June 1 to November 30 is hurricane season for Florida. For thos eo fyou who have never experienced a hurricane, you need to be prepared well in advance. For those of you who have lived in Florida for a few years, you know what to do. Consider this to be your reminder—and information you need in one place, so you don’t have to search for it.
Plant City is not along a coast and is not in danger of storm surge. But flooding, hurricane-force winds, and tornados caused by hurricanes are still threats to life and property. For hurricanes, a watch is issued when hurricane conditions are possible in the area. A hurricane warning is issued when hurricane conditions are expected in the area.
During a hurricane watch, get your house ready for the storm, find out your evacuation route, and make a plan for your family in case a warning is issued. During a warning, follow the directions of officials, and leave your area when they advise you to. When an extreme wind warning is issued, that means sustained wind of 115 mph or more is forecast to begin within an hour. In this case, take shelter right away in the interior portion of a well-built structure attached to a foundation.
Predicting a hurricane’s path is even more difficult than predicting the winner of March Madness, because so many weather and water variables come into play. Computers that can crunch huge amounts of data narrow a hurricane’s path with more accuracy as time goes on. Calculations two to three days out are reasonably accurate. The computer models predict several likely paths of a hurricane and are known as spaghetti models. In most cases, the forecast track or path is given with the consensus of these models. The National Hurricane Center carries the most up-to-date information on hurricane developments and forecasts at https://www.nhc.noaa.gov.
It is important to create a kit of supplies for evacuation and for home. It is highly stressful to try to buy supplies from fast emptying store shelves during a last minute panic. However, if you prepare your kit ahead of time, you alleviate your chaos during an impending storm. You should put your kit together in containers that you can easily carry in your vehicle and easily access. Some recommended items to include are:
Three days’ worth of non-perishable food.
Three days’ worth of water (one gallon of drinking water per person, per day).
Flashlights with extra batteries.
A waterproof container with cash and important documents.
A manual can opener.
A lighter or matches.
A first-aid kit (include any prescription medication you may need).
A battery operated radio (again, have extra batteries).
Personal hygiene items and sanitation items.
High winds well below hurricane force can still take down power lines. Make sure the below is set up in case you lose power.
Make sure your gas tank is full well before an approaching hurricane. When people wait until the last minute to fil up for generators and vehicles, gas stations can run out.
Have extra cash on hand in case banks are closed and ATMs are not working.
Charge cell phones and portable chargers beforehand and limit use after power is out.
It turns out after a hurricane, the Florida sun comes back full force. Since you won’t have air conditioning, pull curtains and close blinds to prevent as much light as possible from heating up your house. If you have back-up or battery operated fans, don’t run them unless you are in the room.
Fill a bathtub and/or large containers with water for washing and flushing.
Freeze any food that can be frozen if you anticipate a power outage. This is a safety guide for when to throw away food that could have gone bad: https://www.foodsafety.gov/food-safety-charts/food-safety-during-power-outage.
The CDC has a guide on how to stay safe in the event of a power outage. Refer to this before the power goes out because you may not be able to after: https://emergency.cdc.gov/poweroutage/pdf/poweroutage.pdf
Books, magazines, and games for kids and for adults who get easily bored in an emergency.
Special needs items: pet supplies and baby supplies if you have pets or babies.
Cooler and ice packs.
A plan for what to do if family members are separated.