Gulfport seeking a commitment from residents to evacuate ahead of a major storm

PINELLAS COUNTY, Fla. — Nearly a year after hurricanes Helene and Milton, the City of Gulfport is still deep in hurricane recovery and rebuilding, with more than 500 homes and businesses being reviewed for substantial damage. 

Hurricane Helene’s catastrophic storm surge and flooding remain vivid in the minds of residents and Gulfport City Council member Marlene Shaw.

“I’ve lived in Florida and Pinellas County for 43-years, and then I’ve lived in Gulfport for 31 years, and I’ve never seen anything like this, whether it be the flash floods or the hurricanes,” said Shaw who represents Ward 2 in the coastal community.

“One of the takeaways I had from the Tampa Bay Regional Planning Council’s Summit on Resiliency wasn’t only the Pledge to Evacuate, but it was also that we need to learn to live with water, and so it’s not only a resource that we need to be aware of to conserve, but we also need to prepare for the impacts of it. Weather is completely unpredictable,” Shaw added.

She recently spearheaded the effort to implement the Pledge to Evacuate for Gulfport residents with an online resource that helps inform residents how to prepare for storm season and requires them to formally acknowledge hurricane preparedness criteria with their signature and personal contact information.

City leaders describe the process as transitioning from reactive to proactive by encouraging neighbors to prioritize safety.

“We see our neighbors commit to things and then we become more open to committing to that as well. We need that culture of preparedness and to encourage each other. I’ve worked with communities for a number of decades now, and people are very inclined to say, ‘Well, I want to stay in my own home,’ and yet they don’t realize afterwards when we’re without power that there’s there is no way for the first responders to be able to help, and of course, we don’t want to endanger them,” Shaw said.

It’s a situation that Gulfport resident Jimmy Pagani lived through last fall when he decided to ride out the storm in his home that sits across the street from the beach.

Fearing for his life with floodwaters up to his neck, he says he’ll never forget the night of Sept. 26 last year when the water and waves from Boca Ciega Bay were banging on his front window. He had to walk several blocks to safety while holding his cell phone high in the air, which prevented him from swimming.

“I have lived in Florida 40 years and never evacuated a storm ever, and I’ll probably never sit through one again,” said Pagani.

“Do whatever you can to secure your house and make it as watertight as possible, and then go on, leave the area and come back later,” he added.

Pagani agrees wholeheartedly with city leaders’ efforts to urge residents to get out of harm’s way.

“Storm surge and evacuate zones are based upon storm surge elevation,” said city spokesperson Justin Shea. “For example, if A, B and C zones order to evacuate, you just have to get to a D zone to be safe from the surge. Know where you’re going to go. Know what you’re going to do with your pets. Know what shelters are available in the area. Get all those tools together, and the pledge is another way to activate that process,” Shea continued.

In addition to the online pledge, the city has a comprehensive list of resources on its recently launched Hurricane Center website.

“By making the pledge, residents and businesses commit to developing and evacuation plan, understanding their evacuation zone, packing a personal go-bag, and following instructions of local emergency officials,” said Shea.