The near miss - Hurricane Matthew. Preparing for the next time

We are all breathing a sign of relief that Miami-Dade was spared by Hurricane Matthew.  I want to thank everyone who was prepared, but I want to especially thank anyone who reached out to those in our community who needed assistance.  

Our Village Policing unit was ready and hard at work in case Hurricane Matthew created any issues. We dodge a bullet. It was great to see that Team Palmetto Bay - Police, Public Services & Parks all did their part and had our village ready and secure. It is all part of my 'Palmetto Bay "Ps"' which, of course, the biggest is PLANNING - and, of course "PEOPLE" as it is the people -who make up our residents, business owners, and staff that make our little #SmallTownUSA so great.  Here, in regard to security and safety, Great Job Major Serralta and team.

Related post of October 6: South Miami-Dade Emergency Hurricane Preparedness Meeting, held Wednesday, October 5, 2016, wherein I present some of the team effort that went into assessing preparations and working out cooperative efforts as we did at the South Dade Emergency Hurricane Preparedness Meeting.  I am proud of the intergovernmental coordination that occurred here in South Miami-Dade County - this was through the leadership of Miami Dade Mayor Carlos Giminez; our County Commissioner Daniella Levine Cava and Commissioner Dennis Moss.  South Dade was working together to prepare for whatever Hurricane Matthew might have brought.  Community leaders, Citizen's Insurance Officials and representatives from FPL met with State, County and Local government officials to assess and plan on how to best keep South Dade Safe! Thank you Rep. Kionne L McGhee for your leadership. See my short report on this collaborative meeting.   I posted updates on this meeting to both my Twitter (@EugeneFlinn) and Public Official Facebook page. 

I was fortunate that the storm, or lack of a direct hit, allowed me to address concerns throughout the village.  Through personal visits, and through police and/or staff, we maintained a constant presence thru the neighborhoods with minimal issues visible.  We are assessing and will continue to update our local Emergency Operations Plans.  

I'm extremely proud of staff and preparations, and I urge that we all stay vigilant as that future track has the storm looping back next week as a tropical storm (or much less). We will continue to monitor the situation to see if this projected track actually occurs. 

Thank you again, 

Eugene Flinn, Mayor
Palmetto Bay