Florida prepares for hurricane season

It’s that time of year again: Hurricane season, and it’s round two of dealing with this during a pandemic.

“One of the things I think the Florida Division of Emergency Management does better than anybody else in the country is we’re used to handling multiple disasters at one time,” said Kevin Guthrie, the new director of the Florida Division of Emergency Management.

This year, we are in a different point in the pandemic than we were last year.

READ: See what NOAA is predicting for the 2021 Atlantic hurricane season

But crews are prepared, with stockpiles of gloves, masks, hand sanitizers for shelters.

And Guthrie said residents need ready their own shelter: Their home.

“Everybody should now start at the top of their checklist, insurance review, whether it’s a renter’s insurance, homeowners’ insurance or a business owners’ insurance,” Guthrie said. “You need to do an insurance review.”

READ: Hurricane season officially begins; here’s what to expect

He said you can’t just rely on FEMA if something happens to your home during hurricane.

Also, the cost of building materials are higher than they used to be.

Samantha Hunt, an assistant manager at Tools Ace Hardware said she’s watched lumber and plywood prices rise, and customers react to that.

“They are a little shocked, but I think they understand the supply and demand that we’re at with dealing with COVID,” Hunt said.

READ: Hurricane Preparedness Week: How you can prepare now for hurricane season

Sunday will mark the end of Florida’s tax-free disaster prep holiday.

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