We Must Remain Vigilant Hallandale Beach

We were blessed once again not to have been in the eye of the storm, but we still feel Milton’s effects. Helene and Milton both left massive devastation.

It continues to worry me that so many people are simply not heeding our warnings and messages to be prepared. Many newer residents have shared with me that they purchased their homes not knowing it was in a Flood Zone. Some knew but did not research the specific areas that are considered repetitive loss. The sellers and or realtors did not explain the history. In some instances, they bought homes that were repaired without Permits. In these cases, it is even harder dealing with rebuilding without having current plans to rebuild.

This past year every property was put in the Flood Zone. This means they must have Flood Insurance. Even the Three Islands neighborhood is now in a Flood Zone even though they have never flooded. Commissioner Lazarow inquired about these changes at a recent meeting. She requested we see if Three Islands can be removed. We support the request. It will be interesting if it can be changed but I am thinking due to the Sea Level Rise and the Storm Surge possibilities it may not be removed.

The point is we are a Flood Zone. There are only four miles between our western border of I-95 and the ocean. Unless, if you consider the Intracoastal Waterway. Many residents in the City believed that since we put in pumps on 14th and on the Shaffer Canal this will guarantee they will not Flood. Everyone after June realized we are in a new normal.

I tell everyone we cannot engineer our City out of every Flood. I cannot stress enough that we will Flood depending on the amount and duration of rain events. This means every homeowner and condominium needs to properly prepare in the event of natural disasters including hurricanes and extreme rain events.

June was the beginning of Hurricane Season, and we always promote being prepared. The state provides a Sales Tax Holiday for everyone so they can get a break on purchasing supplies, equipment and other items that will help residents prepare themselves and their homes in the event of a storm. I received multiple text messages and calls about sandbags. While I felt terrible knowing they were in fear of Flooding I thought it was a bit late to be securing a home.

Our City has not distributed sandbags for years. I know many cities do supply sand, some supply bags and sand. This process is labor intensive if you want to do it right. It takes Staff, Volunteers, and Police to perform the distribution properly. We gave out two to four bags to residents with ID.

The question becomes, does four bags even help secure your home? It may help but it is not the best form of protection and it pulls our Staff away from their duties preparing the City for the storms. Bags are often one and done. Many would dump the sand rather than saving it for the next storm expecting we do another distribution.

It bothered me when we stopped this program, so I decided to do research on other applications to secure properties. Since climate change and extreme weather events are taking place everywhere many products have been developed to dry proof homes. One simple example is water barriers that are reusable and much easier to utilize. There are water dams for doors and garages. There are large waterproof sacks to store everything from clothes to entire rooms of furniture. Climate Change and Sea-Level Rise has exacerbated the intensity of the storms, and we will not always have days to prepare.

Recently, we held Hurricane Preparedness Courses. One was geared for businesses and the other for residents. The instructor, Ms. Lynville from Optimum, presented an excellent curriculum. Many residents continue to ask about what the City is doing to address Flooding. We are doing our part and have plans for more Infrastructure. We have a robust preparedness plan and implement improvements.

We can and will continue to do our part, but we cannot emphasize enough, property owners also play an integral part in prevention, preparation and recovery. I have requested the next session be held to share what products, programs and services are available through FEMA to help our owners.

I was hoping to announce a date but between Helene and Milton it was pushed off. I am in communication with Optimum and believe we can host a meeting at the end of this month. I will have a firmer date after Wednesday.

I do hope everyone weathered the storm. The mental scars are the ones that may take more time to be healed. I was impressed watching one of the news channels listening to one of the victims of Helene. She said it was not their first hurricane but was the worst so far. She said we are staying put and rebuilding. That is the price we pay to live in Florida.

The goal must be for communities to build back stronger and smarter. After Andrew, the South Florida Building Codes were created. They are now statewide. Currently, homes are being built eighteen inches higher. Seawalls are being built higher. We need to evaluate planning with a goal towards stronger drainage requirements and retrofitting private properties as we face the new normal.

As always, I am available anytime for your questions, concerns, and ideas to make our City a better place by Phone/Text at: (954) 632-5700. Or you can email me at: jcooper@cohb.org. Please visit me on my Facebook page at Mayor Joy Cooper. Like, follow, and share!