Stay Connected:
Hurricanes
Have a Plan. Build a Kit. Stay Informed.
Our online guide will help you prepare and give you some tools to weather a storm. If you are prepared for hurricanes, you are pretty much prepared for anything. Take some time to go through our emergency management pages. If you have any questions or suggestions, please contact the Division of Emergency Management at 305.673.7736.
The City of Miami Beach wants to ensure the safety of all its residents and visitors and urges everyone to have a plan in case of a hurricane or other emergency. We are prepared and we want to make sure that you are too.
Safety Tips:
If your home is deemed uninhabitable by the Building Official, you must leave your home until proper repairs are completed. If necessary, the Miami Beach Building Department will issue emergency building permits due to storm-related damages to expedite repairs.
Many injuries occur after the storm. To avoid injury, use common sense and wear proper clothing, including long sleeves and long pants, safety shoes or boots, and eye protection.
Stay away and do not touch downed power lines. Stay away from standing water that may have active electrical currents. Although you may be without power in your home/business, it does not mean the lines are not active.
Report downed lines to 1-800-4OUTAGE (1-800-468-8243)
Miami-Dade County 305.442.8770
After a hurricane or other natural disaster, poison control centers traditionally experience an increase in poisoning calls.
For more information go to 1.800.222.1222
Uprooted insects and mosquitoes thrive in post-storm conditions. If you are without power, it is likely you have windows and doors open for periods of time. Use mosquito repellant and nets and spray entrance areas with insect killers.
Prevent the sting and spread of mosquitoes — Drain and Cover
Drain any standing water.
Check for standing water in the following locations:
- Gutters
- Garbage Cans
- Saucers and lids
- Pool and spa covers
- Open containers such as flower pots and empty drums or cans
- Old tires
- Birdbaths
- Pet bowls (even indoors)
- Pools (maintain optimum chemistry; don’t let your pool go green)
- Bromeliads
Cover your skin with socks, shoes, long pants, and long sleeves when mosquitoes are active.
- Use mosquito repellant
- Check the active ingredients
- Effective ingredients include
- DEET / Lemon eucalyptus oil / IR3535
- Use the smallest concentration of DEET as possible
- Cover doors and windows with screen
DO NOT operate a generator indoors, on balconies, or near open windows. Make sure that the generator is running in a well-ventilated area. Many people die from carbon monoxide poisoning every year due to improper generator use. Read instructions and use them with caution. Click here for more information.
Use caution with operating power equipment (i.e., chain saws):
Follow the manufacturer’s instructions and wear safety gear (i.e., goggles and gloves). Stay clear of those using manual or other tools to cut trees. Avoid back injuries by using mechanical assistance to move debris too large to move manually.
Driving is strongly discouraged in the aftermath of a storm. Crews will be out to make damage assessments and City officials will determine if the streets are safe for travel. If you must travel before it is deemed safe, drive slowly, be aware of your surroundings, and treat all intersections as four-way stops. Some roads may be restricted. Curfews may be imposed. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report that over half of all flood-related drownings occur when a vehicle is driven into hazardous flood water. Some of our roadways are adjacent to bodies of water. In a flooding situation, it may be difficult to tell where the boundaries are. TURN AROUND. DON’T DROWN.
Please do not walk into or play in flooded water. Besides the aforementioned threat of electrocution from downed power lines, standing water can harbor disease and contaminants that are hazardous to your health.
If you are concerned that your food may have spoiled when in doubt, throw it out. For additional food safety information, call Miami-Dade County Florida Department of Health.
You will be exposed to more heat and sun, especially if you are without power. Wear sunscreen, drink plenty of water, and try to keep cool by staying under shelter. It is important that you wear protective clothing. A portable, battery-powered fan will make you feel more comfortable.
Assistance to individuals and families may come from any number of organizations. These organizations provide food, shelter, and supplies and assist in clean-up efforts. In the most severe disasters, the federal government is also called in to help individuals and families with temporary housing, counseling (for post-disaster trauma), low-interest loans and grants, and other assistance after assessments are made. The federal government also has programs that help small businesses and farmers. Most federal assistance becomes available when the President of the United States declares a “Major Disaster” for the affected area at the request of a state governor. FEMA will provide information through the media and community outreach about federal assistance and how to apply.
