Florida Catholic | Venice Diocese in storm's projected path

Venice Diocese in storm’s projected path

‘as prepared as we can be’

BOB REDDY | FLORIDA CATHOLIC VENICE BUREAU EDITOR

Published: 08.18.08 | Updated at 7:55 p.m.

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Florida Division of Emergency Management

VENICE | The first rain bands of Tropical Storm Fay reached the Diocese of Venice — in Everglades City — before 9 a.m. Monday, Aug. 18; By the time they reached Venice about 2:30 p.m., area residents were looking at an ominous official forecast from the National Hurricane Center.

Forecasters there were predicting the storm would intensify during the evenine into a category 1 hurricane and make landfall on Florida’s southwest coast, probably in the diocese around Naples, around 12:30 a.m. Tuesday.

“We are as prepared as we can be,” Peter Roustis–Arroyo, CEO of Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Venice Inc., said Monday. “We learned a lot from hurricanes Charley (2004) and Wilma (2005) and will be ready to go as soon as it is clear for us to be out on the streets.”

Roustis–Arroyo participated in a conference call with Catholic Charities representatives from around the state to coordinate relief efforts as needed after the storm passes. He also contacted the Catholic Charities offices throughout the diocese to check on available supplies, especially at the food banks. Food and other supplies were considered to be at full or near full levels at each location. A warehouse for food storage in Orlando has been notified of the potential need to ship more supplies to the affected areas on an as needed basis.

Catholic Charities has also identified 14 parishes throughout the diocese that could serve as disaster recovery sites if the need arises. In the wake of Fay, Catholic Charities staff will be make assessments to determine where it will be feasible to locate recovery sites. They would be set up on Wednesday at the earliest.

The Diocese of Venice implemented its Hurricane Preparedness Plan in response to the imminent threat of Tropical Storm Fay to the area and following the instruction of local civil authorities. If evacuations are mandatory the diocese will follow the policy. The plan notifies parishes and schools to take appropriate actions to protect life and property. All parishes have been asked to implement their Hurricane Action Plan, including installing hurricane shutters.

Bishop Nevins Academy in Sarasota is the only school certified as a Red Cross Hurricane Evacuation Shelter. The school is being used as a shelter for People With Special Needs and is not open to the general public. No other school or parish will serve as a shelter during Fay.

The Chancery offices were closed late Monday and are expected to reopen Wednesday morning, or whenever weather conditions permit.

All schools in the Diocese of Venice will be closed Tuesday in conjunction with the five school districts in the area. Schools in Collier, Highlands and Sarasota started classes on Monday.

For St. Ann School in Naples, closing Tuesday means a delay of the first day of school. Due to Fay’s eye being forecast to be directly over Naples at 8 a.m., Principal Tommy Bridges decided to close the school for safety reasons.

“Unfortunately, faculty and students were geared up for our opening tomorrow but ‘Fay’ decided to pay us a visit,” Bridges said, adding, “We look forward to a great school year even though we will begin a day late.”

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