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 floridadisaster.org/planprepare to learn more or click on the plan below that best suits your needs. 

• Family Plan
• Business Plan
• Special Needs Plan
• Pet Plan

Be Prepared: Build a Disaster Supply Kit

Don't get caught unprepared, now is the time to build a disaster supply kit.  Below is a list of items essential to purchase or collect before peak hurricane season arrives. 

Note: Some items can be purchased tax-free during the Disaster Preparedness Tax Holiday.

• Water (at least 1 gallon daily per person for 3 to 7 days)
• Food (at least enough for 3 to 7 days)
• Blankets and pillows, etc.
• Clothing
• First aid kit, including medicines and prescriptions
• Toiletries and hygiene items
• Flashlight and batteries
• Radio
• Cash (Banks and ATMs may not be open or available for extended periods)
• Important documents (store in a waterproof container), such as insurance, medical records, bank account numbers, Social Security card, etc. 
• Vehicle fuel tanks, filled
• Pet care items

The Disaster Preparedness Tax Holiday Starts on June 1

Purchase hurricane supplies and pay no taxes during the 2024 Disaster Preparedness Tax Holiday.  Mark your calendars: this tax-free sales period kicks off on the first day of Florida's hurricane season.  Floridians have four weeks to save while stocking up on essential hurricane supplies. 

The first sales tax-free period on disaster supplies begins Saturday, June 1, and runs through Friday, June 14, 2024.  The second tax-exemption period is scheduled for Saturday, August 24, through Friday, September 6, 2024.

Tax-exempt items include:

• A portable generator used to provide light or communications or preserve food in the event of a power outage with a sales price of $3,000 or less;
• A tarpaulin or other flexible waterproof sheeting with a sales price of $100 or less;
• An item normally sold as, or generally advertised as, a ground anchor system or tie-down kit with a sales price of $100 or less;
• A smoke detector or smoke alarm with a sales price of $70 or less;
• A fire extinguisher with a sales price of $70 or less;
• A carbon monoxide detector with a sales price of $70 or less;
• A nonelectric food storage cooler with a sales price of $60 or less;
• A portable power bank with a sales price of $60 or less;
• A gas or diesel fuel tank with a sales price of $50 or less;
• A portable self-powered radio, two-way radio or weather-band radio with a sales price of $50 or less;
• A package of AA-cell, AAA-cell, C-cell, D-cell, 6-volt, or 9-volt batteries, excluding automobile and boat batteries, with a sales price of $50 or less;
• A portable self-powered light source* (powered by battery, solar, hand crank, or gas), including flashlights, lanterns and candles, with a sales price of $40 or less;
• Reusable ice (ice packs) with a sales price of $20 or less; and
• Supplies necessary for the evacuation of household pets. For purposes of this exemption, necessary supplies means the noncommercial purchase of:
  • Bags of dry cat or dog food weighing 50 or fewer pounds and with a sales price of $100 or less per bag;
  • Portable kennels or pet carriers with a sales price of $100 or less per item;
  • Over-the-counter pet medications with a sales price of $100 or less;
  • Pet beds with a sales price of $40 or less per item;
  • Cat litter weighing 25 or fewer pounds and with a sales price of $25 or less per item;
  • Leashes, collars, and muzzles with a sales price of $20 or less per item;
  • Pet pads with a sales price of $20 or less per box or package;
  • Manual can openers with a sales price of $15 or less per item;
  • Collapsible or travel-sized food bowls or water bowls with a sales price of $15 or less per item;
  • Cat litter pans with a sales price of $15 or less per item;
  • Pet waste disposal bags with a sales price of $15 or less per package;
  • Hamster or rabbit substrate with a sales price of $15 or less per package; and
  • Cans or pouches of wet dog food or cat food with a sales price of $10 or less per can or pouch or the equivalent if sold in a box or case.

For more information on the Disaster Preparedness Sales Tax Holiday, visit floridarevenue.com/disasterprep.

Update Information on Special Needs Registry

The Florida Department of Health, in coordination with its county health departments and each local emergency management agency in the state, developed a registry for persons with special needs to register with their local emergency management agency to receive assistance during a disaster.  The statewide registry provides first responders with valuable information to prepare for disasters or other emergencies.  Click here to register for the Special Needs Registry.

Contact your local emergency management office for questions regarding registration, shelters, transportation, evacuation and more at floridadisaster.org/counties/.

Know Your Zone, Know Your Home

Every year it's important for residents to know if they live in an evacuation zone, a low-lying, flood-prone area, a mobile home or an unsafe structure during hurricane season. 

This year, it is also very important for residents to know their homes.  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.

Learn if you live in a flood-prone area at FloridaDisaster.org/Know.

Sign Up for Local Alerts

During hurricane season, information can change at a moment’s notice. It's important to sign up to receive emergency alerts from your city or county. 

• Collier County
• Lee County
• Hendry County

Know Who to Call for Help

Below is a list of important contacts for hurricane-related assistance.  You may consider printing this list and keeping it somewhere safe just in case.  For additional emergency contacts, click here. 

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

Many Online Resources Are Available

Below is a list of national, state and local resources for hurricane-related assistance.  

FEMA National Risk Index
https://hazards.fema.gov/nri/learn-more

Florida Emergency Management
https://www.floridadisaster.org/

ASPR Technical Resources, Assistance Center & Information Exchange (TRACIE)
https://asprtracie.hhs.gov/

NOAA, National Hurricane Center
https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/index.shtml

Ready.gov
https://www.ready.gov/

Florida Healthcare Coalition
https://www.floridahcc.org/

Southwest Florida Healthcare Coalition
https://www.Swflcoalition.org/

Collier County Department of Health
https://collier.floridahealth.gov

Collier County Emergency Management
https:/www.colliercountyfl.gov

Hendry County Department of Health
https://hendry.floridahealth.gov

Hendry County Emergency Management
https://www.hendryfla.net/

Lee County Department of Health
https://lee.floridahealth.gov/

Lee County Emergency Management
https://www.leegov.com/