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After the storm: Top stories, useful info

By: Author Bob Rountree

Posted on Last updated:

Hurricane Milton left a path of destruction across the state from Tampa Bay area through Central Florida to Cape Canaveral, although not as bad as anticipated. Tornadoes popped up in Southeast Florida and the Everglades.

Hardest hit was the Tampa Bay area, where Milton made landfall on Siesta Key as a Category 3 hurricane on Wednesday night.

Storm surge was greatest along Southwest Florida’s Gulf coast, though not as bad as Hurricane Helene two weeks ago, according to multiple reports.

More than 1.6 million Floridians were still without power on Saturday morning.

More than 85 Florida state parks remain closed on Saturday morning. Scroll lower in the story for a complete list of closures.

Saturday morning’s headlines:

A sampling of headlines from areas impacted by Hurricane Milton. Most of these newspapers have temporarily lifted pay walls for hurricane-related stories.

Drone video of Fort Myers Beach after Hurricane Milton.

1,634,157 customers without power across Florida as of 6 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 12, For county-by-county breakdown, go to findenergy.com

florida traffic signal rules After the storm: Top stories, useful info
After the storm: Top stories, useful info 10

Airports

Hurricane Relief

feeding florida hurricane relief

Counties under state of emergency

Gov. Ron DeSantis declared a state of emergency in 51 Florida counties: Alachua, Baker, Bradford, Brevard, Broward, Charlotte, Citrus, Clay, Collier, Columbia, DeSoto, Dixie, Duval, Flagler, Gilchrist, Glades, Hamilton, Hardee, Hendry, Hernando, Highlands, Hillsborough, Indian River, Lafayette, Lake, Lee, Levy, Madison, Manatee, Marion, Martin, Miami-Dade, Monroe, Nassau, Okeechobee, Orange, Osceola, Palm Beach, Pasco, Pinellas, Polk, Putnam, Sarasota, Seminole, St. Johns, St. Lucie Sumter, Suwanee, Taylor, Union, and Volusia counties.

Florida State Parks closures

As of Saturday morning, 85 Florida state parks are closed, including campgrounds. Follow the links for updates about your favorite parks and campgrounds. (Source: Florida State Parks)

Overnight accommodations closures include:

The following state parks are open for day use, but their campgrounds are closed.

For updates see Florida State Parks Storm Updates.

State and federal parks, campgrounds

The following links will take to you to updates for public campgrounds and outdoor recreation in state forests, national parks and Florida’s five water management districts.

Hurricane Relief

american red cross donations
After the storm: Top stories, useful info 11
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Hurricane season doesn’t end until November 30.

Today’s Tropical Outlook

florida two atl 7d0 After the storm: Top stories, useful info
After the storm: Top stories, useful info 12

For more information, visit Hurricanes.gov

Table Of Contents
  1. Counties under state of emergency
  2. Florida State Parks closures
  3. State and federal parks, campgrounds
  4. Today's Tropical Outlook
  5. 2024 Hurricane Names
  6. Preparation: The next storm
  7. Preparation: Test your generator
  8. Stay connected
  9. Hurricane Shelf Checklist
  10. Hurricane Supplies Checklist
  11. Riding out the storm at home
  12. Picks from my hurricane shelf

2024 Hurricane Names

hurricane preparation
Damage in Matlacha after 2022’s Hurricane Ian. The 2024 hurricane season is expected to be far more active. (Photo by Kevin Dooley, Some rights reserved)
  • Alberto ✓
  • Beryl ✓
  • Chris ✓
  • Debby ✓
  • Ernesto ✓
  • Francine ✓
  • Gordon ✓
  • Helene ✓
  • Isaac ✓
  • Joyce ✓
  • Leslie ✓
  • Milton ✓
  • Nadine
  • Oscar
  • Patty
  • Rafael
  • Sara
  • Tony Valerie
  • William

Preparation: The next storm

Keep your vehicle’s gas tanks reasonable full at all times during hurricane season so you can avoid the inevitable lines at gas stations when a storm approaches.

Maintain your yard and remove dead trees and yard debris from your property. There is no worse feeling than “I should have done it sooner” as a storm approaches.

If your home faces the threat of flooding, buy bags of top soil to be used around ground-level door openings. You can spread them on your lawn after hurricane season is over to enrich the soil for the dry winter months ahead.

Have a plan.

Preparation: Test your generator

Your generator has probably been sitting in your garage since the last time you used it. There are compelling reasons to test it now. If your generator doesn’t start or runs rough, you may still have time to get it to your small-engine shop for maintenance.

