With the 2025 Atlantic hurricane season now underway, Florida’s cities took proactive steps this spring to strengthen local readiness and equip residents with vital storm preparation tools. In the wake of the deadly 2024 season, municipalities statewide led events, training, and campaigns to ensure their communities were ready long before the first storm arrived.
Residents Engaged Through Expos and Events
Port St. Lucie, Dunedin, North Port, and St. Petersburg hosted free hurricane expos to connect residents with emergency resources and guidance. These events featured live demonstrations, expert speakers, and direct access to emergency officials and preparedness vendors.
In Port St. Lucie, attendees heard from meteorologists, explored hurricane-ready products, and entered raffles for emergency supplies. Dunedin welcomed a crowd to its City Hall for its expo, where Mike Boylan of Mike’s Weather Page delivered a featured talk on storm tracking and safety. Over in North Port, visitors toured emergency response vehicles, collected safety giveaway prizes, and learned how to prep homes and neighborhoods for storm impacts.
St. Petersburg co-hosted a Hurricane Preparedness Day with Pinellas County that included sandbag demonstrations, evacuation zone lookups, and free pet vaccines. Children explored emergency vehicles and participated in the Kid’s Education Zone, an interactive way to teach disaster safety.
Cities Bolstered Infrastructure and Coordination
Cities also strengthened emergency operations and storm recovery infrastructure. The City of Doral activated its Emergency Operations Center for the seventh year and secured debris removal vendors, while reinforcing its stormwater systems to mitigate flooding risk.
Sarasota and Orlando urged residents to determine flood risk zones, stock supplies, and sign up for local alert systems like AlertSarasota and OC Alert. Both cities emphasized the need for early action, with Orlando using Hurricane Preparedness Week to re-engage residents with checklists and resources.
Local Guides and Tools Promoted Safety Awareness
The City of Venice distributed its 2025 Hurricane Guide, which included evacuation maps, shelter locations, supply lists, and storm surge warnings. Officials encouraged residents to use Sarasota County’s zone lookup tools and register for emergency notifications. The guide outlined what to expect from city services before, during, and after a storm –reinforcing Venice’s commitment to coastal resilience.
Bonita Springs’ public hurricane guide focused on early planning and community-wide engagement. The city reminded residents that preparations made in May are the most effective protection for storms that may arrive later in the season.
To ensure all were informed, Tallahassee hosted multiple free PREP (Plan for Readiness and Emergency Preparedness) workshops. These community-based events, held throughout May and June, offered guidance on kit assembly, pet safety, and property protection, along with neighborhood-specific sessions for local leaders.
Lake Park held a “Hurricane Ready” event and circulated seasonal safety messages via newsletter. The town highlighted heat safety, water vigilance, and hurricane readiness, encouraging residents to revisit property conditions, emergency plans, and supply needs.
A bilingual message from South Florida city officials reminded residents of the lessons learned from 2024: readiness is no longer optional – it’s essential.
Florida’s cities didn’t wait for the wind to rise. They acted early, connected with their communities, and doubled down on resilience, ensuring they’re better prepared for whatever this hurricane season may bring.
