Tampa Bay, Florida: What to Consider Before Hurricane Ian

First hurricane? The first in a while? Don’t panic. We are here for you.

• We’ve covered every hurricane and tropical storm threaten Florida for the past 17 years, from Wilma to Irma. We’ll walk you through a few options.

First of all: Veteran meteorologist Denis Phillips of ABC Action News reminds us that storm tracking errors beyond three days can be huge, so don’t get fooled by these predictions.

• With the storm set to hit Florida mid-week, now is when you want to start paying attention to storm track trends.

Should I stay or should i go? Before you decide to break out this one in a bathrobe with an ice-cold daiquiri, think about: where is your house, what is it made of, and what evacuation zone are you in?

• If you are in a mobile home or an impermanent structure, you might seriously think about evacuating.
• Otherwise, plug your address into this handy card to see your evacuation zone. EZs are designated by a letter and your vulnerability increases with each letter, with the A zone being the most vulnerable. (To see if you are in a flood zone, go here: Citrus, Hernando, Hillsborough, Manatee, Not co, pinelles, Polk, sarasota.)
• Listen to local authorities as the storm approaches and follow appropriate routes if you choose to evacuate at the last minute.
• If the storm is large enough to push a storm surge into your home, it’s best to bail out. Here’s where you can find free government sandbags. (Warning: lines in Tampa were very long yesterday.)
• If you stay, be prepared. At a minimum, have a seven-day supply of food and water. To be truly prepared, here is a handy checklist for a disaster relief kit.

Look for higher ground: Go stay for a few days with family or friends in a safe place. Find a motel or Airbnb in Gainesville or Lake Butler. Make your arrangements in advance.

• Make sure your car is full of fuel.
• Stay away from major bodies of water.
• Go early; traffic gets worse as the storm gets closer to landfall.
• Remember that storm tracks can change quickly, so be careful not to seek shelter too early or you could put yourself in a worse situation.

Emergency shelter: Many local schools and public buildings open to the public as storms approach. Check with your municipality to find out about shelters near you.

• Public emergency shelters should always be the option of last resort.