Wednesday, Sept. 7, 2005

SPECIAL EDITION : After the Storm
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Early Planning
At the City's Emergency Operations Center on the fourth floor of the Police Department building in downtown Coral Gables, all emergency-response personnel met prior to the storm to brief one another on hurricane preparations.
     Before the storm ever hit, the City had already arranged for Rescue/Reconnaissance Teams to go out after the storm had passed to assess damages. Similarly, the City lined up two outside debris removal contractors to pick up the expected storm debris.
     All Coral Gables employees were sent home at 1 p.m. that day to prepare their own homes and families for the impending storm.

Assessing the Damage
By Friday morning, Hurricane Katrina had made its destructive power known. The storm affected the City of Coral Gables with extensive tree damage, toppling many of the City's trees and ripping off large tree limbs that fell on top of power lines, homes, fences, and vehicles. Thousands of homes and businesses lost electrical power.
      Coral Gables City Manager David L. Brown and top representatives from the Police, Fire, Public Service, Public Works, Building and Zoning, Automotive, and all other departments, along with local coordinators from Florida Power and Light, Bellsouth, and Comcast, began a series of daily powwows at the EOC aimed at quickly restoring the City to normalcy.
      Eight Rescue/Reconnaissance Teams made up of City personnel from the Police, Fire, Public Service, Building and Zoning, and Public Works departments were activated by Friday morning and dispatched immediately to the streets of Coral Gables to assess the damage and begin initial road-clearing operations.

Cleanup Begins
The first order of the day was to clear the major roads to allow rescue and restoration operations to begin. On Friday and Saturday, Aug. 26 and 27, City cleanup crews concentrated on Bird Road, LeJeune Road, Coral Way, Douglas Road, Sunset Drive, Old Cutler Road, Ponce de Leon Boulevard, Tamiami Trail and Douglas Road.
      After these were cleared, road-clearing efforts targeted secondary arteries such as Granada Boulevard, Alhambra Plaza, Riviera Drive, Maynada Street and Blue Road. By Monday, all major roads throughout the City had been cleared, just in time for the City to sign agreements with the debris removal companies it had contacted days before. In a matter of hours, the contractors were out on the streets with chainsaws and wood-chippers.
      The EOC stayed abuzz with activity. City representatives were now working on prioritizing tree removal services. Trees toppled over power lines would be removed first. Those that fell on homes and caused structural damage would be next, followed by those that fell on homes but didn't cause damage. Those that had fallen on accessory structures like fences and vehicles would be removed last.

Utility Companies Mobilize Quickly, but Damage is Great
Florida Power and Light had assigned two representatives to the Coral Gables EOC early on to coordinate efforts. As soon as the storm winds had decreased to 35 mph, the company started sending out restoration trucks. Power to the downtown business district was restored as early as Friday, the day after the storm. Some homeowners, however, were told that power would return no sooner than Friday, Sept. 2, when the utility company estimated it would have power restored to all homes.

City Helps People Cope
To help seniors without electricity stay comfortable, the Actors' Playhouse at the Miracle Theatre teamed with the City to offer "Classics in the Cool Air" - daily showings of classic movies inside the air-conditioned theatre, with light refreshments. City workers also delivered ice to the homes of senior citizens and the infirm with no electricity.
      At City Hall, Coral Gables Mayor Don Slesnick, along with the City Manager and Police and Fire Chiefs, taped three different messages for broadcast on Coral Gables TV to update the community on the City's efforts.
      Public information representatives sent daily press releases for distribution through the media, and sent several e-News and phone messages through the emergency response network to reach residents. A City of Coral Gables hotline, 305-460-5401, was activated and continues to be staffed to answer calls regarding non-emergency situations.
      Forty police officers were patrolling the City of Coral Gables since early Friday and no major incidents were reported. More than 200 City employees have been working furiously after the storm to begin recovery in all neighborhoods, and all 850 City staff members were back to work on Monday morning.

Garbage Collection Streamlined
Household garbage pickup, such as kitchen waste, resumed on Monday, Aug. 29. To help with the massive efforts required for cleanup, the City asked residents to place garbage cans and extra garbage on the edge of the streets, rather than by the sides of their homes.
      By Tuesday, Aug. 30, daily operations at Coral Gables facilities were back to normal. The War Memorial Youth Center reopened and was receiving approximately 100 children at its after-school programs.
      The University of Miami and all public schools in Coral Gables resumed classes that day, and merchants in downtown Coral Gables were open for business.

