Living in Florida offers many benefits and advantages, but be sure to thoroughly prepare for the Atlantic Hurricane Season starting June 1. 

After assessing damages done from hurricanes in the past few years, Floridians are encouraged to have at least 7 days of supplies. These supplies include food, water, medicine, batteries, etc. Each family and business is advised to be adequately stocked and prepared to face this hurricane season.

During the past three years, four hurricanes have made landfall in Florida, including Hurricane Michael, the first hurricane to make landfall in the U.S. as a Category 5 since Hurricane Andrew in 1992. If you are unsure of what to do when disaster strikes, make a plan today.  To get you and your family started on planning visit FloridaDisaster.org/GetAPlan.

If you are an owner of a business and want to ensure that you will be able to continue business after a disaster, visit floridadisaster.org/business/planning-for-businesses/ to get started on planning.

For information about planning for any disaster and for disaster preparedness tips, visit www.ready.gov/. 

Florida coastal counties are susceptible to storm surge from tropical storms and hurricanes. For most coastal Florida counties, evacuation zones have been designated. Interior counties do not have designated evacuation zones.

Evacuation Zones - enter an address or use your device location to Know Your Zone and view  designated evacuation zones.

Evacuation Routes - enter an address or use your device location to Know Your Zone and view nearby designated evacuation routes.

Evacuation Route and Zone Maps

These county-wide evacuation route and zone maps are based upon the most up-to-date regional evacuation studies and are intended for general reference. Please note that within many counties, there may not be designated evacuation zones.

DURING AN EMERGENCY, YOUR LOCAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT PROGRAM SHOULD ALWAYS BE CONSULTED REGARDING EVACUATION ORDERS.

A disaster can strike at any time - sometimes without warning. It is important for every Floridian, especially citizens with disabilities and other special needs, to plan ahead for an emergency situation and know what to do in the event of an emergency. 

• Make A Plan
• Evacuations and Shelters
• Florida Special Needs Registry

More information on disaster planning for persons with disabilities can be found at:

• Florida Agency for Persons with Disabilities
• Advocacy Center for Persons with Disabilities, Inc.
• National Organization on Disability

The best way to protect your family from the effects of a disaster is to have a disaster plan. If you are a pet owner or have larger animals (i.e. livestock) it is important that you also consider their needs when developing your disaster plan.

If you evacuate your home, DO NOT LEAVE YOUR PETS OR ANIMALS BEHIND. It is unlikely for pets or larger animals to survive on their own. If by some chance they do, you may not be able to find them when you return. Prepare now and protect your family and pets before the next disaster strikes.

 Have a Safe Place to Take Your Pets

Service animals who assist people with disabilities are allowed in Red Cross shelters. It may be difficult, to find shelter for your animals in the midst of a disaster, so plan ahead. Do not wait until disaster strikes to do your research. Many communities are developing pet friendly shelter plans, check to see if your local emergency shelter plan includes pets.

• Contact hotels and motels outside your immediate area (outside of an evacuation zone) to check policies on accepting pets and restrictions on number, size, and species. Ask if "no pet” policies could be waived in an emergency. Keep a list of "pet friendly" places, including phone numbers, with other disaster information and supplies. If you have notice of an impending disaster, call ahead for reservations. Go to Pet's Welcome to search pet friendly hotels and motels.
• Ask friends, relatives, or others outside the affected area whether they could shelter your animals. If you have more than one pet, they may be more comfortable if kept together, but be prepared to house them separately.
• Prepare a list of boarding facilities and veterinarians who could shelter animals in an emergency; include 24-hour phone numbers.
• Ask local animal shelters if they provide emergency shelter or foster care for pets in a disaster. Animal shelters may be overburdened caring for the animals they already have as well as those displaced by a disaster, so this should be your last resort.

Assemble a Portable Pet Disaster Supplies Kit

Whether you are away from home for a day or a week, you will need essential supplies to care for your pet. Keep items in an accessible place and store them in sturdy containers that can be carried easily (duffle bags, covered trash containers, etc.). Your pet disaster supply kit should include:

• Medications and medical records (stored in a waterproof container) and a first aid kit.
• Sturdy leashes, harnesses, and/or carriers to transport pets safely and ensure that your animals cannot escape.
• Photo of you and your pet(s) – in the event you are separated from your pet, having an updated photo with your pet will help validate pet ownership.
• Food, potable water, bowls, cat litter/pan, and can opener.
• Information on feeding schedules, medical conditions, behavior problems, and the name and number of your veterinarian in case you have to foster or board your pets.
• Pet beds and toys, if easily transportable.

