I've learned that Hwy 49 is inadequate for an evacuation route and I should have a route along secondary roads in mind as well. Also, its good to exchange cell phone numbers with neighbors to share evacuation information and first news about the post-strike conditions. Please post other lessons learned in reply to this message.

By Al Pettigrew

Landscaping can help

Trees along the southside and northside of the neighborhood have protected us from straight line winds in the past by deflecting the wind off the ground. Neighborhood development has removed much of this protection so we need to landscape to maximize our protection. See the following regarding what to do:

http://osceola.ifas.ufl.edu/archives2002/pl062302JW.htm

However, FEMA recommends that no tree be planted any closer to a house than its expected mature height in case it falls over.

Our neighbors on the perimeter of the neighborhood could help us all with some landscaping.

By Al Pettigrew

Debris Removal

Each supervisor's district has its own debris removal crews. In our district, there were two crews which started first on the beach roads and then our neighborhood (7 days after the storm). Each crew seems to have one front-end loader, one backhoe, and a couple of dump trucks. Their removal of debris is slowed by neighbors piling it too close to fire hydrants, mail boxes, and other objects.

By Al Pettigrew