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Hurricane Resources

 

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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

 

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

 

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.