Florida's Hurricane season is June 1 - November 30
When it comes to preparing for Hurricane Season, there are a number of items that need to be considered and many decisions that must be made. We recommend these steps to help you feel prepared this year:
- Trim any trees that overhang the roof and any dead branches on all trees, at the beginning of the season.
- Clean debris from roof valleys, gutters, or downspouts. Ensure water can flow.
- Be sure any storm drains on the street are cleaned out.
- Secure or bring in all outdoor furniture & loose items to prevent flying debris.
- Protect windows with storm shutters (many newer homes windows can withstand 180 mph winds).
- Choose a safe interior room with no windows. If you have small children, run through a drill and have your comfort items there in advance.
- Reinforce garage doors, they are very vulnerable to wind damage.
- If evacuating, turn off the power, water & gas, and plan multiple evacuation routes.
- Test your generator before the storm to be sure it can handle the load you plan to put on it (refrigerator, radio, power strips, fans, phones, etc.).
- For Northeast St. Johns County Residents: You can fill your own sandbags under the Palm Valley bridge in Ponte Vedra Beach. Take a shovel and sandbags (buy them early, they may run out).
Tips Before & During a Storm:
- Keep your vehicle gas tank half full during storm season.
- Keep small denominations of cash on hand.
- Fill your bathtubs with water, so you can use a bucket to flush the toilets if power goes out.
- Lower your Hurricane/Perils Homeowners Insurance Deductible to $500.
- Take pictures of everything before and after the storm for claim purposes.
- Have all your key documents (insurance policies, wills, vehicle titles, prescription info, important phone numbers, etc.) ready in a plastic bag.
Important Websites:
JEA: jea.com/outage
FPL: fpl.com/outage or call 1-800-4-OUTAGE (1-800-468-8243)
Duval County Emergency Management: jaxready.com
St. Johns County Emergency Management: sjcemergencymanagement.org
Evacuation zones: sjcemergencymanagement.com/evacinfo
Weather Mike (Storm Tracker): weathermike.com
Government readiness: ready.gov/hurricanes
Florida Disaster: floridadisaster.org
Downloadable Resource:
Here's some helpful information you can print to prepare your home, family, and pets, as well as a hurricane supply checklist: Hurricane Prep.pdf
Remember: Quinton and I are from Florida and Louisiana- we've been through many seasons of hurricanes! Please don't hesitate to call us if you have questions, need resources, or just want a check in buddy for your or your house, if you're evacuating.