Will Hampton’s Post

Hurricane Helene left an indelible mark on our hearts, but what about our rivers, lakes, & groundwater? (As we write this, Hurricane Milton is barreling toward Florida. Our thoughts & prayers are with those who find themselves in the path of another destructive storm.) After such devastation, what will come of our environment & our safety? Dive into the aftermath of the storms with us this week, week 227, as we welcome Josiah Frey (yep, Gary’s son!), an expert on water & environmental issues (& the mastermind behind an impressive emergency preparedness kit he developed after last year's windstorm in KY that left his family without power for a week!). Josiah will break down the risks to our water sources & share practical steps for safeguarding your family & business. Adam, Gary, & Jack will also touch on alternative funding sources—beyond just FEMA—like EIDL, GoFundMe, & other crowd-funding options to help you rebuild and bounce back if Helene (or Milton) got to you. Whether you’re a business owner, homeowner, or just concerned about your local environment, this webinar is a must. Date: Thursday, October 10, 2024 Time: 11 a.m. EST Cost: FREE Registration link in first comment We can’t change the past, but we can shape our future. Luckily, we get to do it together. Agree? #business #anythingbuttypical Shumaker, Loop & Kendrick, LLP BGW CPA, PLLC

Let me preface this by saying I hope all of you are safe and healthy as you recover from the aftermath of hurricane beryl. I know many are dealing with damage and debris, many without power and some without homes. Let us all be grateful for what we do have and help our neighbors in any way we can. As I drove to work this morning [past houses and businesses with no electricity, others with damage; trees & fences blown over; overflowing detention ponds; cars abandoned], listening to the news channel a sobering thought occurred to me. It made me very reflective and I hope you will bear with me as I share my thoughts. With the exception of our small slice of the planet, yesterday was just another day. Sobering isn't it, a day like yesterday for us is just a news story for the rest of the world. [Okay this may seem obvious but sometimes events like yesterday drive the point home] Seems like yesterday (not almost seven years ago) a similar story dominated the news and Houston was once more in the spotlight. Depending on how you count this was my 10th or 11th hurricane and more tropical storms than I can easily remember. Each was different but they all had one thing in common; the people of Texas are resilient, we pull ourselves up, help our neighbors, rebuild (sometimes where we shouldn't), and we persevere. Let me close by taking my hat off and saying a heartfelt 'Thank you' to our first responders (one of whom lost his life doing his job), public officials, emergency coordinators, NGOs and their volunteers, and especially those who jumped in to help their neighbors in a time of need. PS: if you were fortunate enough to come through unscathed, then help your coworkers who were not so fortunate. Do a little extra, cover their shift, let them know they can concentrate on getting their lives back in order because 'you got this'.

🌪️ As Hurricane Milton puts Central and Northern Florida in its cross hairs, we here at BackBone, Inc. are methodically wind and flood-proofing our ultra-swank Boca Raton-based headquarters. Though we’re not in its direct path, the system is so large and vicious that we’re expecting the outer bands to cause, at a minimum, massive flooding and power outages. We’ve been down this road before and have outlasted Katrina, Hugo, Wilma, Irma, Dorian and more, usually with minimal disruption, but this one feels different, because it is different. Even if Milton is downgraded to a Category 4 or 3 hurricane, it has the potential to reduce large swaths of Florida to fine rubble. ☑️ If you’re a small or home-based business in Milton’s direct path, or, like us, on its periphery, chances are you’re going through the standard checklist and are making all the recommended preparations. The following items are not usually included on a standard hurricane checklist; even if you’re safely out of Milton’s reach, you may find these tips useful in the face of any event or emergency that threatens business continuity and, while formally outside the scope of this post, your life and family’s welfare. https://lnkd.in/e42ERWBT #Milton

