Florida Division of Emergency Management Encourages Preparedness as 2024 Atlantic Hurricane Season Begins

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – The Florida Division of Emergency Management (Division) marks the official start of the 2024 Atlantic Hurricane Season tomorrow, June 1, and encourages Floridians to prepare their families and their businesses.

“I have spent the last month traveling around the state, making myself available to all county emergency managers to discuss concerns and best practices ahead of this hurricane season,” said Division Executive Director Kevin Guthrie. “Under the leadership of Governor DeSantis, the state is equipped with the resources it needs to support communities during a potentially very active season, but preparedness begins in individual homes and businesses. I urge all Floridians to finalize their plans now – once a storm forms and threatens our state, it’s too late to prepare.”

Throughout the month of May, Executive Director Guthrie personally traveled to all 10 Division-designated regions of the state to meet with county emergency management officials and discuss preparedness and coordination efforts ahead of the 2024 hurricane season. These roundtable discussions allowed Executive Director Guthrie to directly address community concerns and unmet needs, ensuring ample state support stands at the ready if a storm threatens Florida this hurricane season.

The 2024 Atlantic Hurricane Season begins on June 1 and runs until November 30 with the historical peak of activity occurring in September. This year, two disaster preparedness sales tax holidays coincide with the beginning and peak times of hurricane season. Governor DeSantis announced the first two-week disaster preparedness sales tax holiday, beginning June 1, here.

The Division urges all Floridians to have preparations in place for their personal and family needs in the event a storm threatens their community.

Preparedness efforts and resources include:

Get Educated, Get Informed

• Learn about community disaster plans and community warning systems. Every household is 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.
• Register to receive life-saving emergency weather alerts at FloridaDisaster.org/AlertFlorida.

Make a Plan

• Make a list of personal household needs and resources for meeting them in a disaster environment.
• Include all members of the family, including children, in the disaster preparedness planning process, so that everyone knows what to do in the event of an emergency.
• Pets are part of the family, too – identify a safe place to take pets if you cannot bring them with you during an evacuation. Never leave household pets behind during a hurricane or tropical storm.
• Make a family plan at FloridaDisaster.org/PlanPrepare, and make a business plan at Business.FloridaDisaster.org.

Inventory Home Possessions

• Make a record of your possessions – in writing or video – to help claim reimbursement in case of loss or damage.

Reduce Home Hazards

• Have defective electrical wiring and leaky gas connections repaired.
• Place large, heavy objects on lower shelves.
• Have cracks in ceilings and foundations repaired.
• Make landscaping hurricane-resistant by trimming trees and plants down and putting any items inside that may turn into dangerous projectiles in high winds.

Prepare an Emergency Kit

• Every household should have a fully stocked disaster supply kit with at least seven days of items for each household member, including consideration of children, pets and seniors. 
• Florida’s Disaster Preparedness Sales Tax Holiday begins tomorrow, June 1, and provides residents with the opportunity to purchase supplies tax-free during one of two 14-day Disaster Preparedness Sales Tax Holidays.
• For a full disaster supply kit checklist, visit FloridaDisaster.org/Kit.

Safeguard Important Records and Documents

• Keep copies of important family records and other documents (birth and marriage certificates, Social Security cards, passports, wills, deeds, insurance cards, etc.) in a safe deposit box or other waterproof location.

Know Your Zone, Know Your Home

• Visit FloridaDisaster.org/Know to learn if you live in an evacuation zone or low-lying flood-prone area.
• Know your home’s ability to withstand hurricane-force winds.
• Follow all evacuation orders issued by local county emergency management officials.

If You’re Halfway Full, You’re Halfway There

• During hurricane season, vehicles should always have at least half a tank of gas or be halfway charged 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.

Evacuate Tens of Miles, Not Hundreds of Miles

• Evacuations do not have to be hundreds of miles away – they can typically be tens of miles inland to a location that can withstand hurricane-force winds and remain out of reach from life-threatening storm surge.

2024 Florida Hurricane Season Guide

• For a compilation of hurricane preparedness resources, visit FloridaDisaster.org/Guide. 

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