Hurricane Season Starts June 1

Where will you go? What evacuation route will you take? What supplies, medications, and documents will you need? It's important to sort all of these details out well before a storm approaches.

Create a plan for you, your family and your business.

Get tips and templates from the Florida Division of Emergency Management.

Before a Hurricane is in the Forecast

Hurricanes create a tremendous amount of debris that often takes weeks or months to collect. You can help reduce the amount of debris — and the time it takes for all of it to be collected — by keeping your yard and fence maintained before a storm is in the forecast.

Check Trees

• Remove any dead limbs, branches and palm fronds from trees.
• Trim them back if needed.

Check Fencing

• Older fences could be rotted or unstable and may be ripped from the ground in high winds. A dangerous warning sign is if the fence wobbles in relatively strong gusts.
• Perform regular maintenance. Look for loose or weak boards and nail or replace them as necessary.
• If your fence is beyond its years, it may be best to get a new one before you see a hurricane.

If a Hurricane or Strong Storm is in the Forecast

• Remove any loose objects that aren’t secured to the ground.

• Put lawn furniture into the garage and take decorations inside. Even trampolines can catch a strong wind and destroy your fence.

• Be sure to remove any flags or small flag poles — these can be especially dangerous.

• Check for and remove trash and yard debris on the ground that could get caught up in high winds and inflict injury to people or damage property. This sort of debris could also get caught up in storm drains and canals and increase the potential for flooding.

• Never stack tree trimmings, yard debris or any kind of trash on top of a stormwater inlet. These can wash into and clog the inlet, which could cause flooding on your street.

Sandbags

If you are in a low-lying area that is prone to flooding, sandbags may be used to protect your home by placing them across doorways to prevent water from entering the building.

Visit the Brevard County Flood Zone Map and plug in your address to determine whether you live in a flood zone. Not all homes need sandbags.

The City of Melbourne and Brevard County typically distribute sandbags if a hurricane is forecast to impact our area. You can also purchase them ahead of time and keep them in your hurricane supply kit. If they are needed you can then fill them with any kind of sand or dirt available on your property. Home improvement stores often also sell fill dirt, as well. Do not use sand from the beach to fill sandbags.

Turn Off Automatic Sprinklers

Please turn off automatic sprinklers if a storm is in the forecast. This will help reduce the amount of water going into the stormwater drains and will help prevent flooding. 

Turn Off Water to Prevent Damage (If You Evacuate)

If you evacuate, shut off your house valve to protect your home. If you have a dock it is especially important that you shut off water to the dock if a hurricane is approaching. 

Your kit should contain enough food, water and medications to support yourself and your family for at least several days. If you have pets, include supplies for their needs as well.

See Ready.gov's Build a Kit page for lists of basic and additional supplies.

Information is critical before, during and after a disaster or emergency. Here are some helpful local resources:

• Visit the City of Melbourne’s website home page for City updates during an emergency.
• You can also get updates on the city's Facebook and X pages.
• Sign up for  AlertBrevard with your home address to receive emergency notices via phone, cell phone, text, or e-mail for the following:
  • Precautionary boil water notices from the City of Melbourne. If you cannot register online, call (321) 608-5080.
  • Location-based alerts from Brevard County Emergency Management for weather or emergency notifications.
• You can also get announcements on the Brevard County Emergency Management Facebook page and Brevard County Emergency Management X page. To get text alerts from the county, text the number 888777 with the message BrevardEOC. 
• 2-1-1 Brevard provides information and assistance in times of emotional, financial and community crisis day-to-day and before, during and after a disaster. 2-1-1 is an easy-to-remember number and provides access to trained specialists around the clock – 24-hours a day, 365 days a year

• Ready.gov is a federal website providing helpful information about hurricanes and what do to before during and after a storm.

• The National Hurricane Center website provides storm tracking and forecasts.

• Florida Division of Emergency Management is a state agency that plans for and responds to both natural and man-made disasters.