"Leadership is not about being in charge. It is about taking care of those in your charge." - Simon Sinek
Welcome back to Riverview Weekly Compass. Issue Three arrives with something important on my mind - our responsibility to each other as neighbors in southern Hillsborough County.
Hurricane season is here. The storms that form off the coast of Africa and travel 5,000 miles to reach us do not care whether we are prepared or not. But we can care. We can look out for each other. We can share what we know. We can take care of those around us.
That is what this newsletter is about. Not just information - but neighborly responsibility.
This issue we go deeper on Tampa Bay storm surge - something every resident needs to understand before a storm ever gets close. We also continue our water investigation and introduce you to another remarkable local business that is quietly building something special in our community.
As always - no expertise claimed here. Just a curious neighbor who pays close attention and wants to share what he finds.
Let's keep discovering this together.
🌀 WEATHER & PREPAREDNESS - When the Storm Passes, the Real Work Begins
Most hurricane coverage focuses on the storm itself. Wind speeds. Storm track. Cone of uncertainty. But for most residents of southern Hillsborough County the storm is not the hardest part.
It is what comes after.
Having lived through several storms here in Riverview I can tell you that the hours and days following a hurricane are what truly test a community. Here is what to prepare for right now before a storm ever gets close.
Power outages lasting days. Not hours - days. Sometimes a week or more. Your refrigerator stops working within four hours. Your phone battery drains. Your air conditioning goes silent in Florida summer heat. The darkness at night is disorienting especially for children and older residents.
What to do now - buy flashlights and extra batteries today. Charge a portable power bank and keep it ready. Know where your candles and matches are. If you have a generator test it before you need it.
Drinking water becomes critical. When power goes out water treatment can be compromised. Boil water notices are common after major storms. Store at least one gallon of water per person per day for a minimum of seven days. Do not wait until a storm is named - store shelves empty within hours of a forecast.
Food preparation without power. A full freezer stays cold for about 48 hours if you keep it closed. A half full freezer lasts about 24 hours. After that food safety becomes a serious concern. Stock non-perishable foods now - canned goods, peanut butter, crackers, dried fruit, nuts. A manual can opener is essential. A camp stove or propane grill can be a lifesaver for hot meals.
Your neighbors need you. One of the most powerful things that happened after recent storms in our area was neighbors checking on neighbors. Elderly residents who needed help clearing debris. Families without generators who needed a place to charge their phones. People who just needed to know someone was thinking about them.
After a storm passes - knock on a door. Check on someone you have not seen. Share what you have. That neighborly instinct is what makes southern Hillsborough County special.
Local resource: hcfl.gov/StaySafe - find your evacuation zone and emergency preparedness information.
💧 HEALTHY LIVING — The Truth About Your Tap Water
Last issue we promised you a deeper look at water. Not the bottled water aisle - but what is actually coming out of your tap every day.
Southern Hillsborough County residents get their drinking water primarily from two sources - surface water from the Hillsborough River and groundwater from the Florida aquifer system. Tampa Bay Water - the regional water authority - treats and distributes water to Hillsborough, Pasco, and Pinellas counties serving about 2.5 million people.
Here is what happens before water reaches your tap:
The water is collected from rivers, reservoirs, and underground aquifers. It goes through a treatment process that includes filtration, chlorination, and fluoridation. It is tested hundreds of times before it reaches your home.
Every year Tampa Bay Water publishes a Consumer Confidence Report - a detailed breakdown of exactly what is in your water, where it came from, and whether it meets federal safety standards. It is free and publicly available.
Here is the hurricane connection. When a major storm hits our area water treatment facilities can be compromised. Flooding can contaminate ground level water sources. That is why having seven days of bottled water stored before hurricane season is not optional - it is essential.
Your tap water is safe on a normal day. During and after a major storm - that changes quickly.
Local resource: tampabaywater.org - find your annual Consumer Confidence Report here.
