Published: August 21, 2024
Bartow, Fla. (Aug. 21, 2024) – Polk County’s Communications and Emergency Management divisions have released a 30-minute documentary commemorating the 2004 hurricane season and the county’s role in guiding Central Florida through it. The video can be viewed at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sFrSIrxHurU and https://www.polk-county.tv/CablecastPublicSite/show/4093?site=1.
“Polk County is the only county in the United States that has been hit by the eye of a hurricane three separate times in one season,” said Paul Womble, director of Polk County’s Emergency Management Division.
Womble worked for Manatee County’s Emergency Management Division in 2004 and he traveled to Polk County to assist.
Womble said, “When Hurricane Charley hit, David Cash, the Emergency Management director in Polk County at the time, came on the line. I’ve known David forever and I could tell it was not a good day in Polk County.”
Hurricanes Charley, Frances and Jeanne struck Polk County in 2004. According to the National Hurricane Center, the storms, which featured 150 mile per hour winds and relentless flooding, resulted in 17 deaths and $29.8 billion in damages across Florida.
The PGTV-produced documentary features interviews with people who were involved in the county’s emergency management efforts, such as Womble, Polk County Commissioner Neil Combee and Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd. It examines the challenges Polk County faced and the lessons learned that Polk County implements today.
“I want people to understand how many state, local and federal agencies are involved in hurricane response,” said Cash, emphasizing the team aspect of emergency response. “Emergency Management coordinates everything, but the Communications Division put out all the announcements, the code inspectors had to go for weeks to look at buildings being brought up to code, the Finance Division worked on Hurricane Charley for six or seven years. I could go on and on. Forty or 50 agencies were involved.”