Hurricane Season Begins June 1
Severe weather can happen anytime and anywhere, especially in Florida. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration, 40 percent of hurricane landfalls in the United States happen here.
Hurricane season begins in a few days so Floridians should learn now how they’re going to remain alert over the six month period. There
are many easy ways Floridians can connect with local officials to receive up-to-date information about severe weather such as hurricanes.
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Go online to the Florida Division of Emergency Management at FloridaDisaster.org/AlertFlorida. From there Floridians can sign up for electronic severe weather alerts specific to their community.
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Buy a weather radio, preferably one that uses batteries and has crank-power capabilities. Radios provide continuous updates and weather-related safety information from a Floridian’s closest National Weather Service office.
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Call the FDEM State Assistance and Information Line, or SAIL, at 800-342-3557. FDEM activates the toll-free hotline during emergencies.
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Connect with local emergency managers on social media. Every Florida county has an emergency management office and many are active on social media. Floridians may search for and follow their community’s office on Twitter or Facebook to interact with them and get severe weather updates.
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Connect with FDEM on social media. Follow FDEM on Twitter @FLSERT and find them on Facebook at facebook.com/FloridaSERT.
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Enable Wireless Emergency Alerts on mobile devices. Many cell phones are capable of receiving automatic WEAs that provide local emergency alerts. Floridians can receive WEAs at all times since cell network congestion does not affect messages and providers offer the service for free.
- Pay attention to local media. Local radio and television are great sources for continuous weather updates and advisories.