OLDSMAR, Fla. — Hurricane season is here, and the City of Oldsmar is trying a new approach when it comes to reminding people of the importance of following evacuation orders.
They have created the Pledge to Evacuate.
Kelly O’Brien’s family is one of 75 families in Oldsmar that signed the pledge. The city manager said it’s their latest effort to keep its residents safe.
“During the last storm, we noticed that a number of people did not evacuate,” said city manager Felicia Donnelly. “It's a concern for the city because most of the city is located in an Evacuation A Zone or a mobile home, so they are usually evacuated first."
Donnelly believes the pledge could make a real difference.
“I do feel that signing your name to something, it does make you accountable to yourself and to your family,” said Donnelly.
“I think signing your name is good. It’s a good commitment,” said Kelly O’Brien.
“If you have seen the devastation from the other storms that have come through here in the past, like Fort Myers, I can’t take a chance with the safety of our family,” said husband Robert O’Brien.
The O’Brien family recalled evacuating to a local school gymnasium back in 2017 during Hurricane Irma. Their daughter, Fallon, was only 5 years old at the time.
“You don’t know what the experience is going to be like but it was actually kind of fun from her perspective,” said Kelly. “We evacuated to Carwise Middle School. We brought toys and games, and our bedding and all of that stuff, and my mom brought her violin, and she and a friend of hers entertained people in the hallway.”
Fortunately for the O’Briens, they returned to a house with minimal damage.
“So I’m glad we made that decision just because you never know,” said Kelly. “I’d encourage other families to sign the pledge just to join our community in an agreement that we will take the storms seriously, take the weather warning seriously.”
To access the Pledge to Evacuate, click here.
“It will guide you through a number of resources that you need to be successful,” said Donnelly.
“And it really prepares you to make the commitment to leave when it’s time to go,” said Kelly.
“I’m glad our family signed the pledge, and I hope other families will sign it too,” said Fallon.
A state report says hundreds of frail elderly nursing home residents were stacked side by side, head to toe in a small church with no working air conditioning or refrigerator during Hurricane Helene.
