DEERFIELD BEACH UNDER HURRICANE WARNING

All areas of Broward County are under a Hurricane Warning due to Hurricane Matthew. Tropical Storm force winds are expected in Broward County Thursday morning with strongest winds by Thursday afternoon into Friday mid-day. There is also a possibility of tornado activity.

There is a voluntary evacuation for residents in low-lying areas and mobile homes.  Nine County shelters will open at 9PM, tonight, Wednesday, October 5th.

Residents are strongly encouraged to take protective actions and begin to implement their family emergency plan in preparation for the arrival of Matthew. At this time, residents should:

• Put up shutters. Bring in patio furniture and loose objects from around your home.
• Make plans to evacuate if you choose to do so.
• Do not trim trees and vegetation at this time. Secure large items and loose tree trimmings around your home or business

The Broward County Emergency Operations Center will go to a Level I (fully activated operation) at 7AM, Thursday. The Broward County Call Center, 311, is now open 24/7 as an Emergency Hotline to answer resident’s questions.

The latest closings and cancellations can be found on broward.org/hurricane. Travelers are advised to call their airlines and cruise lines for cancellations.

Residents Should Stay Informed by tuning in to television and radio for up-to-the-minute information and public safety advisories. Information about what you can do to prepare for Matthew can be found by visiting broward.org/hurricane. You can also follow:  @DFB_CITY on Twitter, City of Deerfield Beach on Facebook, Broward County on Twitter @ReadyBroward, subscribe to Broward County Emergency Updates via email and “Like” us on Facebook.com/BrowardEMD.

SAND BAGS AVAILABLE FOR RESIDENTS TO PICK UP

 The City of Deerfield Beach Environmental Services Department will be giving out sand bags today from 8:00AM to 5:00PM, Thursday-8:00AM to 4:00PM or until supplies last at the following location:

Environmental Services
200 Goolsby Blvd.
Deerfield Beach, FL 33442

 For more information call 954-480-4400/4401

By Rachel Galvin

We’ve all been watching Hurricane Matthew as it barrels down on areas like Haiti and Cuba but now it has headed toward South Florida. The question is will it make impact as a Hurricane in the Sunshine State? At first there was some uncertainty. The percentages slowly increased but nothing was set in stone. But now we are under a Hurricane Warning, which means that wind speeds of 74 mph or higher are possible. It is a Category 4 storm at this time, which could change, which on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale equals 130-156 mph winds. This means that “well-built framed homes can sustain severe damage with loss of most of the roof structure and/or some exterior walls. Most trees will be snapped or uprooted and power poles downed. Fallen trees and power poles will isolate residential areas. Power outages will last weeks to possibly months. Most of the area will be uninhabitable for weeks or months.” However, the storm is still at sea and, at this time, is not hitting us directly, so we may have wind closer to a tropical storm or possibly with Hurricane force gusts. But the storm has kept inching west. Will it come closer to the shoreline? We don’t know yet.

People have been rushing out to stock up on water and do other things to complete their Hurricane Preparedness check list. With memories of Hurricanes like Wilma on their mind, they wanted to make sure they were as prepared as possible. In that vein, Gov. Rick Scott declared a state of emergency in Florida. He said that the hurricane must be taken seriously and if it directly impacts the state, we could see massive destruction unseen since Hurricane Andrew.

Deerfield Beach is also getting ready, adding information on their website (www.deerfield-beach.com), including important numbers to call and encouraging people to sign up for Code Red (under Residents, under Register For) and stay close to social media. They also have a Hurricane Guide online.

As of press time, Rebecca Medina-Stewart, who does Public Relations for the city, said, “We are taking this storm seriously and prepping as if it’s coming our way. We expect flooding and plenty of debris to be cleaned up once Matthew is gone. Our staff is on alert and ready to respond if and when the call comes.  We cannot stress enough that everyone should prepare for this.”

She added that they should know by 11 a.m. Wednesday whether the Emergency Operation Center locally will be activated. If there are evacuations, systems like Code Red would be a good way to stay informed – she is encouraging residents to sign up.

Florida Power & Light has also been preparing for possible outages. Their phone number to report an outage is 1-800-468-8243 (1-800-4-outage).

As of now, Broward County Schools are closed on Thursday and Friday, but this could change.

For tips on dealing with a hurricane, also check out The Observer’s Hurricane section online at www.observernewspaperonline.com. We also will be posting updates as we get them on our website homepage.

By Rachel Galvin

Although the Butler House’s book event on Sept. 25 was cut short by the morning downpour, authors had the chance to mingle with each other, and trade books and stories. The Woman’s Club and Deerfield Historical Society volunteers sold hot dogs and hamburgers, and tours of the Butler House were given.

Delores M. Walters had the chance to chat with some of those who had gathered about her book Gendered Resistance: Women, Slavery and the Legacy of Margaret Garner, which follows the life of Margaret Garner, a pre-Civil War slave who killed her 2-year-old daughter rather than having her subjected to slavery. Her story was turned into an opera and also a novel called Beloved by Toni Morrison, and later a film by the same name starring Oprah Winfrey. www.deloresmwalters.net.

M.C.V. Egan spent 20 years researching for her book Bridge of Deaths (www.thebridgeofdeaths.com) about a 1939 plane crash before Hitler invaded Poland. She has a personal connection to the story. Her grandfather was on that plane. Besides historical details, she obtained insight through a seemingly accurate psychic and the story is told from 2010 looking back at details through past-life regression. This was just one book she had available.

“I wrote the book in 2011,” said Egan. “I have been writing since I was a kid. I am originally from Mexico City, Mexico and wrote to my friends from Mexico about the United States. I honed my letter writing skills [which later led to writing the book]. I also studied in France and wrote letters from there.”

Carol White showed off certificates of various awards she has received, as well as her three books of contemporary fiction.

Like the other mentioned authors, she also traveled from Delray Beach www.AlexandraGoodwin.com. She sat with Alexandra Goodwin, who penned Exchange at the Boarder and another title. Both women are members of the National League of American Pen Women.

Deerfield Beach resident Andrew Jennings Dickerson was here for his third year. Besides his book Magnificent Questions, he is still looking for a producer for his Broadway musical www.TheMagnificentCompany.com.

Lisa Eva Gold came all the way from Palm Beach Gardens with a diverse array of books, including one on a teenager aging out of foster care, which focuses on mentorship and the importance of healthy relationships, books about chronic fatigue and mental breakdown, and books about learning to play the piano. www.justplayproduction.org.

She said of the event, “This is a wonderful approach to welcoming in the fall season in historical Deerfield Beach, and it brings together a collective diverse group of local Florida authors. ”

These are just a few of the authors at this event. There was also a used book sale and many people came inside the Kester Cottage to escape the rain and look at the historical items, or went into the Butler House for a tour.

Since it rained, the Historical Society is offering a chance for authors to get exposure by scheduling a time to be at the house during one of their Saturday Butler House tours, with two to three authors in each time slot. Look for those to be advertised before each event.

For more on the Butler House and its events, visit www.deerfieldbeachhistoricalsociety.com.