TS Danielle and The Frugal Duchess

At this point it would appear that this storm will be curving well north of the Florida coast, so I would not be too concerned with it locally here in Miami at this point. 

I am pleased to announce a new guest blogger, Sharon Harvey Rosenberg, well known to readers of the Miami Herald as the Frugal Duchess.  I asked her to apply her advice to the Hurricane situation, please enjoy her special contribution to Weathering the Storms!
 
Hurricane Supplies: Hype & Savings
Hurricane supplies are like spare tires – necessary in case of emergencies. But you don’t have to spend a fortune for hurricane supplies.  A list of thrifty shopping tips is below.

And why are we talking about hurricane supplies now? Study the calendar: Hurricane season runs June 1 to November 30. But the “peak of the season” is August through October, with “maximum activity” hitting in September, according to National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, a government agency. Other facts:

•       Nearly 80 percent of tropical storm days occur during peak months, including 90 percent of minor hurricanes (Cat. 1-2),
•       And roughly 95 percent of major hurricanes (Cat. 3-5), hit August through October.

Peak-season shopping alert
Avoid mindless (and expensive) shopping, last minute-hypes and long cashier lines by preparing for peak months.  Here are a few tips:

•       Tap the faucet: Why spend a fortune on bottled water? Consider purchasing refillable water bottles and large beverage containers, which can be filled with gallons of tap water. Reusable containers are sold at most national chain stores, hardware stores and online. Follow recommended sanitation and storage guidelines.

•       Create a list: Review existing supplies and make a list of household gaps. Shop before storm warnings are in the news. Once the hype hits, you could spend more for less and spend A LOT of time in long lines.

•       Shop the sales: Back-to-school sales include merchandise suitable for hurricane supplies, including hand sanitizers, batteries and thermoses. Scan weekly flyers for discounts on canned foods, nuts, peanut butter and other nonperishable items. End-of-season sales include discounts on flashlights and camping supplies. Don’t forget manual can openers, which become very important when there’s no power.

•       Pamper pets and babies: “Don’t forget Fluffy and Fido,” recommends Claudia Vigil-Perez, a communications specialist in Baptist Health’s HR department. “Scan your house for anything you may need for family members and pets. Stock up on infant formula, diapers and dog food! Buying these things in bulk saves money.”

•       Collect meds: One of the most important items to have in your hurricane preparedness kit is an adequate supply of prescription drugs, especially if your pharmacy is unable to open after a storm. Check your prescriptions now to know when the refills expire, so you’re not left without medicine during a storm. If your prescription has no refills remaining, be sure to obtain an updated prescription from your doctor.

Guest post written by Sharon Harvey Rosenberg, author of The Frugal Duchess: How to Live Well and Save Money, and co-author of 10,001 Ways to Live Large on a Small Budget. Sharon is also a senior writer in the Marketing & Public Relations Department at Baptist Health.
 
“Hit the streets running and try to beat the masses
and go and get yourself some cheap sunglasses.”
Cheap Sunglasses – ZZ Top

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Bonnie Final

It wasn’t much as storms go.  I think there was more rain and wind yesterday afternoon than during the official tropical storm on Friday.  It was helpful to run through some minor preparations however, and like always, we found out a couple of things.  The Employee Hotline was undergoing a conversion to new software and wasn’t working properly.  We didn’t plan to use it for Bonnie, but it was a good thing to find out now rather than when it was important.  We also did some testing on our Nextel phones, which did go well.  We will still use walkie-talkies, but these new devices seem a little bit simpler to operate, especially when you are not using them every day.  This site was heavily viewed for the several days surrounding the storm, which is good to see.

On another preparation note, today we have a group of experts in to help us with training for pre- and post-disaster psychological support.  Lt. Colonel Randy Marshall, Chaplain, Colonel Jose Andujar, Medical Operations, and Major Teo Hernandez, Medical Planner, all from the United States Air Force and the Southern Command will be presenting a train-the-trainers educational program at Baptist Hospital of Miami.  The focus of the session is to guide our chaplains and social workers in the provision of psychological support to care givers, survivors, and the their friends and families in a disaster.  We welcome them.

 
This storm may pass, it was too late
Hey, we ain’t the kind to evacuate

Surfin’ In A Hurricane- Jimmy Buffett

 

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TS Bonnie

#3 was upgraded to Tropical Storm Bonnie overnight. Conditions and circumstances remain the same. We have some rain bands starting to push through this morning. The worst of the weather is expected to be later this afternoon, and that won’t be too bad. Again, some gusty wind and some local heavy rain. Those coming in for the 3-11 shift will get the worst of it as they head into work. Drive safe.

“In every life we have some trouble
When you worry you make it double.”

Don’t Worry Be Happy – Bobby McFerrin

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Tropical Depression #3

Due to the Oil spill in the Gulf, more attention than normal being given to Tropical Depression #3.  This may tend of heighten people’s sense of worry about what is likely to be a relatively minor weather event.  Each of the major national news outlets is covering this as breaking news, again due to the effect on the containment and cleanup effort.  In the meantime, the following was sent out to all Baptist Health staff this afternoon.

As you may be aware, we are going to have our first tropical weather of the season within the next 24 hours.  We are operating under a Tropical Storm Warning.  Tropical Depression #3 has formed and is generally heading in the direction of Miami and the Keys.  Overnight we can expect some windy and rainy weather.  Staff who will be on the road tonight may see some rain and wind start to intermittently kick up.  Staff who will be on the road tomorrow morning should expect to see significant rainfall.  You should be aware of areas that tend to flood as you make your way to work.  The amount of rain expected is within the normal range of South Florida weather.  In other words it is going to be a wet messy day, but nothing extraordinary.

All of our schedules are normal, no command centers will be opened, we expect normal operations.  There are no shelters open in Miami-Dade, all schools will be open, all public transportation will be open.  In Monroe County, they have opened up one special needs shelter in Key West.

We will closely monitor the situation and keep you posted of any significant changes.  You may also want to monitor our hurricane blog, www.weatheringthestorms.org, for additional information.

We have nearly 1,000 patients in our hospital beds on any given day, our surgical and imaging schedules are full, the outpatient centers are very busy, and the ER’s are saving lives minute by minute.  Don’t let a little weather distract you from our mission.

Wayne Brackin

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