Dear Friend,

As you may know, hurricane season officially runs from June 1st and November 30th. While we Floridians are no strangers to hurricanes and other tropical storms, this season is expected to be particularly active. Following Hurricanes Ian and Nicole that made landfall last year, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) predicts a 40% chance of an near-normal season, a 30% chance of an above-normal season and a 30% chance of a below-normal season. NOAA is forecasting a range of 12 to 17 named storms and 5 to 9 major hurricanes. While NOAA does not anticipate the same level of activity seen in recent years, it is still imperative that each of us be prepared for the worst case scenario. Advanced preparation is key to safely navigating floods and storms. Below are some resources I hope you will find helpful as we all work to stay safe this hurricane season:

Have a plan: Make sure you and your family know what to do in the event of a hurricane or serious tropical storm. You can visit Ready.gov for more information about making a plan, building an emergency preparedness kit, determining an evacuation route, and more.

Build a Kit: It’s important to have enough food, water, and other supplies on hand in the event of a major storm. Click here for a useful checklist of items to include in your Emergency Preparedness Kit.

Be informed: It’s important to both prepare for a potential storm and to stay informed should one impact your area. FEMA has a useful app you can download here that will provide you real-time alerts for up to five different locations and locate emergency shelter places, and connect with FEMA to register for disaster assistance online. Click here to download the app on iPhone or here for Android.

Watch vs. Warning: Do you know the difference? A hurricane watch means that hurricane conditions (sustained winds of 74 mph or higher) are possible within the specified area. A hurricane watch is issued 48 hours in advance of the anticipated onset of tropical-storm-force winds in an area. A warning means indicate that hurricane conditions (sustained winds of 74 mph or higher) are expected somewhere within the specified area. Because hurricane preparedness activities become difficult once winds reach tropical storm force (sustained winds of 39 to 73 mph), the hurricane warning is issued 36 hours in advance of the anticipated onset of tropical-storm-force winds to allow for important preparation.

Useful contact information:

• General Emergencies: 911
• Polk County Sheriff’s Office: (863) 298-6200
• Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office: (813) 247-8000
• Lake County Sheriff’s Office: (352) 742-4000
• Florida Dept. of Environmental Protection, (850) 245-2010
• Florida Division of Emergency Management: 800-342-3557

Best regards,

C. Scott Franklin

Member of Congress