Mayor Lenny Curry and emergency preparedness officials are encouraging Jacksonville residents to start preparing now for the hurricane season, which began Thursday.
“Have a plan, get a kit and know your zone,” Curry said.
To help citizens ensure the safety of their families, their pets, and their homes in the event of a big storm, the Emergency Preparedness Division of the Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department issued the “City of Jacksonville Preparedness Guide.” Information about evacuation zones and tips on making an evacuation plan and putting together an emergency kit are included in the guide. It’s available online at jaxready.com, in public libraries and at the American Red Cross in Riverside.
“We’ve got six months ahead of us and storms can occur anytime during that period,” Chief of the Emergency Preparedness Division Steve Woodard said. “It is a good time to make those preparations.”
Citizens are also encouraged to take advantage of this weekend’s disaster preparedness sales tax holiday.Storm supplies will be tax-free for three days, including self-powered lights, batteries, and generators.
“I would encourage people to get out and buy their items this weekend, if they can,” Curry said. “A number of things, they’ll save sales tax and it will also prevent a rush that often happens when a storm is upon us.”
Curry said knowing evacuation zones and having a kit ready will best prevent panic during a storm.
“Your city, your public safety workers, your emergency operations center is ready and prepared like we were last year. We want you, the people of Jacksonville, to be safe and to be ready.”
Tiffany Salameh can be reached at newsteam@wjct.org or on Twitter at @tiffanysalameh