Ready, Set, Protect: Personal Preparedness for Hurricane Season
June 2024
Last year, Hurricane Idalia passed 100 miles offshore of Pinellas County. Still, more than 1,500 homes in our County flooded. It is important to focus on the impacts of any tropical activity that we may see this year and not on the forecast zone.
Time is the one resource you cannot get more of. Once a storm is threatening Pinellas County, there will be a limited amount of time for you to get ready, get set and protect yourself from the impacts.
Know your risks. Storm impacts can extend far outside of the forecast cone. Know what actions to take based on your risks.
Know your risk from storm surge by looking up your evacuation zone. You and your family need to be out of the evacuation areas before winds and/or storm surge arrive.
Winds in a hurricane can extend out for hundreds of miles beyond the cone. They can range from gusts to continuous hurricane-force speeds. Know if your home is strong enough to stay in. If you are on life-sustaining medical equipment, make a plan to shelter in a location with a backup generator. Mobile and manufactured homes are very vulnerable to strong winds and must always evacuate when an order is issued.
The third largest risk from a hurricane is flooding. A lot of rain can fall in a short amount of time, causing flooding on roads. Floodwaters may enter your home, and you may not be able to leave and responders may not be able to help you. Know if you have flood insurance and what is covered.
Make a Plan
Prepare for all members of your family.
- Gather your basic emergency supplies.
- If you or a loved one are electrically dependent, have medical needs requiring assistance or require transportation assistance, you can register for the Special Needs Evacuation Program in advance.
- Make sure to prepare your pets. Check that vaccination and license information is updated, build an emergency kit for them, and consider a pet-friendly shelter if you need to evacuate.
- Make arrangements for where you will evacuate if you are in a zone that is ordered to evacuate.
Stay Informed
Staying informed is one of the best ways to stay safe during a disaster.
- Visit disaster.pinellas.gov for information and quick links. During emergencies, find up-to-the-minute information.
- Download the Ready Pinellas mobile application. Be sure to install updates; Spanish is available.
- Sign up for Alert Pinellas. Receive urgent notifications via text, email, or phone.
- Call the County Information Center (CIC) during emergencies at (727) 464-4333 or start a live chat.
- Follow the County on social media: Facebook, X (formerly Twitter) and YouTube.
- Have an emergency weather radio on hand. Configure the radio to the Special Area Message Encoding (SAME) for Pinellas County, 012103, or tune to frequency 162.450.
Once Pinellas County enters the 5-day cone, activities on the County level will increase. That will be the time for you to make final preparations and be ready to put your plans into action to ensure you and your loved ones are safe.
6/25/24