A handful of residents were recently treated to a wealth of pertinent information during the city’s Hurricane Preparedness Workshop. Representatives from the National Hurricane Center, Red Cross, Fire Rescue Services and various city departments spoke in a unified voice about the importance of early preparation and extending the discussion.

“I’d like to think that the attendance is a bit low because everyone knows this information and is making the necessary plans. Hopefully, everyone here will extend the conversation and discuss these measures with their neighbors,” said Boca’s emergency management coordinator Nicole Gasparri.

Meteorologist Robert Molleda made the trek north from the hurricane center in Miami and provided a comprehensive overview of the forecast process and Boca’s susceptibility.

“Based on history and all of the models, the chance of tropical storm or hurricane force winds passing within 75 miles of Boca Raton is about 15 percent. That may not seem like a big number, but the odds of winning the lottery hover in the .001 percentile but people do win,” he said.

Hurricane season officially began June 1, but Molleda said things really heat up in August.

“Based solely on numbers, Sept. 10 is the peak of the season. That said, sometimes people let their guard down a bit as we near October, but as we all know in South Florida, October can be a busy month,” he said.

Proper generator use and storage was a recurring theme, and public information officer Frank Correggio was emphatic about one particular point.

“Even if you don’t have a generator yourself, your neighbors may, and you should absolutely have a carbon monoxide detector. Do not run the generator near a vent or especially near an open window,” he said.

For information on city measures and programs, visit http://www.ci.boca-raton.fl.us/safety/hurricane.