As of 9:00 a.m. (Eastern Time) Thursday morning, the center of Tropical Storm Fay was located in the east central Florida coastal waters, approximately 20 miles east of Daytona Beach. Maximum sustained winds remain near 60 mph. Fay has been nearly stationary during the past few hours but is expected to begin a slow west-northwest motion towards the east central and northeast Florida coast line during the morning hours. Sustained tropical storm force winds will spread along coastal areas of northeast and east central Florida through Thursday morning.
Rain bands along the south side of Fay’s circulation will continue to produce flooding over the saturated soils of east central Florida. Locations south of Brevard County could experience storm totals near 30 inches of rain. Flood watches remain in effect for central and northeast Florida. A flash flood warning is in effect for Brevard County until 12:00 pm Thursday. A flashflood warning means that flooding is imminent or occurring. Take immediate actions to protect life and property.
Travel is not recommended anywhere in east central Florida tonight. A tropical storm warning is in effect for Fort Pierce northward to Altamaha Sound, Georgia. A tropical storm warning means that tropical storm conditions are expected within the next 24 hours. An inland tropical storm warning is in effect for interior section of east central and northeast Florida. This means that tropical storm conditions are expected within the next 24 hours.
Even if you are not in the path of the storm, it is a good opportunity to review and practice your disaster plans. This includes educating your patients and helping them to develop their disaster plan. Patients should be informed where to go, what to do and who to contact. The following are key areas to address in preparing patients:
- The Network has made available patient ID cards. Encourage your patients to use them. Additional copies can be downloaded from the FMQAI website at http://www.fmqai.com/ESRD/pdf/Emergency%20Hurricane%20Cards.pdf
- If an evacuation order is issued, patients should be given a copy of their treatment orders, medications, instructions on their emergency diet, a list of Florida dialysis facilities and facility emergency contact information. (Please do not distribute the phone numbers marked for “Staff Use Only” to patients.)
- If the patient is evacuating, ask where they plan to go and for an out of area contact number.
- Peritoneal dialysis patients and home hemodialysis patients should be contacted and prepared with ample supplies and information on how to contact their supplier.
Due to the current weather situation, please remain aware of updated advisories. The following are useful links that may benefit you as well as your patients:
Link to local EOC
http://www.floridadisaster.org/County_EM/county_list.htm
Link to Emergency Guide for People on Dialysis
http://www.medicare.gov/Publications/Pubs/pdf/10150.pdf
Link to Emergency Preparedness Guide for Dialysis Facilities
http://www.fmqai.com/ESRD/pdf/CMSDisasterPlanningGuide.pdf
Following the storm, please contact the Network to advise of your facility’s status and if you are in need of assistance. Also, please notify the Network if you are unable to locate one of your patients, as well as if you are assisting another facility by dialyzing one of their patients. Thank you for your ongoing attention to the safety of your patients.
Network Office – 813-383-1530
