Florida Hurricane Season: Know Your Zone and Sign Up for Alerts

The Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1 to November 30, according to the Florida Division of Emergency Management (FDEM). As I write this in November, the season is nearly over, so treat this as a page to come back to in May. The two most useful things you can do for next season take five minutes each: find your evacuation zone and sign up for local alerts.

This is general information. Always follow orders from your county emergency management. In an emergency, call 911.

1. Know your zone

FDEM’s message is “Know Your Zone, Know Your Home.” On its Know Your Zone page, you type in your address and see your evacuation zone.

• Zones run from A to F.
• Zone A is generally the most vulnerable and the first to be evacuated.

Write your zone on your fridge, and on the paper copy of your plan. When officials order an evacuation, they’ll name zones, not streets.

The National Weather Service also stresses understanding your home’s vulnerability to storm surge, flooding and wind. If you live in a mobile home or a flood-prone spot, plan where you’d go even if your zone isn’t called.

2. Sign up for AlertFlorida and your county’s alerts

FDEM points Floridians to AlertFlorida, a statewide emergency notification initiative sponsored by FDEM. On that page, you enter your county or city to see how to get emergency alerts and public safety notices where you live. Sign up for whatever your county offers, and add every adult’s phone.

Two other alert sources need no sign-up:

• Wireless Emergency Alerts. NWS says no sign-up is required and the service is free from wireless carriers. NWS sends hurricane, storm surge, extreme wind and tornado warnings this way.
• NOAA Weather Radio, which a battery or crank radio with a weather band can receive.

3. Stock 7 days, not 3

FDEM asks households to keep enough non-perishable food and water for each family member for at least 7 days. That’s more than the 3-day minimum on many national lists.

The American Red Cross suggests two kits: a Go-Kit with 3 days of supplies, and a Stay-at-Home Kit with 2 weeks.

• Water: CDC’s minimum is 1 gallon (3.8 L) per person per day, so 7 gallons (26.5 L) each for a week
• Food that needs no cooking or fridge
• Medications, ideally a two-week supply (talk to your pharmacist)
• Flashlights, a radio, spare batteries and charged power banks
• A first aid kit
• Copies of documents in a waterproof bag. CDC lists medical documents, wills, passports and ID
• Cash, since card machines need power
• Pet food and supplies

My 7-day list turns this into a printable checklist.

4. Stay or go

The Red Cross says to have a plan to evacuate and a plan to shelter safely. If authorities advise or order you to evacuate, it says to grab your kit and go right away. If you’re not in an evacuation zone, you may still decide to leave, especially if your home can’t stand up to the wind.

My stay or go post has a quick decision guide, and my go-bag checklist covers what to pack.

5. Medicines and powered medical devices

CDC lists an emergency medicine supply among the basics for hurricane season. Ask your pharmacist early in the season how to get a refill ahead of a storm, and keep a paper list of every medicine and dose. My medication planning guide has questions to ask.

If someone at home uses oxygen, a CPAP or other powered equipment, talk to your supplier and doctor about a backup plan, and ask your county about special needs shelters. My medical device power plan walks through it, and my power station sizing guide shows the math.

6. Before the storm: the home

NWS suggests these steps before the season:

• Check emergency equipment, such as flashlights, generators and storm shutters.
• Review your insurance policies to make sure you have enough coverage for your home and belongings.
• Decide how your household will contact each other, where you’ll go, and what you’ll do.

Take photos of each room for insurance, and store copies online. My guide to protecting documents explains how.

7. During and after: generators and flood water

Carbon monoxide warning. A generator gives off carbon monoxide, which you can’t see or smell and which can kill within minutes. FDEM says to always operate a generator outdoors and away from windows and doors. NWS says never use a portable generator inside your home or garage. The Red Cross says gasoline, propane, natural gas or charcoal-burning devices should never be used inside a home. Keep a battery-operated CO alarm working.

Flood water is the other big danger:

• CDC says cars and other vehicles can be swept away or stall in just 6 inches (15 cm) of moving water. Never drive through flooded areas.
• The Red Cross says not to touch floodwater, because it may contain sewage, bacteria and chemicals.
• NWS says to avoid flooded roads and washed-out bridges, and to walk carefully around the outside of your home to check for loose power lines, gas leaks and damage.

Don’t go home until officials say it’s safe, the Red Cross adds.

My generator safety guide and fridge food safety guide cover the days after.

Build the rest of your plan

• Work out a 7-day supply for your household in the plan builder.
• Print ready-made lists, including the 7-day list.
• Plan a week of no-cook meals with my food page and recipes.
• For a full season checklist, see my hurricane season checklist.