Resource Links | Important Numbers | Terms To Know | Storm News
It’s that time of year again. Florida’s hurricane season lasts from June 1 until November 30. If you’re new to the state or just in need of information on how to keep yourself and your loved ones safe, the Central Florida Public Media news team has compiled links to some of the most important information you’ll need.
Stay Safe this hurricane season and remember, Central Florida Public Media is here to keep you up-do-date with life and property saving information.
RESOURCE LINKS
CENTRAL FLORIDA COUNTY EMERGENCY INFORMATION, SHELTERS AND EVACUATION ZONES:
Brevard | Lake | Marion | Orange | Osceola | Polk | Seminole | Sumter | Volusia | Flagler
STATE/NATIONAL RESOURCES:
NOAA | Fla. Div. Of Emergency Management | FEMA
MORE RESOURCE LINKS:
Disaster Supply Kit Checklist
Flood maps
Know your Zone
Evacuation plan
Shelters
Preparing your homes
Medicine refills
Hurricane safety for people with dementia
Special Needs Registry
Planning for your pet
Horse owner hurricane preparation
Mental health help during a disaster
What to do if you lose power
Power outage map
Dangers after a hurricane
Cleanup after a hurricane
Food Safety
Generator safety
Where to find gas
Report price gouging
Mosquitoes after a storm
Encountering wildlife after a hurricane
Beekeeper preparedness
IMPORTANT NUMBERS
Emergency help: 911
SAIL Hotline: 1-800-342-3557
FEMA: 1-800-621-FEMA (3362)
Non Emergency Support Services: 211
TERMS TO KNOW
Language surrounding hurricanes and other storms can often be confusing. With that in mind, we’ve also compiled a list of terms and their definitions.
Tropical Cyclone: Low pressure system that forms over warm tropical waters.
Tropical Depression: A tropical cyclone with maximum sustained winds of 38 mph or less.
Tropical Storm: A tropical cyclone with maximum sustained winds of 39 to 73 mph.
Hurricane: A tropical cyclone with maximum sustained winds of 74 mph or higher.
Major hurricane: A tropical cyclone with maximum sustained winds of 111 mph or higher. These are category 3, 4 or 5 hurricanes.
Tropical storm warning: A tropical storm warning is issued when sustained winds of 39 to 73 mph are expected in an area within the next 36 hours.
Tropical storm watch: A tropical storm watch is issued when tropical storm conditions are possible within the next 48 hours.
Hurricane Warning: A hurricane warning is issued when sustained winds of 74 mph or greater are expected in an area within the next 36 hours.
Hurricane Watch: A hurricane watch is issued when hurricane force winds are possible in an area within the next 48 hours.
Eye: The center of the hurricane.
Eyewall: The band or ring of clouds that surrounds the eye of a hurricane.
Landfall: The moment the center of the hurricane reaches the coastline.
Outer bands: An outer ring of rainfall and thunderstorms that surrounds a hurricane. Usually this is the first part of the storm to make landfall.
Storm surge: A rise in sea level corresponding with a hurricane or other intense storm at sea.
Cone of uncertainty: A diagram showing the projected path of a tropical storm or hurricane over the next five days.
Spaghetti plot: A diagram showing multiple paths a tropical storm or hurricane could take based on different prediction models.
Hurricane names: Any tropical cyclone that becomes a tropical storm or hurricane gets a name. Here’s the list of this year’s names.
National Hurricane Center: The National Hurricane Center or NHC issues watches, warnings and advisories for tropical weather.
Hurricane season: The Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1 through November 30. This is when tropical cyclones are most likely to form in the Atlantic.
The peak of hurricane season: September 10 is the peak of hurricane season. Most hurricanes form between mid-August and mid-October.
Saffir Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale (ranking): The scale ranks a hurricane’s potential to do property damage based on its maximum sustained wind speeds. Hurricanes can be category 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5 storms.
Latest Storm News
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Florida is nearing completion on more $180 million Emergency Operations Center in Tallahassee, designed to withstand powerful hurricanes. The state-of-the-art facility will replace the current overcrowded center by the start of the 2026 hurricane season. -
Flood advisories have been reissued for parts of South Florida on Thursday, and the wet, stormy pattern is expected to persist as a front remains draped over the region. -
It's September, usually a busy month for tropical systems. The African monsoon is the factory of tropical waves, and the Atlantic Basin is all fair game! -
The Atlantic basin hurricane season is experiencing its quietest peak in more than 30 years, with dry air and stable atmospheric conditions limiting storm formation. Forecasters warn that late-season activity could still produce a hurricane threat for the U.S. -
The highest tides of the year are here for much of the week, and sagging fronts will continue to bring rounds of intense storms. Flash floods are possible. -
Dry and dusty conditions attacked the tropical disturbance, which was on the verge of becoming a tropical system on Friday. -
Flash flood risk across parts of Florida will continue through the beginning of next week. -
Meteorological fall across is expected to be warmer and wetter across the Southeast. Forecasters are highlighting warmer sea surface temperatures across a large part of the Atlantic basin as being one of the root causes. -
We are monitoring a tropical disturbance that could develop late this week. Gabrielle is the next day on the list. -
Rain coverage will increase from north to south as a front and then a storm moves through the South. -
33 years after Hurricane Andrew made landfall in Miami as a Category 5 storm, there are many lessons learned and lessons we are still learning about these powerful storms and their impact. -
Many areas have received over 4 inches of rain in the last 3 days. Plenty of moisture still available to produce numerous rounds of showers on Sunday.
