of sand from beachfront streets and roadways. Except for new curbside dunes, you’d never know these streets were once covered in sand. City and county crews did a great job getting South Florida moving again. Publix and McDonald’s: We’ve heard praise for Publix stores across the state — more than any other grocer, hardware or big-box chain. And McDonald’s lived up to its fast-food status, becoming one of the first restaurants to reopen. The media: Journalists on television, online and in print provided people with information about Irma’s ever-changing path, how to prepare and how to be safe (or entertained) in the aftermath. We, too, put public service ahead of concerns about home and family. So the next time someone says the media pushes “fake news,” set them straight. Florida Public Radio Emergency Network:
This emergency network provided critical information during the scariest part of the storm. And hooray for WLRN’s daylong local call-in shows, too.
City and state leaders: Many mayors, city council members, county commissioners and state legislators stepped up to help. Their social media posts and media interviews helped spread information. It’s dangerous to name names because we’ll miss so many, but let us start with Fort Lauderdale Mayor Jack Seiler, Hollywood Mayor Josh Levy, Margate Mayor Tommy Ruzzano, Miramar Mayor Wayne Messam, Weston Mayor Dan Stermer, Coral Springs Vice Mayor Dan Daley, and state Reps. Richard Stark of Weston, Katie Edwards of Sunrise, Shevrin Jones of West Park and Bobby DuBose of Fort Lauderdale. Along with many colleagues not mentioned here, they made a difference.