TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Concurrent with the start of the 2024 hurricane season, Governor Ron DeSantis today urged residents to take advantage of the 14-day sales tax holiday for disaster preparation supplies. Governor DeSantis also encouraged Floridians to have a plan in place for their families if disaster strikes and to assemble a disaster readiness kit at home.
Governor DeSantis announced a $7.5 million award to Lee County through Florida’s Job Growth Grant Fund to help rebuild and enhance the shrimp dock at San Carlos Maritime Park, which was destroyed during Hurricane Ian. This dual-purpose facility will serve as an emergency operations site to launch barges, provide a place for shrimp vessels to dock, and transfer products to distribution trucks.
“With hurricane season underway, now is the time to get prepared and ensure you have a disaster plan in place,” said Governor Ron DeSantis. “I encourage all Floridians to use the sales tax holiday to stock up on necessary emergency supplies and assemble a disaster preparedness kit.”
“Thanks to the steadfast leadership of Governor DeSantis, the state has all the resources necessary to support Florida communities in the event a storm does strike this hurricane season,” said Florida Division of Emergency Management Executive Director Kevin Guthrie. “I’ve spent the last month traveling around the state meeting with county emergency managers to ensure preparedness and coordination at all levels. Now, I encourage Floridians to finalize their preparedness plans for their homes and businesses because it only takes one storm to severely impact a community.”
Currently through June 14, many disaster preparation items can be purchased tax-free during one of two Disaster Preparedness Sales Tax Holidays. These items include water, shelf-stable canned food, batteries, flashlights, reusable ice packs, pet items, toys, portable power banks, portable generators, tarps or other waterproof sheeting, smoke detectors and alarms, fire extinguishers, carbon monoxide detectors, and portable radios costing less than $50.
Additionally, several pet-related items such as leashes, beds, wet and dry food products can also be purchased tax-free through June 14. For a full checklist of recommended disaster supply kit items visit FloridaDisaster.org/Kit.
Preparedness efforts also emphasize getting educated about community disaster plans and warning systems by having battery-operated or hand-crank weather radios for alerts from the National Weather Service during power outages or damaged cell towers. Residents are encouraged to register for life-saving emergency weather alerts at FloridaDisaster.org/AlertFlorida.
Families should make detailed plans considering personal household needs including pets' safety during evacuations. An inventory of home possessions should be documented in writing or video format for insurance claims in case of loss or damage.
Residents are advised on reducing home hazards by repairing defective electrical wiring and gas connections while ensuring large objects are placed on lower shelves and landscaping is made hurricane-resistant by trimming trees.
A fully stocked emergency kit with at least seven days’ worth of supplies per household member is recommended along with safeguarding important records like birth certificates in waterproof locations.
Understanding evacuation zones is crucial; residents can learn more about their zone's risk level at FloridaDisaster.org/Know while keeping vehicles half-fueled throughout hurricane season ensures readiness for prompt evacuation without fuel shortages concerns.
For more comprehensive resources on hurricane preparedness visit FloridaDisaster.org/Guide or follow updates from Division on social media platforms Instagram X (formerly Twitter), Facebook.