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Minneola Named One of the Safest Places in Florida from Hurricanes

Hurricane Season Starts June 1st and runs through November 30th
Posted on: May 26, 2020 - 1:31pm
Photograph of a Hurricane Taken from Space Courtesy of N.A.S.A.
Photograph of a Hurricane Taken from Space Courtesy of N.A.S.A.

The National Weather Service is predicting an above average hurricane season this year. The City of Minneola takes hurricane preparedness very seriously and is encouraging you to start preparing now, before the threat of a storm occurs, to help keep you and your family safe and to help our community maintain the “safest place” designation.

Blogger and author Ron Stack recently ranked the “Safest Places in Florida from Hurricanes,” and Minneola was one of eight communities in the entire State to receive the designation.  The rankings took into account how well Florida communities fared against threats from storm surge, flooding, and hurricane-force winds, but also looked for low crime rates, highly rated schools, and a high quality of life.

Now is the time to:

Stock Up by keeping at least three days of food and supplies on hand at all times.  Additionally, consider keeping a tarp, plywood, some concrete or wood screws, some roofing nails, a screwdriver & hammer, and other items to help protect your property from further harm should it become damaged by a storm.

Trim your Trees and thin out tree branches to help reduce the chances of your trees from falling over during high winds.  Waiting until a storm is on the way may leave you with uncollected limbs at the curb which will become projectiles during a storm.

Clean Up your property of all loose debris to reduce the amount of items you will have to tie down or bring inside as a storm is approaching.  Don’t procrastinate.  Once a storm is on the way, you may not have the time to haul away all of the outdoor items you have been meaning to dispose of.

Fill Up the gas tanks for your vehicles and any other spare fuel containers you may have, like gas cans and propane tanks, keep them topped off during this season, and properly store them.  Some suggest not allowing your vehicle to go below ½ tank of fuel at any given time even if that means filling up every day. Once the threat of a storm arrives, you may not be able to easily obtain the fuel you will need to ride out a storm.

Update your 911 address with your cell phone carrier to help dispatchers know where to send emergency services in the event you call for help.

Register with Smart911 and create your safety profile.  The information you enter may help public safety professionals identify and respond to your needs faster.

Sign Up for AlertLake to receive local emergency notifications.

Contact Us if you are interested in becoming a volunteer to help our community and your neighbors clean up and fix up after a storm event.

Here are some resources to help with your preparations:

NOAA’s Hurricane Preparedness Week tips    https://www.dropbox.com/s/ilnv7vftx05n2bw/NOAA%20Hurricane%20Week%20Tips...

Putting together a basic hurricane kit    https://www.dropbox.com/s/3a93er21myv2mn9/DisasterSupplyChecklist.pdf?dl=0

Sales tax holiday on select hurricane supplies (May 29 - June 4)  https://www.dropbox.com/s/juc2deesjfr8w6q/Tax%20free%20week.pdf?dl=0

Please don’t wait until the last minute to get prepared for a hurricane.  2020 has already been a difficult year for many, and the National Weather Service is predicting an above average hurricane season. This is not the year to postpone your hurricane preparedness efforts.