Hurricane Resources
BEFORE/DURING A HURRICANE
Develop Your Emergency Strategy
It is paramount that everyone within your household is well-informed about your hurricane preparedness plan. Remember to integrate your workplace, your children's daycare, and any other frequented locations into your comprehensive hurricane strategy. Moreover, it's vital for businesses to establish continuity plans to ensure operations can persist in the face of disaster. Make sure to include your pets in any emergency preparation plans. For checklists, resources, and more, visit ready.gov/hurricanes.
Identify Your Evacuation Zone
For residents residing within evacuation zones, swift evacuation might become necessary during a hurricane. Take the time to learn the closest designated evacuation routes, rehearse evacuation procedures with your family and pets, and establish a clear plan for shelter arrangements.
Stay Informed with Official Guidelines
Stay attuned to the advice and directives issued by local emergency management authorities, who collaborate closely with state, local, and federal agencies. These professionals will supply the most up-to-date recommendations, considering the specific threat posed to your community, along with appropriate safety precautions.
Osceola: Sign up for Alert Osceola at Alertosceola.org. This system provides you with critical information quickly in a variety of situations, such as severe weather, unexpected road closures, missing persons and evacuations of buildings or neighborhoods.
Orange: For additional insights on storm preparedness and to register for OC Alert, the county's emergency notification system, please visit www.ocfl.net/storm.
Polk: Sign up for Alert Polk at AlertPolk.com. During situations that may affect the health, safety, and welfare of Polk County residents, designated officials send out messages to telephone numbers and email addresses within the affected geographic area.
Stay Alert to Warnings and Notifications
It's essential to establish multiple means of receiving emergency alerts. Download the FEMA App to receive instant updates from the National Weather Service. Furthermore, sign up for community alerts specific to your area and familiarize yourself with the Emergency Alert System (EAS) and Wireless Emergency Alert (WEA), both of which do not require sign-up.
Maximize the 2023 Disaster Preparedness Sales Tax Holiday
Take advantage of the ongoing 2023 Disaster Preparedness Sales Tax Holiday, which started Saturday, August 26. This presents a valuable opportunity to procure essential supplies ahead of Tropical Storm Idalia. To access a comprehensive list of qualifying items eligible for the tax exemption, visit the Florida Department of Revenue website.
MUST-HAVES FOR HURRICANE PREPAREDNESS
Comprehensive guide and supply checklist: www.floridadisaster.org and NOAA
Red Cross Emergency App: Download here
FEMA App: locate and get directions to open shelters across the state, and receive weather alerts from the National Weather Service. Download here
FPL customers can stay informed by downloading the FPL app by texting the word “App” to MyFPL (69375)
SHELTER INFORMATION
Do not proceed to any shelter until you have confirmed that it is open and operating.
KEEP UP WITH ALERTS
National Hurricane Center: http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/
Osceola: http://AlertOsceola.org
Orange: http://OCAlert.net
Polk: http://AlertPolk.com
IMPORTANT CONTACT INFORMATION
Call 911 for any emergency
State of Florida Emergency Information 24-hour hotline: 1-800-342-3557
OSCEOLA COUNTY
Osceola County Emergency Management
Phone: (407) 742-9000
Email: emdo@osceola.org
American Red Cross: Greater Orlando Chapter (Orange, Osceola, Seminole Counties): (407) 894-4141
Osceola Sheriff’s Office: 2586 Partin Settlement Rd Kissimmee, FL 34744
Phone: (407) 348-2222
Emergency: (407) 742-5911
Kissimmee Utility Authority: (407) 933-7777
Toho Water Authority: (407) 944-5000
Orange County
Orange County Emergency Management
(407) 836-9140
Dial 3-1-1
Email: ocoem@ocfl.net
American Red Cross: Greater Orlando Chapter
Orange, Osceola, Seminole Counties: (407) 894-4141
Orange County Sheriff’s office: (407) 254-7100
Orange County Utilities: (407) 836-5515
Orange County Water Division: (407) 254-9850
POLK COUNTY
Polk County Emergency Management: Phone: (863) 298-7000
American Red Cross: Mid-Florida Chapter (Polk County) (863) 294-5941
Leesburg, FL: (352) 314-0883
New Port Richey, FL: (727) 848-8354
Service to the Armed Forces (SAF) 24-hour phone number: (877) 272-7337
Polk County Sheriff’s Office Emergency Numbers:
Polk County Emergency Management: (863) 298-7000
Polk County EMS/Fire: (863) 519-7350 / (800) 780-5346 (toll-free)
Salvation Army Emergency Shelter and Feeding Program Lakeland, FL: (863) 682-8179
Polk County Utilities: (863) 298-4100
Polk County Waste: (863) 284-4319
Lakeland Water Utilities: (863) 834-8316
RESOURCES FOR CONSTITUENTS WITHOUT POWER
If constituents are experiencing long-term power outages, they should look into the Low-Income Home Energy Assistant Program (LIHEAP). Last year, the state of Florida released $1.4 million in LIHEAP set-aside emergency funding for use by LIHEAP providers across the state.
VOLUNTEER INFORMATION
Those interested in volunteering to assist in Florida, visit: www.volunteerflorida.org. Individuals looking to volunteer at shelters, should complete shelter operations training online and submit a registration form.
Anyone looking to get involved is encouraged to volunteer with local and nationally known organizations. A list of volunteer websites are available at www.nvoad.org.