Will,

That's exactly what's needed. Just a safe place to evacuate to.

Arranging for a safe place to go is a huge challenge on a budget.

I speak for the many who in our county don't have family, friends or a 3rd
vacation home to evacuate to once the hurricane direction is determined.

It becomes a Fellini movie as people learn where the hurricane is headed.

It's a mad dash dialing for dollars to find the few hotel rooms not booked.

You can book a hotel room in advance but you'll be charged if you don't
cancel that reservation in 24 hrs.

They now say you only need to vacate 15 miles away but they never share
which way - NE, due East, due North to drive.

That you determine by yourself again last minute.

So, you search for the closest town in the safest direction which already
has its hotels booked.

If this was coordinated with thoughtfulness and planning, resources could
be made available other than hotels where you could evacuate to and even
sleep in your car there safely until the hurricane has passed and then
drive back home.

Now, it's just crisis management on the run with government officials and
TV weathercasters sharing such helpful details like "Be sure you have a
plan!! "Always, be safe."

If this was left to libraries to coordinate, we'd get it right. We sure do
after the hurricane when people are in the shelters we're staffing or they
vist not having any cell phone service or lost their laptops in the storm
and need help reaching family, friends, insurance agents, medical
facilities, etc. We spent all hours of days and nights  for weeks helping
people who couldn't get help elsewhere. That's public libraries all over SW
Florida - not just our county.

Creative and constructive thoughts are appreciated both tech and non-tech
weather-risk management related.

One precaution everyone in Florida should be aware of .... now with the
weather events there's life-threatening flooding which they have not done
nearly enough to educate people nr taking measures to alleviate flooding
risk and hurricanes can create a tornado corridor so it's not advisable to
stay and just hunker down with those threats.

Right now I'm working on being able to use my prepaid phone to find an
evacuation location. I'll share that wth others with similar needs.

Thank you,

Charles.

Charlotte County Public County


Date:    Tue, 8 Jul 2025 00:11:13 +0000
From:    "Blake, Wil" <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: Re: [EXTERNAL EMAIL] Re: [CODE4LIB] Navigating with Cell Phone -
Data usage and planning

You might want just a few days on high ground somewhere, and then the
ability to quickly return and check your property when it's safe and
legally allowable.