GULFPORT, Fla. (WFLA) — With only a few days left until the hurricane season begins, the City of Gulfport is urging its residents to get ready now.
The city organized its annual Hurricane Preparedness Seminar on Thursday evening. For some attendees, it marked their first time at the event, while others returned but noted this year feels particularly different.
“I think the reality of what happened this year and people’s lived experiences have left them quite traumatized. It’s significant that people are here, not only to gain insights but to immediately return home and create their checklist by tomorrow,” said Mayor Karen Love.
Gulfport resident Lisa Onessimo said she wants a new approach to hurricane season after what she experienced during Hurricanes Milton and Helene.
“I want to know where we’re going, how we’re getting there, what to do,” Onessimo said. “Ever since we had the hurricane from the last year, I lived in Gulfport and I’m here today to get a good grip because it was tough for us.”
A few dozen people attended and some asked questions about shelters, flood dam doors, communication, sandbags, and more.
“What’s the city going to do for sewer or to take care of the water?” one man asked.
“Could we get some safety tips about how to deal with the risk of electrical fires?” a woman asked after saying the house across the street from her was on fire following one of the storms.
The fire department told residents to make sure to turn off electrical breakers.
The city said it is working on a watershed master plan to explore options on how to improve drainage and should have answers by the end of the year.
Post-storm preparations is one thing, and 8 On Your Side asked the mayor specifically about plans to improve the rebuilding process for residents.
“Well, I don’t think I can answer that question right now. We’re working on things; we’re presenting two different options. Everything takes a little bit of time, we are looking at changing our model or potentially farming it out to the county,” Love said.
The mayor said they are working on permits every day and have dedicated meetings toward the matter specifically.
Those at the meeting emphasized getting away from the water, evacuating when told to, and the risk it puts first responders in when people don’t evacuate.
“I need to be safer. I should’ve left and I didn’t and that was my fault,” Onessimo said.
“It’s heartbreaking. It makes you go back and cry because you want to pull everybody you can, it’s just thank God everybody survived,” said Gulfport Fire Rescue Deputy Fire Chief James Lundh.
For more information on Gulfport’s preparedness plan, click here.
