Hurricane season starts June 1, and now is the time to get prepared, officials said this week.
Senator Rick Scott made stops in Jacksonville and Tampa Thursday, urging Floridians to take the threat seriously.
"Get prepared, have your documents, have your medicine, have water. Everybody is going to show up but you have got to take the time to be prepared," Scott said in Tampa.
That means buying flood insurance, stocking up on non-perishable foods, water, buying batteries, and making an evacuation plan.
Traffic bottlenecks and fuel shortages have left bad memories for many Floridians who evacuated for recent hurricanes like Irma in 2017.
Not everyone wants to leave when they are told. But Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister said that's proven deadly in the past.
"What we couldn't do was make people evacuate when we recommended that they evacuate. We did lose lives. And it was horrible that they didn't heed the warning."
Chronister added that people need to be ready for any scenario, whether they will be staying or going.
"Know your evacuation route and make sure you are prepared. Make sure you have enough food, resources, whatever it is for seven days because it may take some time to get back to you if you decide to stay. Or if you go, who knows what the resources will be where you go?"
Forecasters say the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico region could see between two and four major hurricanes this season.
9(MDAyNDY5ODMwMDEyMjg3NjMzMTE1ZjE2MA001))
Copyright 2019 WUSF Public Media - WUSF 89.7
