Floridians brace for Fred amid spike in coronavirus cases
Updated Aug 13, 2021 11:13 AM EDT
AccuWeather's Sarah Gisriel was in Miami, Florida, on Aug. 12, as the city prepared for Fred.
Preparations were underway throughout Florida Thursday prior to the arrival of Fred, which became the sixth-named storm of the Atlantic season Tuesday evening and was later downgraded to a depression Wednesday night. AccuWeather forecasters say the system will strengthen again as it spins over the eastern Gulf just west of the state this weekend. Whether it arrives with the strength of a tropical storm or hurricane, there is never a convenient time to deal with an angry storm.
In this case, timing couldn't be worse.
With the coronavirus delta variant spreading rampantly throughout Florida and vaccination rates severely lagging for the state, White House officials are strongly urging residents to get vaccinated "to ensure they will be protected" in the event of possible evacuations.
Last week alone, Florida recorded 134,751 new coronavirus infections, more than any other state and more than many other countries. According to a statement from the White House on Tuesday, President Joe Biden met with leaders including FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell and NIAID Director Dr. Anthony Fauci for a briefing on how the virus has been transmitting in hurricane-prone states.
People wait in cars to get a COVID-19 test, Wednesday, Aug. 11, 2021, in Miami. COVID-19 has strained some Florida hospitals so much that ambulance services and fire departments can no longer respond as usual to every call. (AP Photo/Marta Lavandier)
(AP Photo / Marta Lavandier)
"The President was briefed on the data that demonstrates that the most important preparatory step people can take to prepare for peak hurricane season is to get vaccinated to ensure they will be protected from COVID-19 if they have to evacuate their homes," the statement said, adding that evacuated individuals will be given vaccination options at shelters and recovery centers.
The Red Cross said in a Wednesday statement that COVID-19 has not changed the organization's mission to provide support and ensure that people have a safe place to stay during a possible disaster.
"The Red Cross has pre-positioned shelter and relief supplies in advance of the storm, and has volunteers ready to help people in need," an update from the Red Cross read. "In coordination with local officials, the Red Cross is planning to open nine hurricane evacuation shelters across Florida in advance of Fred."
According to an update from the Florida Hospital Association on Tuesday, 14,787 COVID-19 patients were hospitalized in the state, with 84.9% of hospital beds in the state being occupied and 89.7% of all ICU beds utilized.
Nearly one-third of all hospital inpatients in the state arrive with COVID-19. The Florida Hospital Association did not immediately respond to requests for comments on upcoming Fred preparations.
Outside of the complications presented by the pandemic, dangers imposed by Fred's potential strength can't be forgotten either.
According to AccuWeather National Reporter Sarah Gisriel, emergency officials in Miami are operating on level three, which means they are keeping a close eye on forecasts and holding frequent calls with the National Hurricane Center (NHC). For many residents in South Florida, this certainly isn't their first rodeo when it comes to dealing with a tropical threat.
That's both a blessing and a curse, Frank Rollason, director of Emergency Management for Miami-Dade County, told Gisriel.
"People can get a little blasé, not pay much attention to it and say, 'I'm not going to put my shutters up this time ... I got tired of bringing in the lawn furniture,' that routine," Rollason said. "Then it hits the Florida Straits and hits our hot water, then all of the sudden that tropical storm is cranking up." Water temperatures on Thursday off the Miami coast as Fred neared ranged from 86 to 90 degrees.
Emergency officials told Gisriel that they don’t expect any mass evacuations or really much damage for that matter.
At beaches in Miami, Gisriel saw swimmers and visitors treat the day like just another week in paradise, including one group of recent high school graduates who said they aren't letting Fred disrupt any of their plans.
"We're trying to make it fun, we’ve been making this fun the whole time," one student said. "We haven’t slept in 24 hours," another said with a laugh.
High school students enjoying a post-graduation trip to the beach told AccuWeather National Reporter Sarah Girsriel that they aren't planning on letting Fred disrupt their fun. (AccuWeather/Sarah Gisriel)
To complicate matters further, this coming weekend in August is also a common time for students to move into dorms or apartments at colleges such as Florida State University in Tallahassee, the University of South Florida in Tampa and Eastern Florida State College in Brevard County.
Eastern Florida State College announced on Thursday that classes for the start of the fall semester will still begin on Monday. The university added that its decision was influenced by the storm's forecast track, which will take it into the Gulf of Mexico over the weekend and barreling right toward the Florida Panhandle by Monday morning.
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Both Florida State and South Florida will also be starting the move-in processes this weekend, with Florida State's spanning from Friday, Aug. 13, through Sunday, Aug. 22, and South Florida's beginning on Sunday, Aug. 15. Neither university immediately responded to requests for comments.
Florida International University in Miami shared in a Thursday statement that officials are actively monitoring the latest updates from the NHC.
"Although it is too early to determine if the storm will impact our region, South Florida remains in the storm’s forecast cone," the statement read. "If the storm heads our way, we can potentially experience heavy rain and some wind Friday evening and Saturday. This is a good time to make sure you and your family have several days’ worth of supplies and medicines."
And even if the Miami area escapes the worst of Fred, people throughout South Florida will want to pay close attention to AccuWeather as another tropical threat was already brewing in Fred's wake as of Thursday.
Keep checking back on AccuWeather.com and stay tuned to the AccuWeather Network on DirecTV, Frontier, Spectrum, FuboTV, Philo, and Verizon Fios.
