POST-MILTON UPDATE: Monday October 14, 2024 at 8:00 pm:
Many traffic lights remain out throughout Pinellas County. Please stay off the roads unless absolutely necessary. If you must be out, please be very careful; treat all non-working traffic lights like 4-way stop signs. Roads are still being cleared of debris, tree limbs, & downed power lines, so avoid unnecessary travel. Power is likely to flicker and go on-and-off as crews work to restore power. We're still working remotely and will be answering phones and checking email, but at this time ask that people not to call unless the need is urgent.
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Tenants: If your property was damaged during the storms, please take a few clear pictures so that we can see what's been damaged and email them to us. Please call us as well so that we can get more information. We'll respond to damage/repair calls as quickly as we can, but there may be other Tenants with more severe property damage. Our first priority will be assessing damage to properties and prioritizing responses based on the severity of the damage. A lot of people have been affected by this storm; please be patient, as we live here and have also been affected by the storm.
** Our office will reopen once utilities have been restored. ** We'll continue monitoring the After Hours Emergency line (727-733-7368) and email if you need to reach us. Please not drive your vehicle into areas of standing water or over downed power lines, and NEVER use candles or open flames in your unit for lighting, or for any other reason!
If you are experiencing a life-threatening emergency, please call 911!
For the latest information, you can check with the National Hurricane Center (nhc.noaa.gov), Baynews9, the Weather Channel, Accuweather, or your local TV stations. You can also use the Florida Storms website (or their app) at https://floridastorms.org/. If your power is out CNN has a low bandwidth site (lite.cnn.com).
Get weather updates from Bay News 9. Get tropical storm updates from the National Hurricane Center.
Important Links:
Please begin planning early. Find all your emergency papers now. Keep your car full of gas. Stock up on fresh water. Our office will be closed during the storm, but we will monitor phones if possible. For safety reasons handymen and other repair persons will not be available during or immediately after the storm. You will need to call 911 dispatch and the utility directly for help.
Bay News 9 FloridaDisaster.org/shelters/
National Hurricane Center Ready.gov/hurricanes
Pinellas shelter Info Pinellas evacuation map (PDF file)
Pasco Emergency Management Pasco Shelter locations
Property Owners:
We will do our best to reach out to you before a Hurricane or Tropical Storm arrives to remind you have your insurance payments current and claim information ready for after the storm. If we know what your tenant's plans are at the time of our call, we will tell you. Do not expect the tenants to board up your property.
Our office will do our best to assist you with insurance after the storm, but please understand that communications may be a challenge, and it is highly unlikely that we and/or any repair persons will be able or allowed to drive by damaged areas immediately after the storm.
We realize that those of you that live out of state or country may be very worried about your property after the storm. Please do not leave multiple voicemails, as our cell phones can only hold so many at a time and we may not be able to clear them. We will be working from home once the storm arrives and we have a generator, but it is possible that phone and internet services will be down for days after, which means we will not be able to communicate. We plan to update this page as frequently as possible, if we have power & internet This may be a long journey with insurance claims. Take a deep breath and remember what is really important.
If you have pets:
If you're evacuating with pets, you can find a list of pet friendly shelters on the Pinellas County Emergency Preparedness site. You must register ahead if you're bringing a pet to an evacuation shelter, and there are limits.
Residents who are evacuating with their pets should remember to bring these suggested supplies:
Proper identification Immunization records
County license rabies tag Food and water (2 wks. supply)
A carrier or portable kennel Medications
Muzzle, collar, and leash Manual can opener
Current photo of pet Feeding and water bowls
Favorite toys and blanket Cat litter/pan and scoop
Grooming items Plastic bags to handle waste
Tenants:
We'll be reaching out to Tenants in properties likely to be affected due to the projected strength and direction of the storm. Please call the office (727-216-6971) if you'll be evacuating/leaving the area, and leave your emergency contact phone numbers. This is very important.
Our office will remain closed until utilities have been restored and roads cleared. We are monitoring the after hours phone (727-733-7368) and email for any major property management issues, as long as we have electricity and access to the internet (and the phones are working). Please call 911 for all emergencies, and know your electric and water utility numbers.
You'll be on your own during the storm and possibly for a day (or more) after it passes, and we cannot promise that repair persons will be available, or able to drive around depending on the impact of the storm and its aftermath.
Report in by email (office@collmanproperties.com) after the storm if you can't reach us by phone. We may or may not be able to retrieve voicemails, but at least the emails will still be something we can access later on. Most importantly, please stay safe!
Lic. Florida Broker Specializing in Property Management for The Tampa Bay Area
Central Pinellas Realty
( a DBA of Collman Properties, Inc. )