Hurricane season is always something to prepare for in Florida. However, with COVID still among us and not everyone fully vaccinated yet, there are some additional things to keep in mind this June through November.
This article discusses top hurricane prep tips to keep in mind during the 2021 season while COVID is still a concern among us as well.
When is hurricane season in Florida?
Hurricane season ranges from June 1st through November 30th. However, the most active months are typically August through October. September has a history of being the most active hurricane month in Florida history, so we still have a little bit of time to prepare and consider these safety measures.
These three safety considerations will make your 2021 hurricane season safer and easier, even with the effects of the pandemic still in place.
Tip 1: Know where multiple local hurricane shelters are located.
Knowing where the local hurricane shelter is located is essential in any hurricane season. However, with the pandemic still a concern, many shelters will be enforcing a more limited capacity.
For instance, many Florida counties are reducing their capacity but opening more shelters within the areas. Broward County official Terry Hodges commented on such measures, stating that most of their shelters have a capacity reduced by two-thirds to account for social distancing.
“One of the things that we did was that we changed the capacity of the shelters to allow for social distancing."
Therefore, you should know the location of not one but several hurricane shelters in your area. That way, if you need to relocate, you have several locations in mind. If you get to the first location and it is at full capacity, then you will know what your other options are.
Tip 2: Stock up on the regular hurricane essentials + some COVID-related ones.
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Of course, you will want to stock up on the normal hurricane essentials. Florida Storms provide a list of hurricane essentials for you to have on hand: https://floridastorms.org/2020/05/05/you-think-shelves-are-empty-now/
In addition to the normal ones, you'll want to have plenty of COVID-related essentials on hand as well. These would include things like masks, hand sanitizer, and medications that you may not normally carry.
Tip 3: Be prepared with standard hurricane measures.
The state of Florida provides a complete hurricane preparedness guide. You can find it here: https://www.stateofflorida.com/articles/hurricane-preparedness-guide/
I would highly recommend that in addition to the adjusted measures in tip 2, you also go through the standard hurricane preparedness guide to make sure you're ready for this hurricane season. In addition to the pandemic measures to make hurricane season even safer for 2021, standard safety tips and prep should always be practiced.
Stay safe this hurricane season and prepare now!