Hurricane Information

HIGHLANDS COUNTY
HENDRY COUNTY
GLADES COUNTY
OKEECHOBEE COUNTY

FAMILY DISASTER PLAN: Create Your Own Family Plan

The hurricane season officially begins on June 1st and continues through the end of November. We urge you to monitor tropical activities and weather bulletins throughout the season. Proper preparation and emergency planning are critical.

Tropical Wave: the earliest development of a tropical depression.

Tropical Depression: an organized area of low pressure with sustained winds of 38 mph or less.

Tropical Storm: a storm system with sustained winds of at least 39 mph. When a storm reaches tropical storm status, it is given a name.

Hurricane: sustained winds of at least 74 mph. Hurricanes are designated by intensity level based on the sustained wind speed. The higher the wind speed, the more dangerous the storm can be.

• Category 1: Minimal - 74 to 95 mph
• Category 2: Moderate - 96 to 110 mph
• Category 3: Extensive – 111 to 130 mph
• Category 4: Extreme – 131 to 155 mph
• Category 5: Catastrophic – Winds OVER 155 mph

Hurricane Watch: this means hurricane conditions are possible in our area. Continue listening to NOAA Weather Radio, local radio or local television for updated information.

Hurricane Warning: this means hurricane conditions will soon occur in our area. You may be told to move to a shelter or evacuate the area.

IN CASE OF EVACUATION: It is not always necessary to evacuate. When the experts advise evacuation, do so immediately. Don’t try to “ride it out”. Hurricanes and the resulting high winds, storm surges and other situations can be extremely dangerous. There are some preparations you can complete before evacuation is advised.

We encourage each of our members to enter the Hurricane Season prepared and to have a viable plan for safety and/or evacuation if necessary. We offer the following key tips, provided by the American Red Cross, to prepare for a hurricane.

1. Prepare a Disaster Supplies Kit containing: a first aid kit, canned food, can opener, bottled water, rubber boots and rubber gloves, battery-powered radio, flashlights and extra batteries.
2. Make certain you have an adequate supply of all required prescription medicines for you and/or your family members.
3. Board up glass exterior areas of your homes such as windows, doors, etc.
4. Bring the lawn furniture and toys inside. Turn over and tie down outdoor objects too large to move.
5. Unplug appliances except for the refrigerator and freezer.
6. If possible, turn off the gas lines (propane or natural gas) and water.
7. Remove objects from walls such as pictures, and move furniture away from doors and windows.
8. Store valuable items up high if flooding will be a possibility.
9. Take pictures or video your home and property, furniture, appliances, etc. for insurance purposes.
10. Lock your doors and windows.
11. Know your Evacuation Routes – Identify, in advance, where you would go and how you would get there, (a friend’s home in another town, family members, shelters, etc.). Be sure to designate someone outside the area in which you live to act as a point of contact for your family.
12. Contact your local county Emergency Management Coordinator or the local Chapter of the American Red Cross for more information. After all, it pays to be prepared.

At Glades Electric Cooperative, we’re prepared also. We have in place an Emergency and Disaster Plan which directs each employee to a specific area of need in the event of a hurricane. Our plan gives specific attention to shelter, materials, fuel, food for employees as well as lodging and food for contractors and notices to the media. Each year, prior to the start of hurricane season, every aspect of the plan is reviewed, evaluated, and if necessary, amended to ensure its effectiveness.

We are committed to keeping you informed about our actions, where our employees are working and ways to safely “weather” the effects of a hurricane. In the event of major outages, GEC is committed to restoring service to each of our members as quickly and safely as possible. Our crews will make repairs to restore service to the most people in the least amount of time but the power must be restored in the proper sequence. This sequence of restoration is listed below:

• Transmission Lines – these supply power to one or more substations.
• Transmission and Distribution Substations – a station outage affects large numbers of consumers.
• Primary or Main Distribution Feeder lines – each line serves a portion of customers from each substation.
• Single Primary or Tap lines – these serve smaller groups of customers from the main distribution lines.
• Individual Services – the line coming to your home or place of business.
• Agencies, such as hospitals and fire departments, will be restored as soon as possible. Any situation posing danger to our members or dwellings will receive immediate attention. Individuals who depend on electricity to operate life support.

Our phones are manned 24 hours per day. If a hurricane should come our way causing you to lose electricity, we'll get your power back on as soon as possible. As "Neighbors Working for Neighbors" we feel you deserve the best service possible, even in the event of a hurricane.