Know What To Do As a Disaster Approaches

You may not be home when the evacuation order comes. Find out if a trusted neighbor would be willing to take your pets and meet you at a prearranged location. This person should be comfortable with your pets, know where your animals are likely to be, know where your pet disaster supplies kit is kept, and have a key to your home. If you use a pet sitting service, they may be available to help, but discuss the possibility well in advance.

Planning and preparation will enable you to evacuate with your pets quickly and safely. However, bear in mind that animals react differently under stress. Outside your home and in the car, keep dogs securely leashed. Transport cats in carriers. Do not leave animals unattended anywhere they can run off. The most trustworthy pets may panic, hide, try to escape, or even bite or scratch. When you return home, give your pets time to settle back into their routines. Consult your veterinarian if any behavior problems persist.

Planning for Larger Animals

When planning for larger animals (i.e. livestock), take the following into consideration when developing your disaster plan:

• Disaster supply kit that includes, but is not limited to the following items:
  • Form of identification for each animal
  • Food and water
  • Medications
  • Handling equipment
  • Dry bedding
  • Windbreaks
• Develop an evacuation plan to include different routes and possible shelter sites suitable for your animals.
• Ensure you have the necessary resources to transport your animals – vehicles, trailers and experienced drivers and handlers.
• Animal-Related Emergency Response

The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) serves as the lead agency for the State Emergency Response Team Emergency Support Function 17 (Animal and Agricultural Issues). Please click here to view additional information and resources to help you prepare a disaster plan for your animals.

Develop a family hurricane preparedness plan before an actual storm threatens your area. If your family hurricane preparedness plan includes evacuation to a safer location for any of the reasons specified with in this web site, then it is important to consider the following points:

If ordered to evacuate, do not wait or delay your departure.
If possible, leave before local officials issue an evacuation order for your area. Even a slight delay in starting your evacuation will result in significantly longer travel times as traffic congestion worsens.

Select an evacuation destination that is nearest to your home, preferably in the same county, or at least minimize the distance over which you must travel in order to reach your intended shelter location.
In choosing your destination, keep in mind that the hotels and other sheltering options in most inland metropolitan areas are likely to be filled very quickly in a large, multi-county hurricane evacuation event.

If you decide to evacuate to another county or region, be prepared to wait in traffic.
The large number of people in this state who must evacuate during a hurricane will probably cause massive delays and major congestion along most designated evacuation routes; the larger the storm, the greater the probability of traffic jams and extended travel times.

If possible, make arrangements to stay with the friend or relative who resides closest to your home and who will not have to evacuate. Discuss with your intended host the details of your family evacuation plan well before the beginning of the hurricane season.

If a hotel or motel is your final intended destination during an evacuation, make reservations before you leave. Most hotel and motels will fill quickly once evacuations begin. The longer you wait to make reservations, even if an official evacuation order has not been issued for your area or county, the less likely you are to find hotel/motel room vacancies, especially along interstate highways and in major metropolitan areas.

If you are unable to stay with friends or family and no hotels/motels rooms are available, then as a last resort go to a shelter.  Remember, shelters are not designed for comfort and do not usually accept pets.  Bring your DISASTER SUPPLY KIT with you to the shelter.

Make sure that you fill up your car with gas, before you leave.

Every year it's important for residents to know if they live an evacuation zone, a low-lying, flood prone area, a mobile home or an unsafe structure during hurricane season. These areas and buildings are most likely to be evacuated and knowing these zones helps Floridians prepare to evacuate and better understand orders from local officials.

This year, it is also very important for residents to know their home. If an evacuation order is not issued for your area and your house is not in an evacuation zone, you may consider sheltering in place. If you shelter in place, it’s important to know your home and its ability to withstand strong winds and heavy rain.

Take a look to see where your zone is at  Know Your Zone Map.

 Should I evacuate if a hurricane comes this year? 

The greatest threat to life from a hurricane is storm surge flooding, so if you are in an ordered evacuation zone, low-lying flood area or in a mobile home, the life-safety risk of a hurricane will be greater than the risk of COVID-19 exposure. On the other hand, if you are not in an ordered evacuation zone, low-lying flood prone area, mobile home or unsafe structure, then it may be safer to stay in your home. Always heed the advice and orders of local officials during a storm. 

 How do I know if my home is strong enough to shelter in during a hurricane? 

 If you are in an evacuation zone that is ordered to evacuate by local authorities or in a flood zone, you should evacuate no matter what. If you are not in any of these areas, then it may be safer for you to stay in your home. While it is the responsibility of the homeowner to know if their home is strong enough to withstand a hurricane, generally homes built after 2002 include features that make them more resilient to hurricanes. There are also improvements you can make to your home to strengthen it against future storms. Know your home and learn more by visiting https://floridadisaster.org/planprepare/secure-your-home/ 

 What can I do to make my home stronger? 

