ST. PETERSBURG, Fla — The official start to hurricane season is now less than one month away. To help you make sure you're ready for hurricane season, the federal government declared May 1-7 as Hurricane Preparedness Week.
County and city officials will be sharing updated hurricane plans, evacuation routes, and resources for residents to prepare.
For many Floridians who have lived here more than a few years, they have their own close calls as storms tear through.
In November 2020, Hurricane Eta created a perfect storm, even as a downgraded tropical storm.
"When high tide comes, it pushes water into here," Tonya Farmer said. "So when you have a storm that comes in and a high tide that comes in at the same time, your water subsides even higher."
Farmer lives in Twin City Mobile Homes. Her neighborhood saw several feet of flooding from Eta.
The street became a lake, with furniture, cars, and personal belongings floating away for their owners.
"With me living in a flood zone already, it's already a high chance I'm going to flood," said Farmer. "I try to put everything up high..."
That was Farmer's saving grace. Her floors were damaged, but most of her belongings were left intact.
If you're new to the area and maybe unfamiliar with hurricane preparedness, the emergency management director says step one: know the risks.
"So first you need to determine if it's safe for you at home and if you might need to go to an alternate location," Cathie Perkins, the Pinellas County Emergency Management director said.
You can do that online in minutes. Perkins said now is a good time to familiarize yourself with your insurance plans.
"It's a great time of year right now to check your flood policies," Perkins said. "Make sure your house is insured, look for flood insurance. Storm surge is not typically included in regular homeowner's insurance."
From those who have dealt with storm devastation firsthand, it's never too soon to start preparing.
"Prepare. Prepare your home to keep water out of it," Farmer said. "Block your windows and make sure that your house is intact enough because if not a storm comes through it will destroy everything."