Hurricanes in Florida are pretty much a staple, just like snowstorms up in Cleveland; we may not get hit but it’s always good to be prepared for the worst. My family and I have been living here for 6 years now, and the first time I experienced a major hurricane had to be one that almost took a direct hit in the Sarasota region. Yes, it was Hurricane Irma back in 2017.
Luckily we knew it was coming. We almost had 2 weeks to prepare for the storm as it made landfall in Florida (even though the spaghetti models were all over the place a couple days in). As any parent would do, I prepared as much as I could, and listened to any useful advice from my friends and neighbors.
Be Prepared: The Atlantic hurricane season is usually between June 1 to November 30, with one or two outliers prior to, or after the season. Trust your gut on what you need to prepare for you and your family.
Stock up: Especially stock up on bottles of water and canned goods. A good benchmark is to stock up a gallon of water, per person, for 3 days.
Gas up: If you have a grill, remember to have a backup propane tank as it will be useful when cooking food once a hurricane has passed. If you have a backup generator, remember to gas it and test it prior to the beginning of hurricane season. Remember to also gas up your cars before the hurricane makes landfall.
Take a look at your shutters: Most homes in Florida have shutters installed, or should have equipment to put up shutters on windows. Locate and review how your shutters should be put up prior to the beginning of hurricane season.
Evacuation Plans: Most homes in Florida are hurricane proof and up-to-code. But if you feel unsafe in your home, please visit the following page https://www.scgov.net/government/emergency-services/hurricane-preparedness to locate your nearest shelter. If you plan to evacuate out-of-state, please have a plan in place of returning back to your home once the hurricane has passed. Note that it may take a couple of days to return back home once government officials reopen roadways into the region or state.
For more resources and to learn more on how to prepare for the hurricane season, visit scgov.net for Sarasota County residents, and Ready.gov/hurricanes.
