Red Cross urges Floridians to prepare for storms

Posted 6/11/25

Forecasters are warning that it's possible that South Florida is facing an extremely active hurricane season this year.

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Red Cross urges Floridians to prepare for storms

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Forecasters are warning that it’s possible that South Florida is facing an extremely active hurricane season this year. Since the best defense in an emergency is to be prepared, the South Florida Red Cross is urging residents to get ready now because hurricane season began June 1 and the first named hurricane of 2025 formed on June 9.
 
As a result of the climate crisis, hurricanes are becoming more intense and more destructive — with increased rainfall and higher surges, experts say. The combination of warmer sea temperatures and the arrival of La Nina conditions could mean more named storms and an above-average probability for landfall in the U.S. this year.

In 2023, almost 2.5 million people were forced from their homes by weather-related disasters. One of those people is Shelley Thomas, whose Horseshoe Beach, Florida, home was completely destroyed by Hurricane Idalia last August. When she saw for the first time that all that remained of her house were some foundation stilts, Thomas was despondent. 

“It’s been standing for 68 years,” she said, “and it’s where all our memories were made.”

Fortunately, the Red Cross was there to provide temporary lodging as well as meals, comfort, recovery assistance and other support.

Prepare your household

Before a hurricane threatens our community, take action to be ready and stay safe. The Red Cross offers the following preparation tips:

Build an emergency kit with bottled water, non-perishable food, a flashlight and a battery-powered radio. Also include medications, cell-phone chargers, copies of important papers, and emergency contact information.

Create two action plans — one for an evacuation and one for sheltering safely at home. Your evacuation planshould include knowing where you’ll go, how you’ll get there, and where you’ll stay. (Remember to include pets in your plan.) Your stay-at-home plan should focus on gathering the right supplies so that you can live safely without power, water, gas, phone or internet service for an extended period of time. 

Sign up for free emergency alerts from your local government, which will include important information such as evacuation orders in an emergency. 

Download the free Red Cross Emergency app for weather alerts, open Red Cross shelter locations and safety steps for different emergencies. Choose whether you want to view the content in English or Spanish with an easy-to-find language selector. To download, search “American Red Cross” in app stores, or go to redcross.org/apps.

Volunteer today 

As the number of natural disasters has increased, so has the need for trained volunteers to support families facing their darkest moments. Join the Red Cross to provide relief and hope to your neighbors in need. Free training is provided. Visit redcross.org/SFLvolunteer to learn more.

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