Our Advice on Sensible Preparation for Hurricanes

Preparing for Hurricanes

Despite being known as the Sunshine State, Florida isn’t just guaranteed to top-up your tan! You may also encounter a number of storms, these can vary from a British-style downpour, to much more serious weather events, as between June and November each year, it is hurricane season, which peaks in August and September.

This sounds serious, and indeed it can be, but the likelihood of a hurricane curtailing your dream holiday is actually quite small, as they weaken as soon as they hit landfall, and Orlando is over an hour from the coast, so generally you won’t feel the worst of it. This being said, it never hurts to be prepared and to know what you need to do should this happen whilst you are in Orlando, so before you arrive, make sure you invest in appropriate travel insurance!

When you are made aware of an impending hurricane, act immediately.

What do I need to do?

First of all – do not panic! Keep up-to-date with the weather reports. Listen to local radio whilst in the car travelling around, or when you are back at your holiday home, watch out for news bulletins which will keep you apprised of the situation.

Before the storm is due to hit – stock up! Do this as soon as possible because stores soon run out of items due to some people panic-buying. See below for a checklist to keep you going; this may not apply to everyone or be exhaustive – but it’s a good start to making sure you are ready:

Please note: Debbie’s Villas nor the management company for your home are able to provide these or any other items such as generators to guests.

1) Fuel the car – this is just in case the storm is stronger than first thought, and people are asked to evacuate.

2) Get cash out – ATMs may be without power and you could end up needing money for any number of reasons.

3) Get food, drink (especially water) and provisions for everyone to last three days – this ensures that you will at least be able to eat and young children will have nappies, milk etc – should the worst happen.

4) Check if your holiday home has a manual can opener – if not, get one! You may need it to open tins, and these are easy to overlook!

5) Get a supply of torches, candles and batteries – in case of power cuts.

6) Stock up your first-aid kit – it could come in handy for someone when they need it the most.

7) Keep prescription medicines close to hand – you don’t want to have to search high and low for them later.

8) Get some things to keep adults and children alike occupied – board games and books are always great ideas – perhaps not Monopoly though…!

9) Charge up all tech devices (mobile phones, tablets and laptops) as well as any backup and battery packs – these will be indispensable during a power cut!

This should guarantee that you are fully stocked and ready for most of the circumstances that arrive.

At least a day before the storm hits you will also need to look around the outside of the property to remove anything which can be affected by high winds. These include:

• Felled branches from trees
• Pot plants/hanging baskets
• Bins – both the bins themselves and tied-up bags by the kerb
• Bird baths
• External signs – ‘For Sale’ etc
• Patio or pool furniture – tables, chairs, parasols as well as the pool net, brush and removable security fence
• BBQs and gas bottles
• Rocks or stones

All of the above will need to be stored safely and securely, generally in the garage if your property has one, if not, just ensure everything is inside with the doors and windows closed. Once you are prepared and everything is secure, STAY INSIDE.

Local Management Companies sometimes do the rounds securing outside furniture and BBQs, but please do not rely on them to do it for you. They will have a large number of properties to visit and may not get to your property in time. If you think an item could be moved during high winds, secure it yourself whilst it is safe to do so.

During hurricanes, for the safety of its employees, the Management Company’s office may be closed and subsequently not contactable due to phone lines being down. Once the storm has passed, please be assured that all maintenance issues will be dealt with.

IMPORTANT CONTACT NUMBERS

Emergency Services – Medical, Fire, Police: 911

National Weather Service: 813-645-2323

Orlando Airport Flight Updates: 1-407-825-8463

Tampa Airport Flight Updates: 1-321-723-6227

Melbourne Orlando Airport Flight Updates: 1-321-723-6227

OTHER PHONE NUMBERS – Non-Emergency

Polk County:

Sheriff’s Dept: 863-298-6200

Fire Dept: 863-519-7350

Orange County:

Sheriff’s Dept: 407-836-4357

Fire Dept: 407-836-9000

Polk County:

Sheriff’s Dept:863-298-6200

Fire Dept: 863-519-7350

Osceola County:

Sheriff’s Dept: 407-348-2222

Fire Dept: 407-742-7000

Lake County:

Sheriff’s Dept: 352-343-9500

Fire Dept: 352-343-9458

Some Useful Links for Live Updates on Hurricanes in Florida

USA National Hurricane Center - official tracking of all hurricanes and tropical storms.

Orlando Government storm tracking advice

Foreign Office USA travel updates (will include hurricane advice) https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/usa

Orlando airports updates: https://orlandoairports.net/

WESH - Central Florida's local live late breaking news source. https://twitter.com/WESH

Click Orlando weather updates: https://www.clickorlando.com/weather/

Pinpoint Hurricane Tracker App: Pinpoint Hurricane Tracker App

Local county emergency info: fox 35 Orlando - page listing each county and its local shelters and emnergency resources

If, because of the hurricane, you are either arriving on a different date or cannot return home as planned, please contact us here at Debbie’s Villas. We will do everything we can to facilitate the change and keep you informed throughout.

In some cases, should you need to extend your stay in the property, for example, there may be an additional charge to you, but you will be able to recover this cost from your travel insurance provider.

If there is anything else we can do to reassure you, or if you have any questions, please contact us.