A few generator tips:

  • Dump the old gas, if you haven’t done so already. Best practice is to empty the tank at the end of hurricane season.
  • Use ethanol-free gasoline. Gasoline in your car contains ethanol, but ethanol is not good for your generator’s engine.
  • Check the oil, drain and replace. There should be a dip stick.
  • Run the generator 5 minutes once a month during hurricane season. Ideally, you should be running it once a month all year, but few do. (I’m guilty, too.)

Caution: Test the generator outdoors. Carbon dioxide emissions can kill you if the fumes are trapped in the house or garage.

Stay connected

Your ability to communicate with others can be severely compromised after a hurricane. Most of us have already dumped our self-powered landline phones in favor of cellular. But cell towers may be knocked out in hurricanes.

You also may lose internet service, especially if it’s provided by above-ground cable, and it’s likely you’ll lose the electricity that powers computers and Wi-Fi routers in your home.

Many newer models of cell phones have access to satellite service in emergencies. Consider that option the next time you upgrade your phone.

Keep your cell phones fully charged at all times, and it’s a really good idea to have a battery pack designed to recharge your phone.

For those so inclined, especially if you live in a remote area, a ham radio is a great way to communicate when all else fails.

Hurricane Shelf Checklist

Every Florida resident should have a hurricane shelf for recurring storm needs:

  • Flashlights and battery-powered lanterns
  • Fresh batteries of all sizes (Replace at least every two years)
  • Weather radio with AM/FM, battery-operated or hand crank. (See recommendations below)
  • First aid kit.
  • Mosquito repellent.
  • Tool kit includes a hatchet or axe, duct tape, hammer, nails, saw, can opener, pocket knife and a multi-tool.
  • Blue tarps! Cord, rope for tie downs.
  • Fire extinguisher.
  • Sterno kit, restock.
  • Matches in a waterproof container.
  • If you still have a landline, add a corded phone to your kit.

Hurricane Supplies Checklist

Food and water should be replaced annually. Use supplies after hurricane season and replace over the winter. Gasoline should also be fresh. When hurricane season is over, dump gas containers in your car; refill containers next year.

hurricane season preparation florida
Don’t wait until last minute or you’ll experience long lines. Start preparations early. Use last year’s supplies if you haven’t already done so over the winter, and replace with fresh goods.
  • Water: Bottled drinking water stays fresh for a year, so refresh your supply at the beginning of each season and use it up in the off-season. Save plastic by using pots and pans to store water as a storm approaches.
  • Water containers: For storing tap water to bathe and flush toilets. These can be filled at the last minute, but you should already have the containers in-house.
  • Gasoline: Keep your car’s tank near full all season. Buy gas containers now and, at the first hint of a hurricane, fill them up. Gas station lines are formidable the closer you get to a storm’s arrival and afterwards. After the storm threat passes, pour stored gas into your car’s gas tank.
  • Food: A pantry full of non-perishable foods, canned and packaged, is standard procedure in Florida. Stock up.
  • Paper goods: Stock up on TP, paper towels, paper plates this month. There won’t be any left on store shelves if you wait for the threat of a storm.
  • Plastic goods: Plastic garbage bags and plastic eating utensils, plastic storage bags and heavy-duty trash bags for yard debris.
  • Prescription drugs: Stay at least a month ahead on prescriptions.
  • Disinfectant: You may still have COVID supplies of disinfectants and hand sanitizers on hand. If not, replenish your supply.

Florida Emergency Management Checklist

2022-disaster-supply-kit-checklist-final-1

Hurricane Evacuation Checklist

Everybody has a different tolerance level and different needs. But whatever your threshold, you should have an evacuation plan before you need it.

  • Know the locations of local shelters. A revised list of shelters is issued each year by June 1, the beginning of hurricane season. Many communities have shelters for people with special needs and shelters that allow pets. Go to the appropriate shelter.
  • Have a go-bag and sleeping bag ready for each person, just in case. Don’t expect to get a cot, so a sleeping pad is a good idea if you have them.
  • If you are leaving town, consider in advance where you will go, how to get there, and what you’ll need. If you have camping gear, have it ready to pack in your escape vehicle.
  • Fill vehicle gas tanks before you even need to evacuate, and keep in mind roads will be crowded. Out-of-town hotels may already booked by smart planners.
  • Wherever you are going, before you leave your house, unplug appliances and shut off electricity, shut off gas lines and your main water supply.
  • If you are worried about flooding and have time, place sandbags and towels around vulnerable doorways and raise furniture and valuables off the floor. Bags of topsoil make excellent sandbags and can be spread on your lawn or garden later.
  • Don’t leave home without putting up your shutters.
  • Lock the house up when you leave.

