National Hurricane Preparedness Week 2024 is here: What you need to know

Preparing for the 2024 hurricane season

With the official start of hurricane season less than a month away, officials in the Bay Area are using National Hurricane Preparedness Week as a chance to remind everyone to be ready should a major storm threaten the region.

TAMPA, Fla. - It's the last thing Floridians want to talk about, but the 2024 Hurricane Season is rapidly approaching, and this week is National Hurricane Preparedness Week.

NOAA and the National Hurricane Center are hosting National Hurricane Preparedness Week to prepare inland and coastal residents for the upcoming hurricane season, starting June 1.

READ: How the fading El Nino pattern will impact hurricane season activity in 2024

Throughout the week, you can expect local leaders to stress the importance of being alert and ready if a storm threatens the Bay Area.

This can include:

Knowing the evacuation zone you live in and developing an evacuation plan for you and your family.
Assembling a hurricane kit with items like non-perishable food for your family and pets, water, flashlights, a first aid kit and more.
Being aware of county or city alert systems
Noting any structural risks that could prove to be dangerous on your home
Reviewing insurance plans if you own your home

In the off-season, getting to know the National Hurricane Center and National Weather Service products can help one make informed decisions during the season.

Knowing the difference between a watch and a warning, what storm surge inundation means, and how to read the cone of uncertainty can help keep you protected.

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For evacuation, keep in mind, one does not have to go hundreds of miles away to escape a storm’s impact. Sometimes, going only 10 or 20 miles away is enough. Getting to know where shelters operate in your county, and which allow pets is important for safety. Never leave pets unattended during a storm, and make sure you have enough food and supplies to take them with you.

In a recent press conference held by Hillsborough County emergency management officials, they stressed that people need to know what risks they face in the Tampa Bay area.

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As we know from Hurricane Idalia and Hurricane Ian, conditions can bring anything from storm surge to flooding or damaging winds and tornadoes even hundreds of miles from the storm's center.

"In the past couple of years, we've had just close calls, and in those storms, we lost over 300,000 folks without power," recalled Tim Dudley Jr., Hillsborough County emergency management director. "We saw our rivers crest and cause community flooding as well, damaging our homes. We have to make a plan now. Take the time to sit down with your family.

READ: Hurricane season 2024 could be among most active on record, experts predict

National Hurricane Preparedness Week comes as most agencies predict an above-average hurricane season for 2024.