Amid COVID-19 crisis, hurricane season brings new challenges

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Prepping for a hurricane amid a subsiding – but still alive – pandemic will mean more than stocking up on water and food this year.

It will mean more planning, more supplies and more space – extra accommodations to protect public health from not only wind and water of a storm, but spreading the pathogens of COVID-19.

The circumstances have mandated adjusting hurricane response plans – but by employing the right precautions, residents can be safeguarded from threats of both the weather and of infection, emergency managers said.

Coming out of a monthslong inundation of coronavirus news, gearing up for hurricane season may have fallen to the wayside, officials said.

The community has been consumed with economic recovery following the state’s stay-at-home order, said Corpus Christi Mayor Joe McComb.

“I think they’re trying to figure out how to get their businesses back open from the COVID closings,” he said. “(I think) they’re interested in getting their people back to work – people want to go back to work. I don’t think there’s a whole lot of thought being given to hurricanes.”

It’s a season expected to be harsher than average, forecast to conjure between three to six major hurricanes in the Atlantic. As of Thursday morning, there had already been three named storms in the basin.

More: Tropical Storm Cristobal may bring rain, strong winds to Texas gulf coast this weekend

For residents and local officials – whether evacuating, battening the hatches or working the emergency frontlines – preparations include loading up on masks and extra hand sanitizer, charting social distancing and planning evacuations further in advance, according to experts.

That, in addition to the standard checklists.

At least some services, collaboration and meetings are expected to go partially virtual.

“Just as COVID-19 has caused interruptions and change to (everyday)  life, it  will create the same unique changes to our hurricane protocols,” wrote Nueces County Judge Barbara Canales in a message to the Caller-Times. “More than ever, it is critical for residents to have a plan and understand that just because practices have changed, the need to be prepared, informed and ready have not changed.”

Evacuations, operations

City and county officials refine emergency hurricane plans for years.

But new considerations to combat virus spread are now being taken  into account, to include beefed up stockpiles of supplies – disinfectants and cloth face coverings, for example – and plotting out the logistics of social distancing in historically crowded disaster facilities.

Among the adjustments: more buses to transport residents without other means to evacuation sites, and identifying the highest-risk areas to prioritize.

Storm prep: Check out our Hurricane Hub for storm tracker and more

Those kinds of factors could impact the timeline for ordering an evacuation, Canales said, adding that emergency staff is evaluating “how much time we need, greater than the time that we normally need.”

There will also need to be considerations on how to manage planning for people who are positive for the virus, she said. That work includes determining locations – typically hotels – where people may isolate from others.

In some ways, the coronavirus crisis has better prepared the region going into the hurricane season, said Corpus Christi City Manager Peter Zanoni, describing collaboration with state and local entities as “at an all-time high.”

He added that he expected any new procedures to be manageable.

Communication efforts about safety measures – and hurricane awareness – will be key, Zanoni said.

“We just have to keep reminding the community,” he said. “That’s part of our job as leaders in the community, and work with our partners to make sure that people don’t let their guard down, even though there are so many other distractions.”

Emergency shelters

In a new manual released in mid-May, the Federal Emergency Management Agency lays out guidelines for not only local governments, but also shelters.

Recommendations include what have become gold-standard provisions for slowing transmission of the virus, such as requiring temperature-taking and health screenings for entry to facilities, and making more space available for those who are unable to evacuate elsewhere.

“Instead of opening shelters, we’re prioritizing individual hotel rooms or dormitory style rooms to make sure people have a safe place to stay if they can’t return home after a disaster,” Trevor Riggen, American Red Cross senior vice president of disaster services, told USA Today.

He added that the nonprofit will offer some relief programs – including mental health support and financial assistance – virtually.

Federal help

On FEMA’s part, modifications would put fewer agents in the field and rely more heavily on virtual coordination and remote operations, including preliminary damage assessments –  which may be reviewed via aerial imagery, data submission and photos, the guidelines state.

Although FEMA plays a role in responding to disasters, it is largely municipal, county and state governments that shoulder emergency planning, infrastructure support  and  recovery efforts.

The guidelines are meant to be tailored to local needs, said Carlos J. Castillo, acting deputy administrator for resilience, on a conference call with reporters.

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Instituting changes to evacuation orders – such as possibly moving up the timeline – would undoubtedly have challenges, he said.  

“Perhaps the toughest decision for an emergency manager is to decide and to recommend to elected officials that there be an evacuation,” Castillo told reporters. “When you have to make the decision, it’s not an absolute. When you have to make that decision to get people out, depending on what the clearance times are – basically how much time it’s expected to need to get everybody out safely – you won’t have a definitive answer from the forecasters because it just doesn’t exist yet.”

In 2017, Hurricane Harvey underscored the limited predictability in storms. Within 32 hours, what had been a tropical storm grew to a monster Category 4 hurricane approaching the Coastal Bend with wind speeds between 130 to 156 mph.

Generally speaking, FEMA officials this year are encouraging those who can safely ride out a potential storm at home – or have the option of evacuating and staying with friends or family – to do so.

There’s some local concern, though, that those  who may need public shelter or transportation could hesitate to tap into those services because of COVID-19 fears.

Establishing preventative measures makes safe evacuation possible, according to Canales.

“The current COVID-19 situation should not stop people from taking the appropriate actions necessary to keep their families and selves safe in the event of a hurricane,” she wrote in a message to the Caller-Times. “It is important during this unique time to remember that the threats presented by a hurricane supersede the threat of contracting COVID-19.”

What to expect

• Temperature checks, health screenings, enhanced cleaning, required face coverings and social distancing at disaster facilities
• Remote property damage assessments
• More buses for evacuation with social distancing
• Packing face coverings, more hand sanitizer and more cleaning supplies
• Some virtual services

Resources

Department of Homeland Security: https://www.ready.gov/hurricanes

City of Corpus Christi: www.cctexas.com/departments/fire-department/ready-corpus-christi

National Weather Service-Corpus Christi: www.weather.gov/crp/

National Weather Service 2020 Hurricane Guide: https://www.weather.gov/crp/hurricaneguide

NOAA National Hurricane Center: https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/

Interactive storm surge hazard map: https://noaa.maps.arcgis.com/apps/MapSeries/index.html?appid=d9ed7904dbec441a9c4dd7b277935fad&entry=1

Nueces County emergency management: https://www.nuecesco.com/county-services/emergency-management/important-information

Texas Hurricane Center: https://gov.texas.gov/hurricane

City of Corpus Christi Reverse Alert: https://www.cctexas.com/services/public-safety/alerts-notices

More hurricane, tropical storm coverage

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Kirsten Crow covers government, industry and development in South Texas.Support local news by checking out our subscription options and special offers at Caller.com/subscribe  

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