Hurricane season is June 1 – November 30

When it comes to preparing for Hurricane Season, there are a number of items that need to be considered and many decisions that must be made. These steps can help you feel prepared this year:

  1. Trim any trees that overhang the roof and any dead branches on all trees, at the beginning of the season
  2. Clean debris from roof valleys, gutters, or downspouts. Ensure water can flow.
  3. Be sure any storm drains on the street are cleaned out.
  4. You can fill your own sandbags under the Palm Valley bridge in Ponte Vedra Beach. Take a shovel and sandbags (buy them early, they may run out).
  5. Secure or bring in all outdoor furniture & loose items to prevent flying debris.
  6. Protect windows with storm shutters (many newer homes windows can withstand 180 mph winds).
  7. Choose a safe interior room with no windows, if you have small children, run through a drill and have your comfort items there in advance.
  8. Reinforce garage doors, they are the most vulnerable to wind damage.
  9. If evacuating, turn off the power, water, & gas & plan multiple evacuation routes.
  10. Test your generator before the storm to be sure it can handle the load you plan to put on it (refrigerator, radio, power strips, fans, phones, etc.).

Tips Before & During a Storm:

  • Keep your vehicle gas tank half full during storm season
  • Keep small denominations of cash on hand
  • Fill your bathtubs with water. Use a bucket to flush the toilets.
  • Lower your Hurricane/Perils Homeowners Insurance Deductible to $500.
  • Take pictures of everything before and after the storm for claim purposes.
  • Have all your key documents (insurance policies, wills, vehicle titles, prescription info, important phone numbers, etc.) ready in a plastic bag.

Important Websites:

JEA: www.jea.com/outage_center/storm_center/

FPL: www.fpl.com/storm/home/links or call 1-800-4-OUTAGE (1-800-468-8243)

St. Johns County Emergency Management: www.sjcemergencymanagement.org

Tax-Free info: https://revenuelaw.floridarevenue.com/LawLibraryDocuments/2019/05/TIP-122405_TIP%2019A01-02_FINAL_RLL.pdf

Evacuation zones: http://www.sjcfl.us/FloodFacts/media/FFWorkshop3.pdf

Storm tracker: www.queerkey.com

Government readiness: ready.gov

Florida Disaster: floridadisaster.org

Downloadable Resources: