Being prepared for a hurricane includes taking action before a hurricane strikes to lessen the damage and personal danger these storms can cause.
Take precautions long before a storm arrives to minimize the damage a hurricane can do to your possessions and improve your chances staying safe.
Hurricane season starts June 1 and ends November 30.
The Florida Department of Health in Santa Rosa County (DOH-Santa Rosa) works closely with Santa Rosa County Emergency Management to coordinate responses to natural disasters such as hurricanes, tornados, flooding, and large communicable disease outbreaks. Joint community efforts are necessary to ensure the safety of food and water supplies and keep the community informed about any public health impacts.
How to Prepare
Build a Disaster Supply Kit
Following the impact of a hurricane, residents may lose access to basic services, such as power and water, and be subject to limited or no access to essentials like food, drinking water and medicine.
Households are encouraged to have enough essential supplies to last every member of the family, including pets, at least seven days.
Know Your Zone, Know Your Home
It’s important for residents to know if their home is in an evacuation zone, a low-lying, flood-prone area, mobile home, or an unsafe structure during hurricane season. Residents should also take the time to know their home and its ability to withstand strong winds and heavy rain
Have Multiple Ways to Receive Weather Alerts
Residents should have multiple ways to receive weather alerts and follow all orders from local county emergency management officials. 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 if there are power outages or damaged cell towers.
Remember: Turn Around, Don’t Drown!
Flooding can occur with little to no warning, and you should never drive or walk in flooded areas. Remember, it only takes one foot of floodwater to move most vehicles, and more than half of all flood-related deaths result from swept-away vehicles. If flooding occurs, get to higher ground immediately!
Keep Gas Tanks Half Full
Residents and visitors should keep their gas tanks 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, it’s recommended that the battery be maintained between 50% – 80% capacity at all times, depending on the type of vehicle and what the vehicle’s manual recommends.