 The most important precaution you can take to reduce damage to your home and property is to protect the areas where wind can enter. According to recent wind technology research, it's important to strengthen the exterior of your house so wind and debris do not tear large openings in it. Learn more by visiting https://floridadisaster.org/planprepare/secure-your-home/ 

 How will I know if I’m ordered to evacuate? 

 Monitor local news and pay attention to alerts from authorities. Evacuation zones are designated from A to F. Generally, Zone A is most vulnerable and most likely to be evacuated first, and Zone F is most likely to be evacuated last. Take the time now to find out which zone you are in and remember to pay attention to local authorities during a storm to find out if an evacuation is ordered. Know your zone today by visiting https://floridadisaster.org/knowyourzone. 

 If I need to evacuate or stay in a shelter, what should I bring with me? 

 In addition to the supplies that you would normally bring, make sure that you have hand sanitizer, masks and other materials to protect yourself from COVID-19. 

 What supplies do I need to be ready for a hurricane? 

 Check out this disaster supply checklist and use it to make sure you have what you need: Disaster Supply Checklist 

 If I need to evacuate my home will I have to stay in a public shelter? 

 f you need to evacuate, your safest and easiest option may be to stay with friends or family who live outside the evacuation zone or in a stronger house. Check with nearby friends and family now and have a plan in place for what to do if you are ordered to evacuate. Shelter information can be found at: https://www.floridadisaster.org/planprepare/shelters/. 

 If I need to stay in a shelter, will I be exposed to COVID-19? 

 The state has been working with CDC, FEMA, and the American Red Cross to develop guidance for counties ahead of the 2020 Hurricane Season. This includes non-congregate sheltering plans, maintaining 6 feet social distancing between families, taking temperatures and screening individuals prior to entry, routine cleaning and disinfecting, and designated isolation areas in case an individual in the shelter becomes ill. 

 Will shelters be different this year? 

 Non-congregate sheltering will be used when possible. Overall, the CDC is encouraging every county to use smaller shelters of less than 50 people when possible. Regardless of the number of people in a shelter, the CDC and American Red Cross recommend a minimum of 60 square feet per person. The state is recommending that counties screen all clients before entering. If rapid testing is available, it should be used. The state also sent out a statewide survey to hotels to gauge how many businesses would be interested in providing non-congregate sheltering is a hurricane were to threaten a community. It's important to note, the 200 hotels who responded to the survey are not actively sheltering individuals. They expressed interest in providing sheltering during the upcoming hurricane season. All decisions regarding sheltering during a storm will be decided by local county emergency management. To view the list of hotels that expressed interest, please click here.  

The most important precaution you can take to reduce damage to your home and property is to protect the areas where wind can enter. According to recent wind technology research, it's important to strengthen the exterior of your house so wind and debris do not tear large openings in it. You can do this by protecting and reinforcing these five critical areas:

ROOF, STRAPS, WINDOWS, DOORS, GARAGE DOORS

A great time to start securing - or retrofitting - your house is when you are making other improvements or adding an addition.  

Remember: building codes reflect the lessons experts have learned from past catastrophes. Contact the local building code official to find out what requirements are necessary for your home improvement projects.

FEMA Retrofit Guide 

Florida Building Commission 

Building Officials Association of Florida 

The National Flood Insurance Program, is a pre-disaster flood mitigation and insurance protection program designed to reduce the escalating cost of disasters. The National Flood Insurance Program makes federally backed flood insurance available to residents and business owners

Flood damage is not usually covered by homeowners insurance.  Do not make assumptions.  Check your policy.

National Flood Insurance Program call 1-888-CALL-FLOOD ext. 445, TDD# 1-800-427-5593. 

The State Assistance Information Line (SAIL) is a toll-free hotline activated at the time of an emergency to provide an additional resource for those in Florida to receive accurate and up-to-date information regarding an emergency or disaster situation impacting the State of Florida.

The SAIL hotline is: 1-800-342-3557.

The SAIL hotline is only operational during an emergency event; at all other times, a recorded message with general information about the hotline is available.

During an emergency, the SAIL hotline is operational daily at set hours depending on the severity of the event. Please stay tuned to your local officials and/or log on to the www.floridadisaster.org during an emergency event for exact hours of operation.

Those persons in Florida may access information from SAIL hotline operators on how to prepare before/during/after a hurricane, road closures and alternate routes, available/open shelters in host or impacted counties, shelters designed for special needs patients, hotels and motels that accept pets, boaters instructions for moving watercraft to safer ground, and re-entry information once it is safe to return to the affected area.