Hurricane Preparedness
Hurricane Preparedness
Now that hurricane season is underway in Florida, it is important that you and your family are prepared. There are many factors to consider when preparing for a hurricane: emergency kits, evacuation routes, power sources, communication plans with family and friends, etc. Congressman Yoho’s office has put together some local, state, and federal resources to assist you and your family as you design your own hurricane preparedness plan. This list is not exhaustive but contains a great deal of useful information.
Federal Resources
For information on how to make a plan, build a kit, and recover from a hurricane, please visit www.ready.gov/hurricanes.
- Before a storm happens it is important to have a plan of evacuation. In your kit some recommended items include: sufficient non-perishable food for 72 hours; medicine and baby needs; bedding and a change of clothes; flashlights with extra batteries; potable water.
For the most current weather information, visit the National Hurricane Center at www.nhc.noaa.gov or the National Weather Service at www.weather.gov.
Please visit www.disasterassistance.gov for access to disaster help and resources.
To contact the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), please visit www.fema.gov or call 1-800-621-3362.
Local Resources
Please visit www.floridadisaster.org or call 1-800-342-3557 for information on how to plan and prepare for a hurricane, as well as local weather and other information.
Please visit the American Red Cross North Central Florida Chapter at www.redcross.org/fl/gainesville or call 352-376-4669.
Please visit www.floridadisaster.org/shelters and search by county to find local shelters. Common local shelters are any elementary, middle, or high schools.
Shelter information will be available by calling 3-1-1, not 9-1-1. Call 9-1-1 only for life-threatening emergencies.
Major regional shelters:
- Alachua County
- American Red Cross North Central Florida Chapter – 1425 NW 6th Street, Gainesville, FL 32601
- Buchholz High School – 5510 NW 27th Avenue, Gainesville, FL 32606
- For more shelters visit: https://www.alachuacounty.us/Depts/PublicSafety/em/Documents/PublicShelters_EOC_040113.pdf
- Hamilton County
- Hamilton County Senior High School – 5683 US Highway 129 South, Jasper, FL 32052
- For more shelters visit: https://www.hamcoem.com/2010-SESP-AppxA-Hamilton.pdf
- Madison County
- Madison Central School – 2093 W US Highway 90, Lee, FL 32059
- For more shelters visit: https://www.madisoncountyfl.com/myJSSImages/file/shelters.pdf
- Columbia County
- Columbia High School – 469 SE Fighting Tiger Drive, Lake City, FL 32025
- American Red Cross – 264 NE Hernando Avenue, Lake City, FL 32055
- For more shelters visit: https://www.columbiacountyfla.com/em/index.cfm/referer/content.contentItem/ID/577/item/162/index.html
- Union County
- Union County High School – 1000 S. Lake Avenue, Lake Butler, FL 32054
- For more school shelters visit https://union.schooldesk.net/ (schools tab)
- Bradford County
- Bradford High School – 581 N. Temple Ave, Starke, FL 32091
- For more shelters visit: https://www.bradford-co-fla.org/Emergency%20Man/emSpecialNeeds.html
- Suwannee County
- Suwannee High School – 1314 Pine Avenue SW, Live Oak, FL 32064
- For more shelters visit: https://suwannee.schooldesk.net/ (schools tab)
- Lafayette County
- Lafayette County Emergency Management – 194 SW Virginia Circle, Mayo, Florida 32066
- Lafayette High School – 160 NE Hornet Drive, Mayo, FL 32066
- For more school shelters visit: https://lafayette.schooldesk.net/ (schools tab)
- Dixie County
- Dixie County High School, 1607 U.S. 19, Cross City, FL 32628
- For more school shelters visit: https://www.dixie.k12.fl.us/
- Gilchrist County
- Bell High School – 930 S Main Street, Bell, FL 32619
- For more school shelters visit: https://www.visitgilchristcounty.com/services.php?category=Schools (schools tab)
- Marion County
- Belleview Middle School – 10500 SE 36th Avenue, Belleview, FL 34420
- For more shelters visit: https://www.marion.k12.fl.us/dept/rmd/extra/file/Shelters.pdf
- Clay County
- Orange Park High School – 2300 Kingsley Avenue, Orange Park, FL 32073
- For more shelters visit: https://www.claycountygov.com/Clay/maps/HurricaneEvacShelterNumbers_8x11.pdf
- Levy County
- Chiefland Elementary School – 1205 W Walnut, Chiefland, FL 32626
- For more shelters visit: https://levydisaster.com/Shelters.aspx