Looking Forward
While the northeast quadrant of this small City looks much like it did before Katrina, less than 2,000 yards to the west neighborhoods have been severely impacted and the landscape there has been altered forever.
      The recovery process, which includes complete removal of fallen trees, replanting of new ones, and other long-term tasks, will not be completed for many weeks. However, the City of Coral Gables is making good progress in its attempt to return to normalcy and is here to assist all residents of the community.
      Although this City was not nearly as affected as our neighboring states along the Gulf Coast, residents saw first-hand the mighty power of Mother Nature.
      The happy news is that no lives were lost in Coral Gables. This local government will continue to work hand-in-hand with residents to restore the City Beautiful to its former splendor.
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Updates for Coral Gables Residents >>>  City crews are doing everything possible to clean up debris and restore neighborhood streets to normalcy. The City asks residents for their cooperation in the following areas:

Trash: Please do not mix household goods with existing piles of storm debris, as this will only delay the collection of storm debris. Above all, please refrain from placing household goods on the streets or other public rights-of-way until storm debris is removed. Roads need to be kept clear to facilitate entry to clean-up crews.
      If a City tree fell on private property, the property owner must sign a Right of Entry Agreement before City crews can come in to remove the tree. The forms can be faxed or hand-delivered to residents and are also available at City Hall, 405 Biltmore Way. For more information, call 305-460-5205.
Garbage: The City is doing everything possible to collect garbage on schedule. In order to assist with this process, residents are asked to bring all garbage to the edge of the street on regular collection days. After storm cleanup has been completed, garbage collection crews will resume the practice of picking up household garbage left by the sides of homes.
Electricity: By Wednesday, Aug. 31, City Emergency Rescue/Reconnaissance Teams had cleared all reported downed power lines, and by Friday, Sept. 2, all homes should have had power restored. Any resident still experiencing problems should call 1-800-4OUTAGE (1-800-468-8243).
Telephone: BellSouth has crews working extra shifts to repair phone troubles. Customers in need of telephone repair should call these numbers: 611 or 1-877-737-2478 for residential service; 1-866-620-6900 for commercial service.
Cable: By Friday, Sept. 2, Comcast had restored cable service to 90 percent of Coral Gables subscribers, and continues to respond to service calls as soon as possible. To report trouble with cable TV service, call Comcast Customer Service at 1-800-266-2278 or 305-266-2278.
Traffic: Traffic lights at all intersections should be working properly now. However, use extreme caution while driving along all roads, as large piles of storm debris reduce visibility.
Trees: The Coral Gables Public Service Department asks residents to help preserve the young trees that were planted before Katrina by watering them every day, if possible.
      This past weekend, the Department started to send crews out with bucket trucks to start collecting any hanging branches from trees that withstood the storm.
Building & Zoning: The Building & Zoning Department is open for permit drop-offs only. Walk-throughs and onsite inspections will resume when inspectors complete Citywide damage assessments.
Parking: Parking enforcement, which was suspended during the days after the storm, has resumed this week.
Trolleys: The Coral Gables trolleys resumed their regular schedules last week along the Ponce de Leon and Biltmore Way routes.
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Local Agencies Activate Relief Efforts, Accept Donations >>> The United Way has activated "Operation Helping Hands," a community emergency response system that collaborates with The Miami Herald/El Nuevo Herald and other media partners. The United Way is also assessing storm damage to determine whether volunteers are needed to assist with relief efforts in South Florida. For more information, call 305-860-3000 or send an e-mail to caring@unitedwaymiami.org.
      To make a donation for victims of Hurricane Katrina, both in South Florida as well as on the Gulf Coast, visit www.unitedwaymiami.org on the Internet. You may choose to donate online, by phone or by mail, and you may designate whether your donation for South Florida or the Gulf Coast. The American Red Cross is also accepting donations. Visit www.miamiredcross.org for more information.
      Other agencies that can assist with information and recovery efforts are: FEMA, www.fema.gov, The Salvation Army, http://www.salvationarmyusa.org, and Switchboard of Miami, www.switchboardmiami.org.
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After-the-Disaster Financial Checklist >>> The Florida Department of Financial Services has published the following tips to warn residents of potential insurance scams and to assist them with proper reimbursement for repairs to damaged property. For more information, call the State's Disaster Assistance Insurance Helpline at 1-800-22STORM (1-800-227-8676).
> Immediately report property damage to your agent or insurance company.
> Make emergency repairs and document them with receipts and with before-and-after photographs of the repaired areas.
> If the damage is extensive and you must leave your home, secure the property and lock all windows and doors, remove valuable items, and contact your insurance agent with a phone number where you can be reached.
> Beware of fly-by-night repair businesses. Hire licensed, reputable and preferably local service providers.
> Recognize the different kinds of claims adjusters. Insurance companies send both employees and independent adjusters to assess damage and negotiate settlements. Public adjusters work independently and collect a percentage of the settlement you receive to cover their fees. Using a public adjuster will not necessarily speed up your claim or obtain a larger settlement on your behalf.
> Beware of unscrupulous adjusters who urge disaster victims to fraudulently overstate their damages.
> Beware of unlicensed adjusters. It is illegal to adjust claims in Florida without a license. Always demand positive identification and proof of license.
> Make sure your name is on the claim check.
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City Sends Search-and-Rescue Team to New Orleans  >>> Coral Gables Firefighter Mike Connors and his dog Hobbes, both nationally certified by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) in search and rescue operations, were dispatched on the morning of Aug. 29 to New Orleans to assist with relief efforts there. Connors, a 25-year veteran of the Coral Gables Fire Department, is working with Florida Task Force One, an urban search and rescue team. Connors and Hobbes are no strangers to rescue operations. The duo helped detect trapped victims after a building collapse in Puerto Rico, an American Airlines plane crash in Colombia, and after Hurricanes Opal and Charlie. The team has also participated in search missions for missing people.
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