Rep. Eskamani’s Guide for Hurricane Helene

This was last updated on September 25, 2024 at 11:00pm.

Hurricane Prep Guidance

It is important to create a kit of supplies that you could take with you if you are forced to evacuate. This kit will also be useful if you are able to stay in your home, but are still affected by the storm, such as through the loss of power. One common trend seen when hurricanes are approaching is a wide-spread panic. When this happens, people rush in large numbers to get all the supplies they think they need. However, if you prepare your kit ahead of time, you can alleviate a lot of the potential stress of a very chaotic situation. You should create your kit in a bag that you can easily take with you. Some recommended items to include are:

• Non-perishable food (enough to last at least 3 days)
• Water (enough to last at least 3 days)
• First-aid kit (include any prescription medication you may need)
• Personal hygiene items and sanitation items
• Flashlights (have extra batteries on hand)
• Battery operated radio (again, have extra batteries)
• Waterproof container with cash and important documents
• Manual can opener
• Lighter or matches
• Books, magazines, games for recreation
• Special needs items: pet supplies and baby supplies if applicable
• Cooler and ice packs
• A plan for evacuation and for if family members are separated

Securing Your Home

Know how to secure your home in the event of damaging winds, storm surge and flooding.

• Cover all of your windows, either with hurricane shutters or wood.
• Although tape can prevent glass from shattering everywhere, be warned that tape does not prevent the window from breaking.
• If possible, secure straps or clips to securely fasten your roof to the structure of your home.
• Make sure all trees and shrubs are trimmed and clear rain gutters.
• Reinforce your garage doors.
• Bring in all outdoor furniture, garbage cans, decorations, and anything else that is not tied down.
• If winds become strong, stay away from windows and doors and close, secure and brace internal doors.

School Schedules

We encourage you to check in with your local school district and/or higher ed institution to learn when schools will open or close in your area. Here are the landing pages for local schools in the area:

• Orange County Public Schools: Click Here
• University of Central Florida: Click Here
• Valencia College: Click Here
• Seminole State College: Click Here
• Rollins College: Click Here

Sand Bags in Orange County

Orange County Public Works Roads and Drainage Division are no longer providing sandbag services at this time. For additional storm preparedness information and to sign up for OC Alert, the county’s emergency alert system, visit www.ocfl.net/storm.

Shelters in Orange County

Shelters in Orange County will open Thursday, Sept. 26, at 7:30 a.m., for individuals needing to evacuate or seek shelter from Helene. ID cards are not required to enter shelters. Shelters are pet friendly.

• General Population Shelters
  • Barnett Park: 4801 W. Colonial Drive, Orlando, FL 32808
• Shelters for Individuals with Special/Medical Needs
  • Orange County residents requiring a Special Needs/Medical Shelter please dial 3-1-1 or 407-836-3111.

LYNX will provide free service to shelter locations. Visit ocfl.net/shelters for important information on what to bring with you to a shelter.

Also: The state has partnered with Uber for free rides for those in those evacuation zones. Visit Florida has also activated emergency accommodation modules on Expedia and Priceline for hotel availability.

Roads, Drainage and Trash Pick Up

In the event a storm should leave you without power, there are a few things to consider and help you be ready and stay safe outside of your normal hurricane preparedness.

• Gas: Make sure your tank is full far in advance of an approaching storm. Most people wait until the last minute, rush to get extra gas for cars and generators, and subsequently gas stations can run out early.
• ATMS: Have extra cash on hand in the event no ATMS in your area are accessible or working.
• Cell Phones: Charge your cell phone and limit use after power is out.
• A/C: This can be the most uncomfortable side effect of losing power during a storm. Try to prevent as much light from entering and warming the house by covering up your windows on the inside. If you have back-up or battery operated fans, don’t run them unless you are in the room. Fans create a difference in perceived temperature but do not cool the room; instead they create a cooling effect by dispersing the heat off your skin. It is said they can actually add heat to a room just by running.
• Water: Fill bathtub and large containers with water for washing and flushing only.
• Food: Turn your fridge temperature down and/or freeze any food or drinking water that can be frozen if you expect a power outage. Here is a guide on freezing food: Freezing and Food Safety. Have a cooler with ice packs prepared to cool your drinks and snacks after power has been out for more than 4 hours. And importantly, check out this food safety guide for when to discard your perishable food: http://www.foodsafety.gov/keep/charts/refridg_food.html
• Health/Safety: The CDC has a great guide on how to stay safe in the event of a power outage: Power Outages

Local Utility Contacts

• OUC: Click Here
• Duke: Click Here
• FPL: Click Here
• Winter Park Utility: 877-811-8700

