Photo by Monroe Roark
Ahead of Hurricane Milton, residents in Kenneth City have been preparing to shelter in place or evacuate. Meanwhile, Town officials are working around the clock to help residents who need assistance.
The Gabber Newspaper spoke with a Kenneth City official and a resident to learn more about how people in this Pinellas County town are preparing to weather Hurricane Milton.
Kenneth City Preparations
Throughout Oct. 7 and 8, Kenneth City officials set up sandbag operations at the Public Works Building (46th Avenue and 58th Street North) The Town provided up to 10 sandbags per household. Sandbag giveaways ended at 1 p.m. on Oct. 8.
“Our sandbag station is currently out of bags, but we have plenty of sand left,” posted Kenneth City Mayor Megan Zemaitis on the morning of Oct. 8. “So if you still need sandbags please come with your own bag. Garbage bags, shopping bags, tote bags — all will work.”
“We are doing the best that we can, and all of our officers are all-hands on deck,” said Noy Southivongrath, the senior administrator of Kenneth City’s police force. Officers who live across the bay drove in early to work on Oct 8.
“If there’s anything that we can do to help in whatever ways that we can, at least for me to be a resource. However, it is our officers that is putting their lives on the line [sic],” said Southivongrath. She also noted that Chief Michael Vieno from Kenneth City’s PD – also pulling double-duty as acting Town Manager – was working in the streets of Kenneth City.
“Our officers are actively making rounds,” Southivongrath explained. During the rounds, officers inspect fallen trees and other damages within the town and then work with Public Works employees to address issues.
Southivongrad noted that City personnel are busy.
“They try to get out there as fast as possible to avoid any road disruption,” she said. On the morning of Oct. 9, Southivongrad noted the Town had no road closures yet.
“I want to give a shout out to all of our hard-working employees who are making sure this town is prepared,” Zemaitis posted on Facebook. “DPW has been working to pick up all the brush around our community and clearing out our drains and our Police Department is readying our equipment for rescues and clean up.”
Stay Safe Through Hurricane Milton
“People are taking this hurricane more seriously because of what happened with the last one,” Southivongrad said. Hurricane Helene’s aftermath for residents in cities like Gulfport, a few miles away from Kenneth City, was catastrophic.
“Milton is a major hurricane and I hope everyone takes the necessary precautions to stay safe,” Zemaitis posted on social media.
While some prepared with sandbags, Kenneth City resident Chris Vanderkooi evacuated.
“Our house is not in a flood zone,” said Vanderkooi during a phone call with The Gabber Newspaper on Oct. 9. “But with the wind and the large oak tree in my backyard, we felt it was prudent to get out of the way.”
“Heed the warnings of the officials and the news people. Clean up all your small plants and anything that could become a missile,” advised Vanderkooi. “If they tell you ‘leave,’ leave. You know the old adage is: ‘Hide from the wind, run from the water,’ and I believe that is 100% true.”
Information for Kenneth City residents
The Town is referring people who need a place to seek refuge to the shelter list provided by the county.
Residents can find Pinellas County resources such as the Emergency Management website, which can help locate flood and emergency information.
For power outages, the Town is referring people to Duke Energy’s website. Southivongrad also noted that the power bills include a phone number.
For other questions, you can also call Kenneth City’s police department at 727-498-8942.
