West Palm Beach Residents Advised to Prepare for Potential Effects of Isaias, Now Category 1 Hurricane

WEST PALM BEACH, FL – As of yesterday, July 30, at 5PM, West Palm Beach Mayor Keith A. James and the City of West Palm Beach Emergency Management Division advise West Palm Beach residents to prepare for potential impacts of Hurricane Isaias. The National Weather Service has issued a Tropical Storm Warning for Metro Palm Beach County, Florida. [Dangerous winds (55 mph+) may arrive near West Palm Beach around Saturday afternoon.] Hurricane Isaias is now a Category 1 Hurricane.

City Operations Updates:

Garbage/trash pickups:

• Garbage/trash pickup services for commercial and residential customers will be suspended on Saturday, August 1^st and Sunday, August 2^nd.  Pickups are scheduled to resume on Monday.
• ‘Special Pickups’ Suspended: The City of West Palm Beach Department of Public Works Sanitation Division has suspended “special pickups” until further notice. Special pickups are defined as dedicated customer service requests, for which there is a charge, of yard or bulk removal, when the yard waste pile exceeds 18 ft. x 4 ft. x 4 ft. (length x width x height).
• *See garbage/trash pickup tips below.

Safety Tips

• Know Your Risk: Find out how rain, wind, water can impact where you live. This can help you start preparing now.
• Prepare for Strong Winds: Strong winds can bring down trees and power lines and can turn unsecured objects into dangerous projectiles. Secure loose items such as outside lawn furniture and toys to minimize flying debris
• Flash floods: Never drive through flooded roadways as road beds may be washed out under flood waters. Six inches of water will reach the bottom of most passenger cars and cause loss of control or stalling. Just one or two feet of water can carry away a vehicle. Avoid walking through flooded areas.

• Know your Evacuation Zone: Knowing what evacuation zone in which you live will help you, should an evacuation order for your area be issued. To look up your evacuation zone, please visit: https://discover.pbcgov.org/publicsafety/dem/Pages/Hurricane.aspx.
• Gather Supplies: Have enough food, water, and other supplies for every member of your family to last at least 72 hours. Consider what unique needs your family might have, such as supplies for pets or seniors and prescription medications. In addition, given the threat also posed by COVID, it is recommended that you add two cloth face coverings per family member and cleaning items to your supplies, like soap, hand sanitizer, disinfecting wipes, or general household cleaning supplies to disinfect surfaces.
• Make an Emergency Plan: Make sure everyone in your household knows and understands your hurricane plan. Discuss the latest CDC guidance on COVID-19 and how it may affect your hurricane planning. Complete a family communication plan.
• Check your Insurance Coverage: Review your policy, ensure you’re adequately covered, and understand exclusions. Contact your agent for any changes.
• Power outages: Do not use generators indoors. Do not touch downed electrical wires or power lines. Charge cell phone batteries and make sure flashlights and battery-operated radios and televisions are working.
• General population shelters are operated by Palm Beach County. In the event of a hurricane, residents are encouraged to consider sheltering at safe locations instead of traditional shelters due to COVID-19 impacts. Should you choose to shelter at one of the County’s shelters, make sure your go-kit contains masks, hand sanitizer, and disinfecting wipes, in addition to necessities. To look up shelters, please visit: https://discover.pbcgov.org/publicsafety/dem/Publications/Shelters-Evac-Zones.jpg.
• Special Needs & Pet Shelters: You must register with Palm Beach County in advance. Please call (561) 712-6400 (TTY 561-712-6342).

Garbage/Trash Pickup

• Please refrain from doing any major yard work until after a storm passes.
• Place out only what is necessary so as not to strain our collection efforts.
• Do not place any debris at the curb aftera tropical storm watch/warning or hurricane watch/warning has been issued and before a storm impacts our community. If we have already conducted your normal residential yard waste pickup for this week and you leave additional yard waste prior to your next scheduled pickup, we will not be able to pick it up until after the storm passes.
• Please keep storm drains clean to minimize flooding. Large piles of new vegetation trimming might clog storm drains.

Stay Informed

Know where to go for trusted sources of information during a tropical storm or hurricane event. Before and during an emergency, the City will send alerts and updates through various channels:

• Visit: wpb.org (click on “news” on the home page)
• eNotify: To sign up for eNotify, visit: https://www.wpb.org/things-to-do/sign-up-for-enotifications-from-the-city-of-wpb
• Insider Newsletter: To subscribe,  https://www.wpb.org/government/communications/insider-newsletters
• Call the Mayor’s Special Response Hotline: (561) 822-2222.
• Social Media:
  • Facebook: @cityofwpb
  • Twitter: @westpalmbch
  • Instagram: @westpalmbch

And:

Check on friends, relatives, and neighbors, especially older adults and people with disabilities, access and functional needs, or health conditions. Help them to prepare if needed. Stay safe!