Hello, Friends —

As many of you are aware, Hurricane Helene is making landfall in Florida over the next 72 hours. Please make sure you and your family are prepared and up to date on the projected path of the storm. To help ensure you and your family's safety, we've included tips below to keep in mind for not only this storm but hurricane season in general.

My staff and I will continue to monitor the storms closely as well. Visit my website at https://gaetz.house.gov/services/hurricanes for additional contacts, information, and preparedness tips. Please stay safe!

IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT REGARDING HURRICANE HELENE

Prepare a kit. Ensure you and your family have a disaster kit ready to go in case of an emergency. For more information on items to include in a kit, visit https://www.ready.gov/hurricanes

Get to know your surroundings. Know the elevation of your house and property. Hurricanes often bring storm surge, which is considered the greatest threat to property and life during any tropical storm. Know your communities' evacuation routes and how you would evacuate to higher ground. For more information on potential storm surge areas visit https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/surge/

Consistently check the weather. The Coast Guard's mobile app for boating safety is a tool to check marine weather from your phone. With the mobile app, you can check the weather at nearby NOAA buoys, which provide wind speed and direction along with wave height. Checking weather any time you plan to get underway and throughout your time on the water is highly recommended.

Secure your boats. Review your hurricane plan with your local marina to ensure you have a plan to both bring your boat in and strap it down ashore or otherwise ensure it is properly equipped to ride out the storm at the marina.

Listen to local officials. When it comes to hurricane response and preparedness, the most important link in the chain is you: prepare your boat for the season, have a hurricane-mooring plan, and monitor channel 16 on your VHF radio when on the water. Prior to planning a trip, keep an eye on the weather, port conditions, and other hurricane warnings.

For further questions, please consult the Emergency Management websites for the county you reside in: 

- Escambia County 
- Santa Rosa County 
- Okaloosa County 
- Walton County