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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Record temperatures over the weekend are expected across Florida just before a front stalls and brings much-welcomed rains. -
The amount of rainfall needed to end the drought around Florida varies from a few inches across Central Florida to nearly 30 inches along the Interstate 10 corridor. -
Florida will have a couple of cold fronts trying to sweep through over the coming 7 days, but there is not much hope for cooler temperatures. Instead, temperatures soar! -
The Florida Forest Service reports more than 130 wildfires are burning across the Sunshine State and have consumed at least 25,000 acres. -
More than 100 wildfires are actively burning across Florida, with the largest greatest impacts reported across the northern part of the state. -
Winds will be strong from the north as very dry air arrives across Florida. Much of the state is under a Red Flag Warning, signaling fire danger. -
Wildfire activity is increasing across Florida as significant drought conditions persist, with more than 100 fires burning nearly 12,000 acres. -
Florida starts the week with a bit of everything for everyone. Dry and windy conditions heighten fire danger in the Panhandle and North Florida, while South Florida remains soggy and humid. -
Varying weather conditions throughout the next 7 days, but constant low humidity and exceptional drought levels will keep the fire danger high. -
A brush / forest fire that broke out Wednesday evening is still in the process of being contained. -
Parts of Central and North Florida are forecast to reach 90 degrees or more by the end of the week and into the weekend, breaking new records. -
A developing El Niño could affect Florida in two major ways: fewer Atlantic hurricanes, followed by a wetter, stormier winter with greater severe weather risk. NOAA says El Niño over a 60% chance of developing in summer 2026, with a 1-in-3 chance of becoming strong by late fall.
