Bryant Pearson takes a look at the damage caused by Hurricane Ian outside his mobile home in the Tropicana Sands mobile home community in Fort Meyers. George Horsford, Daily Sun
In early August, The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration updated its prediction to an above-normal hurricane season. Forecasters with the NOAA Climate Prediction Center expect between 14 to 21 named storms, with six to 11 possibly becoming hurricanes and two to five becoming major hurricanes.
Staying informed and having a hurricane kit ready to go ahead of time is key as residents prepare for the upcoming season, said David Casto, emergency management director for Sumter County. Here are some hurricane kits available on Amazon today: Amazon Link
“Anything that’s going to make people comfortable,” Casto said. “We tell people to get a disaster kit and a lot of people visualize a container full of supplies, which is true, but more importantly, I would like people to have a checklist of things that they would need to get together for an incident so that they don’t forget anything.”
According to NOAA, people should include the following items in their hurricane kits: one gallon of water per person per day for several days for drinking and sanitation, food for at least a several-day supply of non-perishable food, battery-powered or hand crank radio and a NOAA Weather Radio with tone alert, flashlight, first aid kit, extra batteries, whistle, dust mask, plastic sheeting and duct tape, moist towelettes, garbage bags and plastic ties, wrench or pliers, manual can opener, local maps, cell phone with chargers and a backup battery.
“I encourage residents to take time now to finalize their disaster supply kits and take advantage of these tax holidays in preparation for hurricane season,” said Kevin Guthrie Florida Division of Emergency Management executive director in a press release.
Other options for safety:
Thanks for the information from an article in the Villages Sun.
