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
-
Flash flood risk increases again for parts of the east coast of Florida, but the Panhandle will also experience some rain and a much-welcomed cold front arrives for the weekend. -
Jerry is forecast to become the next hurricane of the season; luckily, it will stay over the open Atlantic waters. Why are the storms turning? -
The tropics are still kicking. Invest 95 moves over the Central Atlantic and could brush the northeastern Caribbean; meanwhile, another minor disturbance is present in the western Caribbean. -
The Florida Department of Transportation reports it has finished constructing two seawalls that will aide in preventing erosion of Florida State Road A1A in parts of Flagler and Volusia counties. -
While the Gulf Coast deals with rough, dangerous seas, the Atlantic Coast's King Tides produce coastal flooding that is exacerbated by strong winds. -
The National Weather Service has issued a Flood Watch from Volusia County southward through Indian River County, which will be in effect through at least into Sunday. -
Wet weather pattern to bring flooding, prolong dangerous beach conditions along Florida's east coastThe National Hurricane Center has given a disturbed area of weather off Florida’s east coast a 10% chance of development. Even without additional development, heavy rainfall, flooding, rough seas and dangerous rip currents will be likely. -
We are officially in a La Niña watch. This indicates a high likelihood of a transition from neutral to La Niña occurring during October to December 2025. -
NOAA’s October weather outlook points to warmer-than-average temperatures across much of the U.S., including the Southeast, with Florida expected to receive more rainfall. -
The change in wind direction will be responsible for good changes on Tuesday, and another shift will allow the rain to return later. -
Choppy seas, 12-foot waves, and a high rip current risk for the East Coast of Florida, with incoming rounds of rain for the immediate coast. -
The track continues to shift east; some, if not all, watches could be discontinued later on Sunday, even if the storm intensifies.
