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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Hurricane Humberto strengthened into a Category 1 cyclone on Friday and is expected to pass safely north of the Lesser Antilles. Forecasters are also closely monitoring Invest 94L near Hispaniola, which could threaten the Southeast U.S. next week. -
There is a high chance for Invest 94L to become Imelda soon. The forecast is complex, as several factors are at play. -
Storms' intensity, proximity, and size matter, and there could be significant implications if two storms merge. -
The eighth named storm of the season receives a name, and there might be another one being named in the next few days. -
As Hurricane Gabrielle moves away, Invest 93 and Invest 94 are showing signs of organization, which could develop into the subsequent two named storms by this weekend. The tropic is alive! -
Daylight, rainfall, and temperatures have a significant impact on the plants shutting down (or not) and eventually having their leaves change colors, and the weather factors are shifting. -
Florida has officially entered fall with the autumnal equinox, but the season will still feel summer-like. While daylight hours shorten and temperatures gradually cool, much of the state is starting the season warmer than average. Northern Florida will eventually see highs drop into the 60s, while South Florida transitions from the upper 80s to near 80 by late fall. -
Gabrielle is intensifying as it moves over the Central Atlantic, east of Bermuda. Two other tropical disturbances follow. -
Most Florida communities do not have active tornado sirens, but major universities and a few towns in Central and North Florida have adopted the technology to help warn residents of severe weather. -
Two weeks can bring many changes in the drought. South Florida's constant stream of downpours put a good dent in the drought, but the Panhandle drought has doubled and tripled in the first two categories. The outlook seems promising. -
The 7th named storm of the season develops. Gabrielle is forecast to become a hurricane this weekend. Here's the forecast and possible impacts. -
Climavision, a weather technology company, plans to install at least four new radar systems across the state, which will help improve detection of precipitation. The National Weather Service operates long-range Doppler radar systems across Florida, with sites in Tampa, Key West, Miami and Melbourne, Jacksonville, Tallahassee and Eglin Air Force Base in the Panhandle.
