Hurricane Season Starts June 1 The National Weather Service recognizes the North Atlantic Hurricane Season as officially running from June 1 to the end of November, and now is the time to prepare. Last year, the Atlantic hurricane season had 15 named storms, and eight of them were strong enough to be classified as hurricanes. Florida is still recovering from Hurricane Michael, which struck in 2018, and we're still rebuilding from Hurricane Irma in 2017. This season is expected to be more active than a typical season, according to AccuWeather predictions. Stock Up on Supplies During the Tax-Free Holiday In order to help Florida families be as prepared as possible for hurricane season, the Legislature created a six-day sales tax holiday for disaster preparedness in our tax cut package. This tax-free period begins Friday, May 31, and runs through Thursday, June 6, 2019. Items eligible for purchase include:
Get A Plan! The Florida Division of Emergency Management is a valuable resource to help you, your family and your business prepare for hurricane season. Visit flgetaplan.com to learn more or click on the plan below that best suits your needs. Build a Disaster Supply Kit To avoid the long lines ahead of a potential, short-noticed storm, it is wise to start building a disaster supply kit. Below are some items to make sure to purchase for your kit. Note: Some of these things can be purchased tax-free during the disaster preparedness holiday.
Know Who to Call for Help Below is a list of important contact information for hurricane related assistance. You may consider printing this list and keeping it somewhere safe just in case. State of Florida Emergency Info 24-hour hotline: 800-342-3557 Safe & Wellness Helpline (to see if people are in a shelter or are OK): 800-733-2767 FEMA Disaster Assistance/Registration: 800-621-3362 or TTY: 800-427-5593 U.S. Small Business Administration: 800-659-2955 or TTY: 800-877-8339 FEMA Fraud Hotline: 800-323-8603 Disaster Unemployment Services: 877-872-5627 Unemployment Compensation Claims: 800-204-2418 Florida Dept. of Financial Services Hurricane Helpline: 800-277-8676 Red Cross Food, Shelter and Financial Assistance: 866-438-4636 Salvation Army Hurricane Relief Information: 888-363-2769 DCF Information: 866-762-2237 Elder Helpline: 800-963-5337 Attorney General’s Price Gouging Hotline: 866-966-7226 To verify contractor licenses: 850-487-1395 To report unlicensed activity - Agricultural and Consumer Services: 866-532-1440 I hope that this information serves as a useful resource for you as we prepare for hurricane season. Please do not hesitate to contact me if I can ever be of assistance. Sincerely, Kathleen C. Passidomo Senate Majority Leader Naples Office: 3299 East Tamiami Trail LaBelle Office: 25 East Hickpochee Avenue Tallahassee Office: 330 Senate Office Building Not paid for at taxpayer expense. |