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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On November 2, flash flooding impacted hundreds of thousands of residents in the Melbourne area. Meteorologist Jessie Schaper with the National Weather Service (NWS) office in Melbourne says additional river flooding is expected. -
Can wet hair, chilly night air or a sudden Florida cold front really make you sick? Florida Storms meteorologist Leslie Hudson separates cold-weather myths from medical science, including a surprising discovery about how cooler temperatures affect the body's natural defenses. -
Florida's 2026 rainy season ended unevenly, leaving some areas drought-stricken despite heavy October downpours. Historic early-November rainfall brought catastrophic flooding to parts of Central Florida, highlighting the state's sharp weather contrasts. -
The North American Mesoscale Forecast System (NAM) began running since around 2005. It was replaced by a product known as the Rapid Refresh Forecast System. -
A historic November deluge brought at least 22-30 inches of rain to Florida's east coast, with some locations exceeding NOAA's 1-in-1,000-year rainfall thresholds. As a powerful El Niño develops, the extraordinary flooding raises questions about what lies ahead for Florida's normally drier months. -
Some areas have already received 3 to 6 inches of rain, others over a foot, and another 1 to 3 inches could fall before conditions gradually improve Tuesday. -
A developing storm system is bringing rounds of heavy rainfall to South Florida. Dangerous surf, rip currents and coastal flooding could be problematic along Atlantic beaches. -
Historic king tides sent saltwater surging over seawalls and into south Florida neighborhoods, flooding major roads and bridges. Some of the water levels rivaled some recorded during past hurricanes. The extraordinary flooding exposed growing vulnerabilities along South Florida's coastline. -
Halloween weekend will bring a little bit of everything to the Sunshine State, from warm temperatures and occasional sunshine to gusty coastal winds and increasing chances for rain and thunderstorms. -
As daylight saving time ends Florida and much of the country will enter what is known as standard time, which results in earlier sunrises and earlier sunsets. -
Nor'easters typically occur during the fall and winter months, when cold continental air clashes with warm, moist air from the Gulf and the Atlantic Ocean. -
Dangerous surf, rip currents, coastal flooding, beach erosion and strong northeast winds are expected to continue along Florida’s east coast through the week.
