Florida emergency management executive director offers tips to prepare for hurricane season
The head of Florida's Division of Emergency Management says now is the time to prepare for the expected busy hurricane season, including taking advantage of the current sales-tax holiday on hurricane supplies.
Kevin Guthrie, executive director of the Division of Emergency Management, gave his advice during a recent appearance with Gov. Ron DeSantis at Port Canaveral and in statements released by his agency.
"We know that there are many, many predictions for a very active hurricane season," Guthrie told those gathered at the Port.
"I don't want any of you to get focused on that. I want you to get focused on your family. That's all I need you to do. Let my team worry about the big hurricane season, the multiple disasters that may or may not come our way. That's what we're there for."
Guthrie's division stresses the importance of not focusing on the projected number of storms for the 2024 season, as it takes only one storm to produce long-lasting impacts.
"First, when, they say 'busy,' … we don't know," DeSantis said, in discussing various predictions.
"I mean, you just don't know. You've got to prepare. And here's the thing. You could have a busy hurricane season, and nothing could hit Florida. You could have a 'low' hurricane season, and have one hit us. So it really, whether it's high or low, it's really a question about be prepared, and you never know what's going to come our way."
DeSantis told his audience that Guthrie and his team have done a great job in responding to past natural disasters, adding, "Hopefully, you can have an enjoyable summer without seeing his mug on your TV set."
Here are some tips from Guthrie and his state agency:
Make a plan
Every household should have a disaster plan specific to the needs of everyone in their household, including consideration of children, seniors and pets.
Go to FloridaDisaster.org/PlanPrepare for more information.
Build a kit
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Take the time now to identify items households may need on hand during or after a hurricane.
Essentials of a kit should include enough non-perishable food and water to last each member of the family for at least seven days, extra medication and important personal documents. Guthrie said his department has extended the time frame for supplies from three to seven days.
"We want you to be able to be self-sufficient for up to seven days," Guthrie said.
For a complete checklist, go to FloridaDisaster.org/Kit.
Take advantage of the tax-free holidays
Florida has two 14-day tax-free holidays for disaster preparedness for hurricane supplies, including supplies to help in the safe evacuation of household pets, such as dog and cat food.
One sales-tax holiday began June 1 and runs through June 14. The other runs Aug. 24 through Sept. 6, which lines up with peak weeks of hurricane season.
The Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1 through Nov. 30.
You can find a full list of disaster preparedness supplies included in the tax-free holidays by going to FloridaRevenue.com/DisasterPrep.
Guthrie cited these as some examples of the items covered:
Reusable ice costing $20 or less.
Flashlights and lanterns costing $40 or less.
Batteries, fuel tanks or radios costing $50 or less.
Food-storage coolers or portable power banks costing $60 or less.
Smoke detectors, fire extinguishers or carbon monoxide detectors costing $70 or less.
Tarps, ground anchor systems or tie-down kits costing $100 or less.
Generators costing $3,000 or less.
Have multiple ways to receive weather alerts
Every household should have multiple ways to receive weather alerts, including phone apps, and follow all directions from local officials.
Residents are encouraged to have a battery-operated or hand-crank weather radio to ensure they can continue to receive alerts from the National Weather Service in the event of power outages or damaged cell towers.
Know your zone, know your home
It’s important for residents to know if they live in an evacuation zone, a low-lying or flood-prone area, a mobile home or an unsafe structure during hurricane season.
It also is important for residents to know their home and its ability to withstand strong winds and heavy rain.
This information will help residents better understand orders from local officials during a storm.
Guthrie said, during some previous storms — including Hurricane Irma in 2017 — many Floridians evacuated their homes when they didn't need to. Guthrie said if a home was built after 2004, it most likely can withstand sustained winds of 115 to 125 mph.
"Therefore, if we have a hurricane that is less than that, you don't need to evacuate," unless there is a threat of flooding or storm surge, Guthrie said.
For more information and to determine evacuation zones, go to FloridaDisaster.org/Know.
Keep gas tanks half-full
Residents should keep their vehicle’s gas tank at least half-full during hurricane season to ensure they have enough fuel to evacuate as soon as possible without worrying about long lines at gas stations and to avoid gas shortages prior to a storm.
For Floridians with electric vehicles, the division recommends that the battery be maintained at between 50% and 80% capacity at all times, depending on the type of vehicle and what the vehicle’s manual recommends.
Go to FloridaDisaster.org/HalfwayFull for more information.
Put important documents in safe place
Guthrie suggested having a safe place for important records and documents, such as birth and marriage certificates, Social Security cards, passports, wills, deeds and insurance documents.
This could be in a safe-deposit box, in a waterproof location "or, better yet, carry them with you when you evacuate," Guthrie said.
Dave Berman is business editor at FLORIDA TODAY. Contact Berman at [email protected], on X at @bydaveberman and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/dave.berman.54
This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Here are hurricane preparation tips from emergency management chief
