As Floridians brace for an "above average" hurricane season this year, Tampa Electric (TECO) has partnered with Meals on Wheels to ensure seniors and homebound residents in the Tampa Bay area have food, water and other storm essentials to stay safe should a hurricane or tropical storm threaten.
Volunteers assembled and delivered 1,000 hurricane preparedness packs containing five shelf-stable meals, bottled water, a battery-operated lantern, a disaster preparedness guide and shelter information.
"With help from Tampa Electric and Meals on Wheels, hundreds of households in our community are now stocked up with essentials and prepared to face severe weather," said Rep. Susan Valdés, who toured the Meals on Wheels facility and helped assemble the preparedness kits. "It's incredible to see our community work together and support one another even before disaster strikes."
Other companies also participated, including volunteers from Grow Financial Federal Credit Union, Suncoast Credit Union, Elevation Church, TCM Bank, Cogent Bank and MGM Electric.
While most are able to put plans in place should a hurricane threaten, seniors and homebound residents face additional hurdles that make evacuating more challenging. The population is at higher risk of danger during storms because it is more difficult to leave home or gather supplies. The hurricane packs will allow those who are unable to leave by providing essentials while the individuals wait for conditions to better and for help to become available.
Meals on Wheels has been helping vulnerable individuals for hurricane season since 2007, assembling similar hurricane preparedness kits with shelf stable meals, water and vital information.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has forecast up to 25 named storms this season. Colorado State University, meanwhile, has projected that Florida has a 96% chance of being affected by a named storm, a 75% likelihood of encountering a hurricane and a 44% chance of experiencing a major hurricane.
Predictions are driven by near-record warm Atlantic Ocean temperatures, as well as La Niña conditions in the Pacific, reduced trade winds and less wind shear, which can disperse and weaken storms.
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