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News / Hurricane
Floridians brace for Fred amid spike in coronavirus cases
Updated Aug 13, 2021 11:13 AM EDT
AccuWeather's Sarah Gisriel was in Miami, Florida, on Aug. 12, as the city prepared for Fred.
Preparations were underway throughout Florida Thursday prior to the arrival of Fred, which became the sixth-named storm of the Atlantic season Tuesday evening and was later downgraded to a depression Wednesday night. AccuWeather forecasters say the system will strengthen again as it spins over the eastern Gulf just west of the state this weekend. Whether it arrives with the strength of a tropical storm or hurricane, there is never a convenient time to deal with an angry storm.
In this case, timing couldn't be worse.
With the coronavirus delta variant spreading rampantly throughout Florida and vaccination rates severely lagging for the state, White House officials are strongly urging residents to get vaccinated "to ensure they will be protected" in the event of possible evacuations.
Last week alone, Florida recorded 134,751 new coronavirus infections, more than any other state and more than many other countries. According to a statement from the White House on Tuesday, President Joe Biden met with leaders including FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell and NIAID Director Dr. Anthony Fauci for a briefing on how the virus has been transmitting in hurricane-prone states.
People wait in cars to get a COVID-19 test, Wednesday, Aug. 11, 2021, in Miami. COVID-19 has strained some Florida hospitals so much that ambulance services and fire departments can no longer respond as usual to every call. (AP Photo/Marta Lavandier)
"The President was briefed on the data that demonstrates that the most important preparatory step people can take to prepare for peak hurricane season is to get vaccinated to ensure they will be protected from COVID-19 if they have to evacuate their homes," the statement said, adding that evacuated individuals will be given vaccination options at shelters and recovery centers.
The Red Cross said in a Wednesday statement that COVID-19 has not changed the organization's mission to provide support and ensure that people have a safe place to stay during a possible disaster.
"The Red Cross has pre-positioned shelter and relief supplies in advance of the storm, and has volunteers ready to help people in need," an update from the Red Cross read. "In coordination with local officials, the Red Cross is planning to open nine hurricane evacuation shelters across Florida in advance of Fred."
According to an update from the Florida Hospital Association on Tuesday, 14,787 COVID-19 patients were hospitalized in the state, with 84.9% of hospital beds in the state being occupied and 89.7% of all ICU beds utilized.
Nearly one-third of all hospital inpatients in the state arrive with COVID-19. The Florida Hospital Association did not immediately respond to requests for comments on upcoming Fred preparations.
Outside of the complications presented by the pandemic, dangers imposed by Fred's potential strength can't be forgotten either.
According to AccuWeather National Reporter Sarah Gisriel, emergency officials in Miami are operating on level three, which means they are keeping a close eye on forecasts and holding frequent calls with the National Hurricane Center (NHC). For many residents in South Florida, this certainly isn't their first rodeo when it comes to dealing with a tropical threat.
That's both a blessing and a curse, Frank Rollason, director of Emergency Management for Miami-Dade County, told Gisriel.
"People can get a little blasé, not pay much attention to it and say, 'I'm not going to put my shutters up this time ... I got tired of bringing in the lawn furniture,' that routine," Rollason said. "Then it hits the Florida Straits and hits our hot water, then all of the sudden that tropical storm is cranking up." Water temperatures on Thursday off the Miami coast as Fred neared ranged from 86 to 90 degrees.
Emergency officials told Gisriel that they don’t expect any mass evacuations or really much damage for that matter.
At beaches in Miami, Gisriel saw swimmers and visitors treat the day like just another week in paradise, including one group of recent high school graduates who said they aren't letting Fred disrupt any of their plans.
"We're trying to make it fun, we’ve been making this fun the whole time," one student said. "We haven’t slept in 24 hours," another said with a laugh.
High school students enjoying a post-graduation trip to the beach told AccuWeather National Reporter Sarah Girsriel that they aren't planning on letting Fred disrupt their fun. (AccuWeather/Sarah Gisriel)
To complicate matters further, this coming weekend in August is also a common time for students to move into dorms or apartments at colleges such as Florida State University in Tallahassee, the University of South Florida in Tampa and Eastern Florida State College in Brevard County.
Eastern Florida State College announced on Thursday that classes for the start of the fall semester will still begin on Monday. The university added that its decision was influenced by the storm's forecast track, which will take it into the Gulf of Mexico over the weekend and barreling right toward the Florida Panhandle by Monday morning.
CLICK HERE FOR THE FREE ACCUWEATHER APP
Both Florida State and South Florida will also be starting the move-in processes this weekend, with Florida State's spanning from Friday, Aug. 13, through Sunday, Aug. 22, and South Florida's beginning on Sunday, Aug. 15. Neither university immediately responded to requests for comments.
Florida International University in Miami shared in a Thursday statement that officials are actively monitoring the latest updates from the NHC.
"Although it is too early to determine if the storm will impact our region, South Florida remains in the storm’s forecast cone," the statement read. "If the storm heads our way, we can potentially experience heavy rain and some wind Friday evening and Saturday. This is a good time to make sure you and your family have several days’ worth of supplies and medicines."
And even if the Miami area escapes the worst of Fred, people throughout South Florida will want to pay close attention to AccuWeather as another tropical threat was already brewing in Fred's wake as of Thursday.
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Keep checking back on AccuWeather.com and stay tuned to the AccuWeather Network on DirecTV, Frontier, Spectrum, FuboTV, Philo, and Verizon Fios.
Report a Typo