Hurricane Shelter Checklist

You may not think you’ll need to go to a shelter, but if you suddenly find “the big one” heading your way, have a go-bag ready for each person in your household.

Shelters don’t have much to offer, and most won’t allow pets, so identify shelters in your area that accept pets if you have them.

Every county in Florida should release a shelter plan on June 1 each year at the beginning of hurricane season. Shelter locations may have changed over the past year.

Your go-bag should contain:

  • Clothing for 2-3 days
  • Personal hygiene items, toothbrush, toothpaste
  • Sleeping bag, air mattress, pillow
  • Books and games
  • Medications
  • Identification (driver’s license)
  • Cash
  • Snacks
  • Flashlight

Riding out the storm at home

  • Designate a “safe room” with strong walls and least exposed to outside elements (no windows, for example.)
  • Fill the bathtub(s) with water that can be used for flushing toilets.
  • Fill pots, pans and other kitchen containers with water for drinking and washing.
  • Unplug appliances you don’t need but leave the circuit breaker on until the house loses power. When you lose power, turn off the breaker. Turn it back on when power is restored.
  • Keep refrigerator and freezer doors closed as much as possible. Fill plastic storage bags 3/4 full with water and place in the freezer to fill in spaces. (Water expands while freezing, and you don’t want the bags to pop open.)
  • Have a cooler on standby for items you use frequently to avoid opening and closing the fridge.

What not to do…

  • Do not use candles or open flames inside your home. Fire-Rescue is way too busy to respond to your fire.
  • Do not use generators indoors. Engine exhaust kills.

Camper evacuation tips

  • Pack up and get ready to move on a moment’s notice.
  • Florida State Parks and other campgrounds within the forecast cone will close as soon as a storm warning is issued, and you will have to evacuate.
  • Inland states such as Georgia and Alabama historically have opened campgrounds in state parks, fairgrounds and race tracks for evacuees to camp. Stay well outside the 7-day forecast cone. Here are links to Georgia State Parks. Atlanta Motor Speedway. Alabama State Parks. Mississippi State Parks
  • Make sure you have enough gas to get to a place of refuge, even if you don’t expect the storm to come your way. Hurricanes have been known to turn on a dime.
  • Don’t panic, but you should try to get an early start so you’re not stuck in traffic fleeing an approaching storm.

If you have an RV in storage…

If you are storing your RV, you should ask about their policy in a storm. Some RV storage facilities will require you to remove it, but if you wait until the last minute, you will never get through on the phone. I know this from experience.

One year, I had to remove my travel trailer from storage, so I brought it home and sheltered it by wedging it between my house and my neighbor’s house. The storm missed us, but we lost power and I was able to live in the RV with generator power.

Another year, I left it in the storage lot. A Cat 2 storm hit my house squarely, knocking out power for two weeks. The travel trailer, 25 miles away, was untouched. I brought it home after the storm passed and lived in it. I was the only one in the neighborhood with hot showers and a working stove (propane).

If you have a boat in storage…

  • Ask about your storage lots policies with an approaching storm.
  • If allowed, have ground anchors on hand so you can tie it down.
  • If your boat damages other boats, you will likely be held responsible — in or out of the water. Check your insurance policy for coverage.
  • Some storage lots may require you to remove the boat.

If you have a boat in the water

  • If you are in a marina, ask about the marina’s policies in the event of an approaching storm. Many marinas will require you to remove your vessel.
  • If your boat is staying in the water, tie it down securely.
  • If your boat can be removed from the water, decide how and where you can store it in a storm. Sometimes that means moving the boat inland. Sometimes it means putting it in your garage or sheltering it between houses and using ground anchors.

What about kayaks and paddle boards?

Kayaks, canoes and paddle boards in your yard may become missiles that will hurt people or damage property in a hurricane. Have a plan to tie them down securely or move them into a sheltered space, such as your garage.

Picks from my hurricane shelf

These are my suggestions for stocking your hurricane shelf based on personal experience. Florida Rambler may receive a modest commission if a purchase is made through these links. The income supports the cost of publishing this free web site.

Sale
Honda 664240 EU2200i 2200 Watt Portable Inverter Generator with Co-Minder
Honda 664240 EU2200i 2200 Watt Portable Inverter Generator with Co-Minder
  • This popular model can operate a wide variety of appliances, making it perfect for portable use at home, camping, on the job site, or much…
  • So quiet, your neighbors will thank you. The EU2200i operates at 48 to 57 dBA, which is less noise than a normal conversation. This makes it…
  • Add a second EU2200i for additional power. Two identical models can be paralleled with an optional cable or cord for up to 4400 watts of…
$1,099.00
Buy on Amazon

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