Hurricane Helene Makes Historic Landfall in Florida’s Big Bend Region Hurricane Helene has officially made landfall in Florida’s Big Bend region, and it is shaping up to be one for the history books. As a Category 4 hurricane, Helene brought catastrophic winds reaching up to 150 mph, historic storm surges, and widespread flooding. This storm is one of the most powerful to ever hit the Big Bend, leaving significant damage to infrastructure, homes, and, most importantly, the electric grid. For Tri County Electric Cooperative and other electric co-ops, this means an enormous task of restoring power in challenging conditions. Safety is the priority right now—residents are urged to follow evacuation orders and avoid flooded areas, downed power lines, and dangerous debris. At Kelly & Company, we’ve pre-staged our mobile kitchens, temporary housing, and support equipment just outside the storm’s path. Tomorrow morning, our team will move out to begin setting up base camp sites to support the heroic crews of Tri County Electric Cooperative and their sister cooperatives as they begin restoring power to communities in need. Our thoughts are with those affected, and we stand ready to assist in recovery efforts with our full range of mobile hospitality and logistical support services. Stay safe, Florida. We’re ready to help rebuild. #HurricaneHelene #BigBendRegion #DisasterRelief #EmergencyResponse #TriCountyElectric #KellyAndCompany #MobileHospitality #RecoveryEfforts #StormPreparedness

🏢 Preparing for Hurricane Milton: Keeping My Business and Family Safe 🌪️ We’ve all faced storms before, but Hurricane Milton feels different—stronger, more dangerous. With winds currently at 180 mph and storm surges expected to reach up to 15 feet, it’s a serious threat. 🌬️ This time, I’m not just worried about my home but also my business. For the first time, I’m genuinely scared. I’m making sure to: Secure my home and business—boarding windows and reinforcing any weak spots. 🛠️ Backup all important documents and files—ensuring I don’t lose valuable business data. 📂 Stock up on essentials—water, food, and power sources to keep things running. 💡 Prepare for flooding—moving critical equipment and items to higher ground. 🏠 While my house is built strong, we’re still in the storm’s pathway on the east coast, away from Tampa. And yes, some people refuse to leave, thinking this won’t be a big deal. But after seeing how quickly Milton strengthened—it was a Category 1 just days ago—this is no time for skepticism. The storm is expected to bring up to 18 inches of rain with severe flash flooding. 🌧️ Being prepared is essential, but I can't help feeling anxious about what lies ahead. Are you ready? What steps are you taking to ensure both your business and family are safe during this? Share your preparations below—let’s learn from each other and stay secure. #HurricaneMilton #BusinessSafety #StormPrep #BePrepared #FamilyFirst #StaySafe Find more information here. https://lnkd.in/gJEJa9Aj

As we head into another hurricane watch, I am witness to the good and bad of communication from our governments to their citizens across Florida. One coastal county sent a crucial alert about storm surge dangers, and in listing impacted communities, left out one of its coastal communities at greatest risk. It also sent that messaging via its county's "alert" system to citizens who signed up for text or email alerts. The messaging was not repeated on its social media channels (in the same hour), so how does the citizen who didn't sign up get informed? One county has a social media channel on one platform that hasn't been used for more than year but labeled for emergency management updates. Should it be taken down or refer users to a "live" platform? One city sent a notice to its citizens signed up on its alert notification program, but the messaging was not echoed on its website or social media channels. High praise to Lake County emergency management officials, public information officers and their respective cities, which invited media to discuss communication flow and cooperation prior to the start of hurricane season. More praise for counties and cities that use all their available communication platforms to try to reach citizens at critical moments, including working with the media to join them in a common goal of keeping people safe. Duplication and trying to reach as many people as possible is in everyone's best interest.

On October 9th Milton made landfall as a category 3 hurricane, which created several firsts for me. My first hurricane season living in Tampa, Florida. My first, time prepping for a major hurricane. My first time telling my family in MD and VA that I am not evacuating when they know me well for telling others to get the heck out Florida when I lived in Virginia.   When the wind gusts and rain were finally over, and Milton exited, many Floridians “woke” (if they got any sleep, I know we did not) to large parts of Florida without power.   The first thing I did was check the Florida SERT Power Outage Dashboard to see how many residences were without power. I was able to do this, because I live in one of the fortunate communities that did not lost power.    Over 3.3M on Thursday October 10th were without power. All I could see was red and darker red. My immediate thought was, this will take weeks upon weeks to restore, what will people do. As the days went on, the numbers and colors quickly changed. The numbers were moving in the right direction and by Monday October 14th the numbers were down to just over 300K, from 3.3M.   While many in Florida are still picking up the pieces from back-to-back hurricanes, The impact of having pre-event resources staged, the dedication of many who drove thousands of miles to get here just in time, saved Florida from having an even worse disaster after the storm. Sitting in Virginia and looking at maps over the years didn’t teach me what I know now. More to come. #resilient #TampaStrong #GIS