Reminder for Pets

• Food: Keep at least three days of food in an airtight, waterproof container.
• Water: Store at least three days of water specifically for your pets in addition to water you need for yourself and your family.
• Medicines and medical records: Keep an extra supply of medicines your pet takes on a regular basis in a waterproof container.
• First Aid Kit: Talk to your veterinarian about what is most appropriate for your pet’s emergency medical needs. Most kits should include cotton bandage rolls, bandage tape and scissors; antibiotic ointment; flea and tick prevention; latex gloves, isopropyl alcohol and saline solution. Include a pet first aid reference book.
• Collar with ID Tag, Harness or Leash: Your pet should wear a collar with its rabies tag and identification at all times. Include a backup leash, collar and ID tag in your pet’s emergency supply kit.
  • In addition, place copies of your pet’s registration information, adoption papers, vaccination documents and medical records in a clean plastic bag or waterproof container and add them to your kit. Even if you never have to face an emergency situation, you should talk to your veterinarian about permanent identification such as micro-chipping, and enrolling your pet in a recovery database. Often in disaster situations where pets are free-roaming, rescue groups will pick them up. They may end up in shelters far away, even in another state.
  • If you are separated from your pet, you will have the best chance of being reunited if your pet is micro-chipped. Keeping your emergency contact information up to date and listed with a reliable recovery database is always important.
• Crate or Other Pet Carrier: If you need to evacuate in an emergency take your pets and animals with you provided that it is practical to do so. In many cases, you will need a sturdy, safe, comfortable crate or carrier ready for transporting your pet. The carrier should be large enough for your pet to stand, turn around and lie down.
• Sanitation: Include pet litter and litter box if appropriate, newspapers, paper towels, plastic trash bags and household chlorine bleach to provide for your pet’s sanitation needs. You can use bleach as a disinfectant (dilute nine-parts water to one-part bleach), or in an emergency you can also use it to purify water. Use 16 drops of regular household liquid bleach per gallon of water. Do not use scented or color safe bleaches, or those with added cleaners.
• A Picture of You and Your Pet Together: If you become separated from your pet during an emergency, a picture of you and your pet together will help you document ownership and allow others to assist you in identifying your pet. Include detailed information about species, breed, age, sex, color and distinguishing characteristics.
• Familiar Items: Put favorite toys, treats or bedding in your kit. Familiar items can help reduce stress for your pet.

Economic and Food Security

Disaster Unemployment Assistance (DUA)

• We are waiting for updates as it pertains to the state’s request for DUA.

DSNAP

• The Florida Department of Children and Families (DCF) may submit a federal waiver request for early release of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits. This would expedite the receipt of benefits for those scheduled to receive food assistance. We are waiting for an update on this.

Businesses

• FloridaCommerce is communicating and coordinating with private sector partners, encouraging them to review their emergency plans for their businesses and prepare their employees in advance of the weather event.
• Updates on business closures and business resources are consistently being updated at FloridaDisaster.biz/CurrentDisasterUpdates.
• CareerSource Florida hosted a call with 21 Local Workforce Development Boards and 38 Community Action Agencies across the state to prepare teams to assist local employees and employers after the weather event. To find your local career center visit careersourceflorida.com.

Unsheltered Community

Court System

Ninth Judicial Circuit Court of Florida: All courthouses in the Ninth Judicial Circuit are closed on Thursday, Sept. 26, 2024.

Need to File a Hurricane Claim?

The Florida Division of Consumer Services has made available this website available to help with filing insurance claims.

Florida’s Insurance Consumer Advocate is a resource to help Floridans in filing their insurance claims. Click here to learn more, and be weary of fraud when seeking help with filing an insurance claim.

You can also contact your State House Representative or State Senator, as Florida’s property insurance system is broken and your local electeds should hear from you. Click here to identify you local representatives.

There are three key actions Floridians in the projected path of the storm can take to be more financially prepared:

1. Gather copies of insurance policies. Floridians should make sure they have copies of their insurance policies (home, flood, and auto) in a safe, dry, and accessible location.
2. Save their insurer’s contact info. Floridians should save their insurer’s toll-free claims number to their cell phone’s contacts. APCIA has a list of insurer’s toll-free claims numbers here.
3. Make a home inventory. Floridians should make a home inventory by using their smartphone to take photos or videos of their belongings, such as furniture, appliances, clothes, lawn equipment, art, jewelry, and anything else of significant value. The home inventory should be saved to a place where it can easily be retrieved, like the cloud. Many insurers also offer an app that can help with creating a home inventory.

How to Avoid Fraud

Sadly, we know all too well that fraudsters take advantage of significant events like this storm to prey upon the vulnerable.  Please take a look at this pamphlet titled “Avoiding Fraud with Disaster Repairs” for guidance on scams to be on the lookout for following a hurricane andplease share this information far and wide.

If needed, FDACS has opened up the consumer hotline to receive complaints from impacted consumers.

You can file a complaint by calling 1-800-HELP-FLA or visiting fdacs.gov.FloridaCommerce — formerly DEO — has activated the private sector hotline at 850-815-4925 from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Inquiries may also be emailed to ESF18@em.myflorida.com.

Important Hurricane Terms to Know

Here are some important terms you may hear:

• Tropical Storm Watch: Tropical storm conditions are possible in the area.
• Hurricane Watch: Hurricane conditions are possible in the area.
  Watches are issued 48 hours in advance of the anticipated onset of tropical storm force winds.
• Tropical Storm Warning: Tropical storm conditions are expected in the area.
• Hurricane Warning: Hurricane conditions are expected in the area.
  Warnings are issued 36 hours in advance of tropical storm force winds.
• Eye: Clear, sometimes well-defined center of the storm with calmer conditions.
• Eye Wall: Surrounding the eye, contains some of the most severe weather of the storm with the highest wind speed and largest precipitation.
• Rain Bands: Bands coming off the cyclone that produce severe weather conditions such as heavy rain, wind and tornadoes.
• Storm Surge: An often underestimated and deadly result of ocean water swelling as a result of a landfalling storm, and quickly flooding coastal and sometimes areas further inland.