Hurricane season begins in June and continues through November, with Florida at risk every year. Preparing in advance is crucial to ensure your safety and minimize the impact of a potential storm. This guide will provide you with the necessary information and resources to get ready for hurricane season.
2024 Hurricane Season Projections
The 2024 Atlantic hurricane season is estimated to be highly active. According to The Weather Channel and Atmospheric G2, projections suggest:
- 24 named storms
- 11 anticipated to become hurricanes
- Six hurricanes are forecasted to become Category 3 or higher, presenting substantial threats to coastal and inland regions
Hurricane Season Advice from a FEMA Expert
UCF Professor and natural disaster expert Chris Emrich shares do’s and don’t’s for the current hurricane season. An expert in hazard science, social vulnerability, disaster recovery and community resiliency, Emrich has plenty of experience with hurricanes. He’s worked with FEMA and other federal agencies to identify vulnerabilities in communities affected by hurricanes and to develop resiliency strategies. As part of UCF’s National Center for Integrated Coastal Research, Emrich conducts studies into planning for and responding to disasters.
Hurricane Season Do’s and Don’t’s
DO
- Get flood insurance. If you do not live in a flood zone the average cost is $660 a year for $250,000 worth of coverage. One inch of flood water can cause more than $25,000 in damage.
- Make sure you have enough supplies for seven days.
- Start preparing as early as possible. Pick up an extra gallon of water every time you go to the grocery store until you have 7 gallons per person — 1 gallon per day for seven days. Or buy a WaterBob or similar product that will turn your bathtub into a storage tank.
- Buy non-perishable foods that are full of protein, like peanut butter. Two tablespoons provide enough energy to get through a meal time during an emergency.
- Get 5-gallon buckets with fitted lids from Home Depot, Walmart or similar stores. These are great for storing electronics, batteries, chargers, important documents, medicines and food. Properly closing the lids on these buckets also allows them to float.
- Establish a designated shelter area where you’ll keep emergency supplies in your home so you’re not scrambling around to find them. Do not raid your supplies once you have them ready. You can use them and replenish after hurricane season.
- Make an evacuation plan. Make sure you and everyone in your family knows where to meet in case anyone gets separated. Talk through the plan often so everyone is on the same page. DO NOT wait until an evacuation order is issued to create a plan. Failure to plan = planned failure.
- Turn on emergency notifications on your mobile devices. Based on your location, new warning systems can send messages with weather updates, alerts and other useful information. These alerts can be more up-to-date than newscasts, so you should trust them for the most accurate information. Take shelter when instructed.
- Keep an emergency escape tool in each of your vehicles. This may come in handy for cutting seatbelts or breaking glass in an emergency.
- Check on neighbors, especially those who are elderly or need extra help before, during and after emergencies.
DON’T
- Don’t let your car’s gas tank get below half-full at any point during the summer.
- Don’t think you know more than weather experts. Instead, listen to trained emergency management officials, meteorologists and other leaders whose job it is to keep you informed and safe.
- Don’t bother taping up your windows because it doesn’t reduce the risk of them blowing out. This is especially true for people living apartments. Plus, it will only cause problems when removing the tape.
- Don’t drive through flooded streets, even if you’re very familiar with the street. A few inches of water can move a vehicle. Sinkholes may also develop on flooded roads and you won’t be able to see them.
Preparing a Hurricane Kit
We encourage students and UCF employees to put together their own hurricane safety kits and to create a plan with their families and loved ones should a storm impact Central Florida. Your hurricane kit should provide enough essentials to survive at least three days. Kits should include:
- Water: one gallon per person, per day (3-day supply for evacuation, 2-week supply for home).
- Food: non-perishable, easy-to-prepare items (3-day supply for evacuation, 2-week supply for home).
- Flashlight.
- Battery-powered or hand-crank radio (NOAA Weather Radio, if possible).
- Extra batteries.
- First aid kit.
- Medications (7-day supply) and medical items.
- Multi-purpose tool, like a Swiss Army knife.
- Sanitation and personal hygiene items.
- Copies of personal documents (medication list and pertinent medical information, proof of address, deed/lease to home, passports, birth certificates, insurance policies).
- Cell phone with charger.
- Family and emergency contact information.
- Extra cash (ATMs might be inoperable).
- Extra fuel for generator and car.
- Depending on your family’s requirements, you may need to include: medical-care items, baby supplies, pet supplies and other things, such as extra car and house keys.
- Additional supplies might include towels, plastic sheeting, duct tape, scissors and work gloves.
Resources for Hurricane Season
In the event of a storm, UCF will provide communication with instructions on closures, depending on the weather conditions pre-and post-hurricanes. Our priority it to keep you safe. All students and employees automatically are signed up to receive these messages, and settings can be updated via myUCF. A parent, spouse or other secondary contact’s email address also can be added, allowing them to receive the updates.
Additionally, here are some other useful resources to help you prepare at home:
- Florida Hurricane Preparedness Tax Free Holiday is June 1-14. Floridians can purchase qualified hurricane preparedness related items such as batteries and generators and will not be required to pay sales tax. This year the holiday is earlier to encourage people to plan early.
- Families with special needs are encouraged to sign up with the Special Needs Registry, which is a part of the Florida Division of Emergency Management, to get information about resources in preparation and during a storm emergency.
- Personalized disaster plans are critical and Ready.gov offers a step-by-step guide.
- Communicating with children about disasters can help alleviate stress. This website offers tips, games and age specific information for families.
- Planning for pets is also important. Floridadisaster.org offers advice for pet and livestock management.
- Emergency kits can make all the difference for riding out a storm. Do you have all the items on this checklist?