Helene is now a major hurricane and we are standing by to help affected communities. Since sunrise, Helene has intensified and will be at category 4 strength when it lands this evening. A dangerous storm surge of up to 20 feet is expected along parts of the Florida Big Bend coast, with hurricane-force winds spreading inland over northern Florida and southern Georgia. A Hurricane Warning is in effect for Anclote River to Mexico Beach, and a Storm Surge Warning for Tampa Bay and Charlotte Harbor. Here are some important things to keep in mind: 🔘If you live in Florida or southern Georgia, you should prepare to take shelter in the interior portion of a well-built structure and remain sheltered until hazardous conditions pass. 🔘Residents in Georgia and the Carolinas should prepare for long-duration power outages and possible damaging wind gusts. 🔘Place generators safely outside at least 20 feet away from doors, windows, and garages after the storm to avoid deadly carbon monoxide poisoning. MLU Services, Inc. is ready to support communities in need. Our expertise in disaster assistance logistics allows us to deliver aid swiftly and effectively to the areas that need it most. Stay safe by following official evacuation orders and keeping yourself informed. #HurricaneHelene #Preparedness #DisasterResponse

Amidst the onslaught of Hurricane Beryl, our locality found itself in the grip of nature's fury. Today, I want to share a story of resilience, leadership, and community support that emerged from this challenging experience. This is the second calamity of similar nature in the past 8 weeks. In the aftermath of the storm, my community rallied together to extend a helping hand to those in need. Despite the damage to our own properties, our neighborhood prioritized the well-being of others and our friends. Our community dedicated our time and effort to cleaning up yards, including tending to friend's property while they were away. The fierce winds, reaching speeds of 60 to 75 miles per hour which left our fences in shambles. However, amidst the chaos, we were fortunate enough to witness the calm of the storm's eye before the winds returned, this time blowing in the opposite direction. The strong winds downed trees littered the area, leaving nearly 2.7 M people without power. Our own household was not spared. Many like us must also we endure the lack of power, TV, and internet, along with limited cell phone reception. As a community we checked in on each other before during and after the storm. At times like this it is the community who is often first to respond as there are many in need. As we move forward, our focus turns to restoration and supporting our community and our own individual recovery efforts. Tomorrow, we will embark on repairing damage to our homes and assisting our neighbors with theirs. This experience has reinforced the importance of leadership, communication, effective risk management, and the power of a united community. It is during times of adversity that we truly understand the value of extending care and support to one another and our community. Join us in celebrating the spirit of resilience, leadership, and community support. Together, we can overcome any challenge that comes our way. #CommunityStrong #Resilience #LeadershipMatters #EffectiveRiskManagement #CaringForOthers

**US Southeast Struggles with Aftermath of Hurricane Helene; Calls for Continued Support and Preparedness** As we sift through the devastating aftermath of Hurricane Helene, our thoughts are with those affected in the Southeastern states. Once a fierce Category 4 storm, Helene has left a trail of destruction, with a heart-wrenching death toll that has climbed to three. The impacted families in North Carolina and Virginia are in our hearts during this challenging time. The relentless storm brought more than just strong winds and rain; it led to severe flooding, particularly in North Carolina's Outer Banks, pushing many into mandatory evacuations. The damage to infrastructure is extensive, with power outages affecting over 100,000 customers in the Carolinas alone, and significant disruptions to roads and bridges. In response, states of emergency have been declared across North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia. The National Guard is actively involved in evacuations and search and rescue operations. Yet, as the immediate danger of Helene recedes, the daunting task of recovery beckons, further compounded by the lingering scars from Hurricane Florence in 2018. 🌀 How prepared are we for such recurrent natural calamities? 🔗 Can we enhance our infrastructure to better withstand future storms? 🙏 What can we do to support those who are reeling from the impacts right now? The journey to recovery is long, and it requires the collective efforts of every one of us. Whether it's by following evacuation orders, staying informed, or offering a helping hand, every action counts. Let's also reflect on our preparedness strategies and consider how we, as a community, can improve. #HurricaneHelene #DisasterRecovery #CommunitySupport #EmergencyPreparedness #InfrastructureResilience Feel free to share your thoughts and experiences. How has the hurricane impacted you or your loved ones? What lessons should we take forward from these repeated natural disasters? Your insight is incredibly valuable as we navigate these challenging times together.