Martin County outlines shelter operations, urges residents to prepare for hurricane season

Martin County emergency management described shelter operations, transportation and pre-storm staffing steps and urged residents to prepare during a county podcast and an on-site shelter training session.

The county said it maintains 10 designated shelters — including one special‑needs shelter and one pet‑friendly shelter — and that most shelters use school gymnasiums where each person is allotted about 20 square feet. Amy Heimberger Lopez, Martin County emergency management deputy director, said the sites are intended only to provide a safe place to weather a storm, not comfort or long‑term lodging. “It’s a lifeboat, not a cruise ship,” Heimberger Lopez said.

Why it matters: Shelters provide basic, life‑safety space for people without a safe, well‑built place to ride out a storm. Space, staffing and medical criteria limit who can be accommodated in particular shelters, so residents who think they may need a shelter should plan now and follow county messaging.

Most important details

- Shelter capacity and setup: The county operates 10 shelters total — one designated for special‑needs clients, one pet‑friendly site (cats and dogs accepted) and eight general‑population sites. Most shelters are set up in school gyms; the county allocates roughly 20 square feet per person for safety, not comfort.

- Special‑needs shelters and registration: Heimberger Lopez said there are medical criteria to use the special‑needs shelter; residents should register in advance. “You can register all throughout the year,” she said, noting that registration helps the county plan and that people will still be accepted if they need shelter during an event but pre‑registration is encouraged.

- Pets and other animals: The pet‑friendly shelter accepts cats and dogs; other animals (for example, reptiles or small mammals) require alternate arrangements.

- Transportation: The county provides transportation when needed. “If the people need it, we will provide it,” Heimberger Lopez said, adding that bus routes can be modified to serve the shelters the county opens. She emphasized that the county does not open all shelters for every event, so the closest shelter to a resident’s home may not be the one that opens.

- What to bring: The county will provide meals, but residents should plan to bring bedding, medications, important documents and personal items sufficient for several days. Officials advised assembling a go‑bag whether staying home, staying with friends or going to a shelter.

County preparedness and staff roles

County departments perform pre‑storm tasks including clearing storm drains, securing construction projects, hardening or taking down unsecured traffic signs, conducting bridge and culvert checks and surveying beaches and coastal areas for erosion. Field operations monitors flooded or blocked roads during storms and shares road‑status information with residents.

Heimberger Lopez described the county’s emergency operations posture: staff and county leadership work from the Emergency Operations Center and coordinate with state partners and the National Weather Service to gather and push timely information to residents. Field staff also assist with sandbag distribution and shelter staffing as part of routine storm operations.

Training and partnerships

The county trains shelter managers and deployable staff each year; roles include shelter managers, documentation specialists, transportation coordinators, case managers and medical support. Shelters are run in partnership with local school districts, the sheriff’s office, the Department of Health and other agencies; lifeguards and other county personnel may be reassigned from their usual duties to support shelter operations when beaches close.

Communication and next steps

County hosts said they will publish shelter openings, registration links and transportation details in the show notes for the podcast and on the county’s official hurricane information page and social media channels. Officials advised residents to rely on trusted sources — the county, the National Weather Service and local broadcast media — for the latest storm and shelter information.

Residents who may need special‑needs sheltering, transportation or pet accommodations were encouraged to register ahead of storms and to confirm which shelters will open when an event approaches.