BY DAN HILDEBRAN
A division commander in the Bradford County Sheriff’s Office said that with hurricane season less than a month-and-a-half away, now is the time to start preparing.
Mike Sweeney oversees criminal investigations, the drug task force, and the office’s SWAT team. He started working at the office 13 years ago after serving in the U.S. Marine Corps.
The lieutenant said he had visited areas after a hurricane and saw firsthand the need to prepare for the storms and their aftermath.
Sweeney said residents should set aside water, non-perishable food, and other post-storm necessities like batteries, flashlights, duct tape, and cash.
The officer added that when he patrolled the Panama City area after Hurricane Michael, cell phone service and credit card transactions were unavailable.
“You may have truck generators that come in and start powering up your Winn-Dixie, your Hitchcock’s,” he said of storm recovery, “so we can start getting food back to the public. So, the important thing to have is cash because they may not have the machines back up for credit card transactions.”
Sweeney emphasized the need for small denominations: ones and fives, rather than 20s and 50s.
He also said residents should stock items that can replace certain cell phone functions, like a map, flashlight, and a hand-cranked or battery-powered radio.
Rotary member Branden Waters, who assisted Sweeney with his presentation, said he became aware of how much he relied on his mobile phone when he was traveling in the Hawthorne area in February, and AT&T experienced a nationwide outage.
Sweeney said that garbage bags and plastic sheeting, also known as Visqueen, might be useful if a roof leaks during a storm.
He said that with the proliferation of home generators, users must take safety precautions.
“We had an incident that happened up at the Keystone Airport not too long ago,” he recalled. “Someone was running their generator and they’re sleeping in their camper. It caused carbon monoxide poisoning.”
Sweeney also warned against open flames within houses. He said he keeps an extra propane tank at his home in case of a long-term power outage.
“I do not switch it out,” he said of the tank, “but I do test it throughout the year just in case I do have to cook off of it.”
The lieutenant advised against leaving home after a storm, adding that residents who venture out can count on a flat tire because of road debris.
He also said disaster tourists can themselves become a 9-1-1 call, diverting first responders from other emergencies.
Sweeney concluded by listing other storm essentials, such as an evacuation plan, pet supplies, water filtration, and medications.
“Storage-wise,” he said, “the majority of these items you can store in a five-gallon bucket. Put the cap on that bucket and just put it away somewhere you know you can grab it. The five-gallon buckets are relatively cheap, and they also turn into what in a pinch? A toilet.”
