People who live along the Treasure Coast aren’t taking down the shutters just yet, and that’s the message being shared by emergency crews. Although on Saturday, many families decided to trade in their power tools for water toys and enjoy the Florida sunshine.
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“We are tying down kayaks instead of tying down shutters,” said Vero Beach resident Geoff Wolf.
Wolf and a few of his kids decided to spend their Saturday afternoon enjoying the water at a nearby park.
“We are bracing for the worst of course, but while this one moves slowly we have some time to enjoy what we have for now,” said Wolf.
Wolf says after 20 years of living in Florida he and his neighbors know how to efficiently prepare their families for a storm. He says once Vero Beach was in the cone of uncertainty the whole neighborhood started putting up their shutters and bringing in patio furniture.
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Drive through neighborhoods up and down the Treasure Coast and you’ll see similar situations. There’s plywood and shutters in front of windows and doors of businesses and residences.
Although mandatory evacuations have been lifted, emergency officials in Martin County are warning residents to continue preparing.
“Tomorrow morning we could wake up and it could be pointed right at us again so don’t let your guard down,” said Fire Chief Bill Schobel.
According to the latest models, the possibility of tropical storm force winds and heavy rain from Hurricane Dorian are expected.
“I’ve had some folks disappointed that they went through all this effort, but I think of it as hurricane boot camp. It gave you an opportunity to clean your garage and get your yards prepared,” said Martin County Commissioner Ed Ciampi.
Beaches along the Treasure Coast closed at 5 p.m. Saturday. Officials say they will remain closed until further notice.