Coast Guard: www.uscg.mil
FDLE: www.fdle.state.fl.us
Dept of Health: www.dadehealth.org.dadehealth.org
Homeland Security: www.dhs.gov
Miami Dade EOC: www.miamidade.gov/fire/emergency-management.asp
Important Resources for Emergencies: DIAL 911
CITY OF MIAMI BEACH INFORMATION: 305.604.CITY • www.miamibeachfl.gov
MIAMI-DADE COUNTY ANSWER CENTER: 311 • 305.468.5900 www.miamidade.gov/fire/emergency-management.asp
STATE OF FLORIDA EMERGENCY INFORMATION LINE: 1.800.342.3557
MIAMI-DADE COUNTY EMERGENCY EVACUATION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM: 305.513.7700 • TDD: 305.468.5402 • http://miamidade.gov/apps/gis/eeap_publicregistration/
MIAMI BEACH POLICE DEPARTMENT: 305.673.7900
MIAMI BEACH FIRE DEPARTMENT: 305.673.7120
MIAMI BEACH DIVISION OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT: 305.673.7736
FEDERAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY (FEMA):11.800.621.3362 • TTY: 1.800.462.7585 www.fema.gov/assistance
CERT AND VOLUNTEER INFORMATION: 305.673.7736 • www.miamibeachfl.gov/city-hall/fire/emergency-management/cert-information/
FLORIDA POWER & LIGHT (FPL): 1.800.4.OUTAGE • www.fpl.com • 305.442.8770 (Miami-Dade County)
AT&T: 611
CITY GAS: 305.693.4311 • www.floridacitygas.com
TECO PEOPLE’S GAS: 305.940.0139 • www.peoplesgas.com
BREEZELINE: 1.888.536.9600
POISON CONTROL: 1.800.222.1222 • www.floridapoisoncontrol.org
FOOD SAFETY: 305.623.3500 • https://miamidade.floridahealth.gov/programs-and-services/environmental-health/food-hygiene/index.html
FAMILY SOCIAL SERVICES: 211 • www.miamidade.gov/global/socialservices/home.page
AMERICAN RED CROSS: 305.644.1200 • www.redcross.org
SALVATION ARMY: 305.456.5850 • 1.800.SAL.ARMY• salvationarmyusa.org
HUMANE SOCIETY OF MIAMI: 305.696.0800 • www.humanesocietymiami.org
Hurricane Season
The Atlantic hurricane season is officially designated from June 1 to November 30. Over 97% of tropical activity occurs in these six months, but hurricanes have occurred in every month of the year.
According to the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA), the most common month for hurricanes is September.
The bottom line: Be prepared year-round. Even if a storm does not strike, hurricane preparedness makes us better prepared for most disasters.
Know your weather terms
Tropical Climate/Tropical Depression – An organized system of clouds and thunderstorms with a defined surface circulation and maximum sustained winds* of 38 mph (33kt**) or less.
Tropical Wave – a low-pressure area that has the potential to develop into stormy weather
Tropical Storm – an organized system of strong thunderstorms with a defined surface circulation and maximum sustained winds of 39 – 73 mph (34-63 kts)
Hurricane – an intense tropical weather system of strong thunderstorms with a well-defined surface circulation and maximum sustained winds of 74 mph (64 kts) or higher.
Forecasts
It is advised to monitor the weather frequently and to heed the advice of local officials during hurricane season. Tropical systems can speed up, change direction and intensify without warning. Several local news stations as well as national weather services offer e-mail notifications by subscribing to their services. Advances in forecasts have resulted in more accurate track forecasts. As a result, there will be a greater lead time for watches and warnings to enable communities more time to prepare.
The following terms are used by weather forecasters to describe the wind speed and probability/proximity of a storm from hitting a specific destination:
Hurricane Watch – a hurricane may strike the area under watch within 48 hours
Hurricane Warning – a hurricane is expected to strike the area under warning within 36 hours
Saffir-Simpson Scale
Category 1: Sustained winds of 74-95 mph
Category 2: Sustained winds of 96-110 mph
Category 3: Sustained winds of 111-130 mph
Category 4: Sustained winds of 131-155 mph
Category 5: Sustained winds greater than 155 mph
Links:
The City of Miami Beach does not distribute hang-tags for re-entry.
Condominiums and Hotels are encouraged to register their Emergency Response Teams with the City. The Division of Emergency Management provides training and special directions for these teams.
Personnel with vital jobs in hospitals, hotels and other critical services should make sure to carry employee identification and other documentation to present to law enforcement upon return to Miami Beach following an evacuation. Having proper identification and proof of necessity from employers will assist in re-entry should checkpoints be implemented.
If you have any questions please contact the Miami Beach Office of Emergency Management 305.673.7736 or the Miami Beach Police Department at 305.673.7900.
dem@miamibeachfl.gov
305.673.7736 ext. 7736
Office
2310 Pine Tree Drive, Third Floor
Miami Beach, FL 33140Hours of Operation
Monday - Sunday | 24/7
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