Hurricane Safety and Preparedness

Governor: State of Emergency Still In Effect For Florida as Erika Remnants Approach

Florida Governor Rick Scott is urging residents to remain prepared as the remnants of Tropical Storm Erika head for the southern part of the state.

"This storm has been completely unpredictable the whole time," he said. "We will still get a lot of rain and a lot of flooding."At a press conference Saturday morning, Scott indicated that though the tropical storm has dissipated into an area of low pressure, the state of emergency declared earlier has not been lifted, as heavy rains and flooding are still a possibilty. Scott also reminded people to be aware of rip currents and pay careful attention to the flags at beaches.

Floridians were stocking up supplies and preparing for the possibility of impacts from the tropical system as of Friday evening. Schools in Hendry County will be closed Monday, WBBH reports.

Friday evening Erika was a disorganized tropical storm bound for the mountainous terrain of the Dominican Republic and Haiti.

“Those mountains would be expected to disrupt Erika’s circulation, meaning that the system that emerges on the other side is at best disorganized and perhaps completely disrupted,” explained Bryan Norcross, hurricane specialist at The Weather Channel.

But Norcross, along with other forecasters, warned it's still too soon for anyone in Florida to let his guard down.

Florida Gov. Rick Scott told Floridians to remain prepared during a Friday evening news conference. Earlier in the day, Scott declared a state of emergency for every county across the state. The declaration activated the National Guard and waived tolls and other rules for emergency crews so they can move around the state more easily.

"We are preparing the protective and responsive measures we will need if the storm continues to develop out of an abundance of caution," said FDEM Director Bryan W. Koon.

(MORE: What America Was Like the Last Time a Hurricane Hit Florida)

Hospitals in Florida are preparing for the worst, including Florida Hospital, which is "stockpiling water, clearing drains and filling sandbags", as well as bringing in backup generators, the Orlando Sentinel reported. Schools are also preparing, with many implementing alert systems and asking students to keep an eye on school websites to stay up-to-date with schedule changes.

Thirty members of the National Guard have been prepositioned for emergency measures, Scott noted, and another 8,000 are ready to be mobilized if necessary, Bay News 9 reported.

Nearly 10 years have passed since the last time a hurricane made landfall in the Sunshine State, and in that time span, Florida has added more than 2 million new residents. Many of those new residents are not taking chances; instead, they're preparing for the possibility of a damaging tropical system several days ahead of time.

"There are a lot of people here in Florida who have never experienced a hurricane," Coast Guard spokesman Lt. Cmdr. Gabe Somma told USA Today. "Even if this storm doesn't make landfall, we know it's going to kick up some serious surf and we don't want anyone getting sucked out by those rip currents. That's a very real threat even if the storm doesn't come ashore."

Plenty of long-time Florida residents also worked quickly to dust off their emergency kits and gather any supplies they needed.

(MORE: 10 Things You're Not Doing To Prepare for a Tropical System)

“The people who've been here a long time know the routine and know what to do,” JoBeth Carr, a 61-year-old lifelong resident of Miami, told USA Today. “I’ve already started my generator, I got new flashlights, we filled our cars with gas.”

At least six flights scheduled to depart from or arrive into Miami International Airport were canceled Friday due to Erika, according to Mark Henderson, media and public relations officer for the Miami-Dade Aviation Department.

Boat owners and area marinas in South Florida have begun to make their own preparations. Sailfish Marina dock master Austin Peters told WPTV that a handful of captains have already moved their boats to safer areas. According to him, if there is a hurricane warning, all boats are required to leave the marina, which can be difficult because many of the boat owners live out of state.

"Usually some people will go south or north to avoid the storm, or they will go to a dry dock where they will be lifted out of the water," said Peters.

Boaters will be encouraged to add lines to their boats to make sure they’re secured. The marina also plans to shut down gas and water lines if the storm begins to pose a larger threat.

FEMA recommends that, in addition to having a hurricane kit, residents should stock up a three-day supply of food and water.

A properly stocked hurricane kit should consist of: