Because of the size of last year's event, Antapasis said organizers moved the expo to the community center to provide more space and additional parking for attendees.
"Our biggest takeaway is prepare now," Antapasis said. "Get ahead of it, make your plans, get your hurricane kits in place, stay informed and sign up for emergency alerts in your jurisdiction. Residents should visit Tampa.gov/hurricane to look up the new evacuation zones. We're recommending everyone check their evacuation zone to see whether anything has changed for them or their business. These changes mostly mean that many areas previously in Evacuation Zone B are now in Zone A, and Evacuation Zone E, our worst-case scenario zone, has expanded."
When residents entered the community center, Tampa Fire Rescue staff handed out red bags containing emergency preparedness kits and a checklist. Attendees who visited each information station and received a mark on their sheet were entered into a raffle for a chance to win a free generator.
Organizations represented at the event included the Tampa Community Emergency Response Team (CERT), Florida Health, Humane Society of Tampa Bay, TECO, Disaster Assistance Insurance Helpline, First Onsite, the City of Tampa Office of Emergency Management, NOAA, HART Emergency Services, the City of Tampa Water Department and Rapid Recovery Team.
"Keep prepared. Get the information early on, and know what you need in case you get stuck at home for more than three days," said Diana Soto Rivera, a CERT member.
Rivera said CERT volunteers serve as a point of contact for the fire department. While they are not medical professionals, they receive training in CPR, bleeding control and recognizing emergency situations.
At their table, CERT members handed out flashlights, ponchos and informational flyers.
The Office of Emergency Management informed residents that evacuation maps have changed.
Officials said many residents who previously were not in evacuation zones may now find themselves in one because of updated data. The expanded evacuation zones prompted the office to provide maps that allowed residents to look up their addresses and sign up for Hurricane Re-Entry Hang Tags.
Representatives said the tags help ensure residents and business owners can return to their properties following a mandatory evacuation. The tags take at least 30 days to process.
Rapid Recovery Team distributed fire blankets and shared information about the increased risk of home fires during hurricane season.
"A lot of times when we come on site, clients have to wait up to three hours for Red Cross assistance, so we offer these free blankets and help provide 24 to 48 hours of hotel access," said Terry Campbell, account manager for Rapid Recovery Team. "When it's raining, electrical issues in homes can increase the risk of fires and smoke damage. From June 1 through November, my biggest focus is helping people understand what they can do to prevent these situations."
Between magazines, flyers, checklists and free emergency equipment, residents left the event with bags full of preparedness resources.
For residents who were unable to attend, the photo gallery below provides images of the event, hurricane preparedness checklists and other important information shared during the event.
