Well folks, June 1st is here. The long awaited hurricane season is upon us.  Yesterday was the start of a week-long sales tax holiday here in Florida when you buy certain hurricane supplies without paying sales tax.

https://www.abcactionnews.com/news/state/list-hurricane-supplies-you-can...

In Hillsborough County (Tampa area) that means a savings of 8.5%.

But before you run out to buy stuff, you have to know what you need. Here is a link to a website where you can build a kit to meet your unique needs. Young children? Older parents? Special needs? Pets? There are a million considerations and it is important to create a kit that meets your needs.

https://www.ready.gov/build-a-kit

We went to the Pasco County Disaster Expo this morning and came away with a lot of free information to help us get ready. Several apps are available for getting weather alerts and evacuation information. You have all seen the news reports of the long lines of people grabbing food, water and supplies one hour before the big storm hits. You’ll never catch us on one of those newscasts.

The bottom line is: you need to have a plan! And you need to develop this plan before the storm is imminent. If you live near the coast, it is imperative that you know your evacuation zone. If you live in a coastal area that will require evacuation from your zone, then have a plan to secure your house and leave.  

We live in Evacuation Zone D in Pasco County. They have never called for that zone to evacuate, and we are not in a flood zone, so we are more likely to stay put. But we are going to be prepared to stay put, with water, food, medicines and other supplies.  We did fine a couple years ago with Hurricane Irma, but then the worst part of the storm stayed to the east, up the middle of the state.

Lastly, once you have a plan, let your family and loved ones know about the plan, especially if you evacuate. Keep in touch so they won’t be worried about you.

Stay safe Buckeyes, wherever you are!