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Former FEMA boss grades Sarasota on response to Hurricane Irma

Overturned trailer homes are seen in the aftermath of Hurricane Irma on September 11, 2017 over the Florida Keys, Florida.

SARASOTA, Fla. -- “The more people you get to evacuate, the better chance you have in keeping the loss of life to a minimum,” said Craig Fugate, the former FEMA director.

He spoke to Sarasota County leaders and emergency officials Friday morning.

The meeting at the Suncoast Technical College is the last in Hurricane Irma After Action Review, looking back at the county’s response to the storm.

Fugate was hired to review the county’s plan.

He told the group, “Surge is what we’re evacuating from. Hope is not a strategy … we have to go to maximum protection.”

Since hurricane season is 17 weeks away, Sarasota County reviewed what went wrong and what went right during Hurricane Irma so it can do a better job next time.

Fugate told the county it needs to simplify its plan and make it accessible to everyone. He suggested evacuating by region not by zone, opening all hurricane shelters, closing empty ones as needed and making all shelters pet-friendly.

“This is all about saving lives. It might cost money on the front end, but the reality is if we give better options to people before a storm hits, hopefully they will head the evacuation orders and go to a safe location,” said Fugate.

Getting mobile home owners to evacuate from Venetian Park Estates off U.S. 41 was a problem during Irma.

“There was a lot of confusion. The hurricane was approaching, so what to do 72 hours out, what to do 48 hours?” said Alan Nelson, who lives at Venetian Park Estates.

Adding to the confusion, the mobile home park sits in two flood zones.

“Our community, according to the county’s flood charts, sits in Zone B. I’m in Zone C. When we’re told to evacuate it’s a confusing issue,” explained Nelson.

Nelson was so concerned about his neighbors not having the right information, so he formed a grassroots group. They drafted an easy-to-follow plan with guidance from Emergency Management.

But after today’s meeting and hearing the proposed changes, Nelson feels better about the county’s response to the next hurricane.

“They have an excellent plan; they're just looking to tweak it," he said. "They’re being very proactive.”

Fugate said for having evacuated a record 20,000 people, Sarasota did a good job adjusting to the changing weather conditions. Fugate also said the county has built and trained a good team.

His final report will be ready March 14.

Sarasota's emergency officials say many of Fugate’s suggestions are already being worked into the county's plan.

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