June 1, marks the start of another Atlantic hurricane season and Tallahassee Mayor John Dailey says now is the time to get prepared.
“Most citizens believe they are prepared and they are, but it’s always one or two items that you don’t necessarily think of," said Dailey at Thursday's hurricane awareness event.
"We want to encourage everyone to either go to the Leon County website or the City of Tallahassee website, look at the hurricane preparedness kits that we have put together. Now is the time to think about it, do not wait until a storm event is headed our way.”
Officials say families planning to stay put during a storm should stock up on medicines and first aid items along with batteries, non-perishable food, and water. They’ll also need a way to stay informed, says Leon County Vice Chair Carolyn Cummings.
“Leon county is the nation’s first hurricane strong community, which again emphasizes the resilience of our community in the face of disaster," said Cummings. "I urge this community, all of its citizens, to remember throughout the hurricane season it’s a vital importance for everyone to stay informed and stay prepared.”
Leon County’s Citizens Connect App provides updates and alerts as well as information about shelters and sandbag pick-up locations.
Last year’s hurricane Ian swept Florida’s southwest border as a category 4, causing more than $112 billion in damage.
This year, the city’s national weather center is predicting 13 named storms of that, six could become hurricanes.