🌴 TASTE OF RIVERVIEW - Wolfe's Produce Market
Some places in southern Hillsborough County remind you that Florida existed long before the subdivisions arrived.
Wolfe's Produce Market on US-301 is one of those places.
Pull into the gravel lot and you are immediately transported. Vintage red tractors sit outside like old friends. Hand painted signs announce watermelons, fresh eggs and local honey. Wooden wagon wheels lean against weathered barn walls. A sign above the entrance reads simply - The Country Store.
Inside you find what grocery stores have been trying to replicate for decades - real produce displayed honestly with handwritten price signs and no pretense. Vine ripe tomatoes piled high. Yellow squash and zucchini in old barrel displays. Butternut squash, spaghetti squash, red onions, sweet potatoes - all the things that actually grow in Florida soil displayed the way they were meant to be seen.
This is not a grocery store. This is a working market that has been here while everything around it changed dramatically. Hot boiled peanuts. Fresh chicken eggs. A forestry and stump grinding service advertised on the wall - because a business like this does what it takes to survive.
They accept DEBIT and EBT which matters. This market is for everyone in the community not just those who can afford specialty grocery prices.
What Wolfe's represents is something Riverview needs more of - continuity. A connection to what this land was before the traffic lights and apartment complexes arrived. Walking through it feels like a small act of gratitude for old Florida.
Go visit. Bring a bag. Buy something real.
Open Every Day 9am to 7pm 📍 US-301 Riverview FL 📞 813-927-2203 or 813-927-2204
🤖 AI FOR EVERYDAY LIFE - Your First Practical Tool
Last issue we introduced the concept of artificial intelligence and challenged you to ask it one simple question. How did it go?
This issue let's go one step further with something genuinely useful for everyday life in Florida - especially during hurricane season.
Try this right now. Go to claude.ai or chatgpt.com and type exactly this:
"I live in Riverview Florida in Hillsborough County. What should I have in my hurricane preparedness kit and how much water do I need for a family of four for seven days?"
Watch what comes back. It will give you a detailed personalized answer in seconds -something that used to require hours of research across multiple government websites.
That is the power of AI for everyday life. Not robots taking over the world. Just a knowledgeable patient assistant available 24 hours a day helping you prepare for what matters.
Next issue we go deeper - how to use AI to find local events, compare prices at your grocery store, and navigate Florida's healthcare system.
One small step at a time. We are discovering this together. 🌴
📅 COMMUNITY EVENTS
🚨 THIS FRIDAY - Disaster and Recovery Community Expo Friday June 13, 2026 - 9am to Noon Feeding Tampa Bay - 3624 Causeway Blvd, Tampa FL 33619
This is the most important event happening in our area this week. Hillsborough County is hosting a free hands-on family friendly expo focused on hurricane preparedness and post storm recovery. Sessions cover rapid storm intensification, flood insurance updates, and step by step recovery guidance.
This is exactly the kind of event Riverview Weekly Compass was built to tell you about. Go. Take your family. Take your neighbors. It is free and it could save your life.
For more information visit hcfl.gov/StaySafe
🌿 Florida Friendly Landscaping Workshop Riverview Public Library - 9951 Balm Riverview Rd, Riverview Check library calendar for upcoming dates
Learn how to landscape your yard using Florida native plants that require less water, attract pollinators, and survive our intense summers. Free and open to the public.
📅 Have an event you want featured? Send it to [email protected] and we will include it in a future issue!
📬 COMING IN ISSUE FOUR
The story of your drinking water continues. Where exactly does Hillsborough County's water come from? How is it treated before it reaches your tap? And what happens to your water supply when a hurricane hits? We go deep on that investigation next issue.
We are also visiting another local business that is quietly becoming a gathering place for southern Hillsborough County residents. And our AI for Everyday Life series continues with practical tools you can use right now.
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Until next time - stay prepared, stay curious, and let's keep discovering Florida together.
- Mike Green Riverview, FL