JENSEN BEACH, Fla. — WPTV has spent the past month bringing hurricane preparedness resources directly to communities ahead of the June 1 start of hurricane season.
FULL PRESENTATION: WPTV First Alert Hurricane Preparedness Tour stop in Martin County
Wednesday's tour stop was Jensen Beach, where the Treasure Coast community gathered at the Children's Museum of the Treasure Coast to hear about hurricane preparedness.
WPTV Meteorologist James Wieland hosted a hurricane readiness presentation covering essential topics, including how to secure your home, how to build an emergency kit, and how to create a family evacuation plan.
“We always want people to prepare now, not when there’s already a storm in the Atlantic,” Wieland told attendees during the event.
“We always want people to prepare now, not when there’s already a storm in the Atlantic,” Wieland told attendees during the event.
Wieland also emphasized that even quieter hurricane seasons can still produce dangerous storms, pointing to Hurricane Andrew as an example of a devastating storm during a relatively inactive year. He explained how weather patterns such as El Niño and Saharan dust can influence storm development, but warned residents not to let their guard down.
“Any quiet year can still produce a big one,” Wieland said during the presentation.
Following the presentation, WPTV anchor Meghan McRoberts moderated a Q&A panel with Martin County emergency officials, including representatives from the Martin County Sheriff's Office and Martin County Emergency Management.
Officials encouraged residents to know their evacuation zones, create family emergency plans, and prepare supplies well before any storm threatens the area.
Emergency Management Deputy Director Amy Lopez reminded residents that preparation should extend beyond hurricanes alone.
“That’s not something that you’re only going to use during hurricane season,” Lopez said of emergency kits. “You can have tornadoes or flooding or wildfires.”
Officials also urged residents to sign up for AlertMartin emergency notifications and stressed the importance of following evacuation orders and staying off roads after storms unless absolutely necessary.
The “Storm Ready” tour still has two remaining stops planned in Loxahatchee and Boca Raton.
Residents with questions about hurricane preparedness in Martin County can find additional resources through Martin County Emergency Management.
