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Hurricane Resources

Post Hurricane Resources

Tampa Bay

Before the Storm

See instructions below from the National Weather Service.

  • Know your zone: Do you live in Pinellas or Hillborough county? Find out if you live in a hurricane evacuation area by clicking one of these links:
    Evacuation zones Pinellas residents
    Evacuation zones Hillborough residents
  • Put Together an Emergency Kit: Put together a basic emergency kit. Check emergency equipment, such as flashlights, generators and storm shutters.
  • Write or review your Family Emergency Plan: Before an emergency happens, sit down with your family or close friends and decide how you will get in contact with each other, where you will go, and what you will do in an emergency. Keep a copy of this plan in your emergency supplies kit or another safe place where you can access it in the event of a disaster. Start at the Ready.Gov emergency plan webpage.
  • Review Your Insurance Policies: Review your insurance policies to ensure that you have adequate coverage for your home and personal property.
  • Understand NWS forecast products, especially the meaning of NWS watches and warnings.
  • Preparation tips for your home from the Federal Alliance for Safe Homes
  • Preparation Tips for those with Chronic Illnesses

During the Storm

See instructions below from the National Weather Service.

  • Secure your home: Cover all of your home’s windows. Permanent storm shutters offer the best protection for windows. A second option is to board up windows with 5/8 inch exterior grade or marine plywood, built to fit, and ready to install. Buy supplies before the hurricane season rather than waiting for the pre-storm rush.
  • Stayed tuned in: Check the websites of your local National Weather Service office and local government/emergency management office. Find out what type of emergencies could occur and how you should respond. Listen to NOAA Weather Radio or other radio or TV stations for the latest storm news.
  • Follow instructions issued by local officials. Leave immediately if ordered!
  • If NOT ordered to evacuate:
    • Take refuge in a small interior room, closet, or hallway on the lowest level during the storm. Put as many walls between you and the outside as you can.
    • Stay away from windows, skylights, and glass doors.

If the eye of the storm passes over your area, there will be a short period of calm, but at the other side of the eye, the wind speed rapidly increases to hurricane force winds coming from the opposite direction.

After the Storm

See instructions below from the National Weather Service.

  • Continue listening to a NOAA Weather Radio or the local news for the latest updates.
  • If you evacuated, return home only when officials say it is safe.
  • Once home, drive only if necessary and avoid flooded roads and washed-out bridges. If you must go out, watch for fallen objects in the road, downed electrical wires, and weakened walls, bridges, roads, and sidewalks that might collapse.
  • Walk carefully around the outside of your home to check for loose power lines, gas leaks, and structural damage.
  • Stay out of any building if you smell gas, if floodwaters remain around the building, and if the building or home was damaged by fire, or if the authorities have not declared it safe.
  • Carbon monoxide poisoning is one of the leading causes of death after storms in areas dealing with power outages. Never use a portable generator inside your home or garage. Review generator safety.
  • Use battery-powered flashlights. Do NOT use candles. Turn on your flashlight before entering a vacated building. The battery could produce a spark that could ignite leaking gas, if present.

Sites and Accounts to Follow

https://www.floridadisaster.org/

National Hurricane Site Website | Social

Florida Disaster Site County Emergency Management | Shelters by County | Know Your Evacuation Zone | Social