Prep for hurricane season with tax-free week
Posted On: May 28, 2020
Hurricane season officially begins June 1, which means it’s time to check your supply kit and ensure your family has a disaster plan in place.
And there’s no better time to stock up on those hurricane kit essentials than during the Disaster Preparedness Sales Tax Holiday May 29 through June 4. During the holiday, qualifying items related to disaster preparedness are exempt from sales tax. Items include reusable ice packs, batteries, flashlights, radios, bungee cords and tarps. A complete list of the tax-free items can be found at www.floridarevenue.com/disasterprep.
Disaster supply kits should include a two-week supply of medications and enough drinking water and nonperishable food to last five to seven days, among other essentials. For a detailed list of items, visit www.volusia.org/emergency. For help creating a personalized family disaster plan, visit www.floridadisaster.org, www.RedCross.org or www.Ready.gov.
Volusia County Government is also making preparations for the 2020 hurricane season. And due to the current pandemic, Volusia County emergency management has made adjustments to accommodate CDC safety precautions. Shelter plans have been adjusted to ensure minimum social distancing guidelines can be maintained, and plans are in place for additional sanitation and cleaning procedures at all shelters.
“As always, we encourage residents to have a hurricane plan in place that includes evacuating to a safe establishment with family or friends if at all possible. Shelters are available, but should be a last resort,” said Jim Judge, Volusia County’s emergency management director. “And, if you are planning to evacuate to a shelter, remember it’s a life boat, not the Love Boat. Evacuees should bring all necessary items with them.”
Additionally, as part of evacuation planning, residents should determine if they would seek shelter at a general population or pet-friendly shelter, or if they need assistance at a special needs shelter or will need to seek shelter at a medical facility that can manage their medical needs.
Residents can prepare and stay informed by downloading the Volusia County EM app, available for free on the Google Play or App Store. The app features weather alerts and current conditions, preparedness checklists, links to county sites, locations of the nearest open shelter and sandbags locations, evacuation information, push notifications and more.
