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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Landfall, direct hit, strike and indirect hit describe different relationships between a hurricane and a location — and the terms can overlap. Hurricane Milton shows why the path of the center is only one part of a storm’s story. -
Another 8 inches of rain could fall across South Florida over the next 7 days. The ground is well saturated from recent rains, and more rain could produce flooding. -
Tropical Storm Fay formed southwest of the Azores in the northeast Atlantic, but there is no direct threat to land. -
Lightning deaths have fallen sharply nationwide, but Florida still leads the country over the past decade — and six people have already died in the state this year. From the outdated “lightning crouch” to changes in the familiar 30-30 rule, here are five lightning facts Floridians should know. -
T.D. Six could strengthen enough to become the sixth named storm of the hurricane season. Even so, it will remain well removed from any landmass -
Upper level low pressure will continue to bring several rounds of heavy rains across the southern half of Florida. Flash flooding is possible throughout the weekend. -
An upper-level low that will move across Florida late during the week and over the weekend will help to increase moisture and erosion to east coast beaches. -
Some will get a taste of autumn this week. Are you ready? -
The National Hurricane Center is monitoring a disturbance in the central Atlantic, but the system poses no threat to the U.S. and faces an uphill climb for development. -
A stormy but normal weather pattern continues this weekend. Higher-than-normal high tides as the New Moon reigns. -
Lightning can strike victims indoors and outdoors in multiple different ways. Direct strikes are the deadliest, but ground currents affect the most victims overall. These strikes can result in injury and/or death. -
The cloudless blue sky of September 11, 2001, became part of America’s collective memory. Twenty-five years later, we examine how weather influenced the World Trade Center dust plume and recovery — and what scientists learned when U.S. air traffic was grounded.
