Helene and Milton Tested Local Governments—Here’s How They Responded

In this episode of The TBD Podcast, host Garrett Greco sits down with two top-tier experts in emergency management—Josh Bellotti, Director of Engineering & Operations, and Katja Miller, Emergency Management Operations Section Chief for Hillsborough County. Together, they break down the phases of hurricane preparedness, including pre-hurricane preparation, the critical 24 hours before landfall, and the realities of post-storm safety. This essential conversation offers insights into what it takes to stay safe and resilient, no matter the storm.

0:00:00 - Intro 0:01:44 - Pre Hurricane Preparation 0:10:49 - Floridian Hurricane Mentality 0:18:19 - 24 hours before a hurricane hits 0:32:03 - Safety post hurricane 0:36:47 - Once in a 500 year event 0:40:46 - Future improvements 0:42:21 - Flooding in non flood zone neighborhoods 0:54:15 - Outro