Have a hurricane supply kit ready with enough food, water and medications for you and your family for at least 3 days. If you have pets, include supplies for their needs as well. Keep important documents such as copies of insurance policies, identification, and medical information in an easily accessible place in the event you need to evacuate.

Brevard County Emergency Management offers a more extensive list of items to keep in your hurricane kit.

Make sure to think about things such as: Where will you go? Will you evacuate? What route will you take? What supplies do you need? It is important to make sure you have all of these details in place before a storm approaches. 

• Have a supply kit ready.

• Have either a shelter or evacuation plan in place.

• Stay informed. The City of Palm Bay uses AlertBrevard to send EMERGENCY notifications by phone, email, text and social media to keep citizens informed of emergencies. Be sure to register today. Register for Emergency Notifications

Home Preparation Tips if a Hurricane or Strong Storm is in the Forecast

• Remove any items that aren’t secured to the ground such as lawn furniture or trampolines. Loose items like decorations and flags should be taken inside until the storm passes.

• Check for and remove trash and yard debris. These items can get blown around by strong winds and damage property. This sort of debris could also get caught up in storm drains and canals and increase the potential for flooding.
  
  
• Once the storm is expected to make landfall within 72 hours: DO NOT cut down trees or vegetation or do any major yard work. Mass cutting places a tremendous burden on the normal solid waste collection process, and collection of this debris a few days prior to landfall of the storm is not guaranteed. During a Watch or Warning period DO NOT place materials at the curb or take materials to the landfill or transfer facility. Services may be suspended and facilities may close early to prepare for the storm.

• Bring garbage cans into the garage if possible. If they must remain outside, make sure they are in a sheltered, secured location.
  
  
• Turn off automatic sprinklers.
  
  
• If you plan to evacuate, shut off your main house water valve to prevent damage to your home.
  
  
• Brevard County Emergency Managment may announce sandbag distribution locations in preparation for a storm. Sandbags are not necessary for every home and need to be used correctly to provide any kind of protection. Empty sandbags and fill materials can be found at local hardware stores. Bags of potting soil, gravel/small pebbles, or even cat litter can be used in place of sandbags. Remember DO NOT fill your bags with sand from the beach. If you plan ahead, this will save you time when a storm is approaching. Location and availability of sandbags prior to a storm will be updated as the information becomes available however most local municipalities do not provide sandbags. 

Hurricanes create a tremendous amount of debris that often takes weeks or months to collect. You can help reduce the amount of debris — and the time it takes for all of it to be collected — by keeping your yard and fence maintained before a storm is in the forecast.

Check Trees

• Remove any dead limbs, branches and palm fronds from trees.
• Trim them back if needed.

Check Fencing

• Older fences could be rotted or unstable and may be ripped from the ground in high winds. A dangerous warning sign is if the fence wobbles in relatively strong gusts.
• Perform regular maintenance. Look for loose or weak boards and nail or replace them as necessary.

In the event of a weather emergency, the superintendent of Brevard Public Schools (BPS) is the only person who will give the directive that schools are to close due to extreme weather conditions. Should the district close, BPS will communicate the closure to parents, teachers and staff through their rapid notification system. This will come in the form of voicemail and email. Those who have registered their cell phone number will receive a text message.

• Follow Brevard Public Schools on X/Twitter (@BrevardSchools) , Facebook (Brevard Public Schools Official), or Instagram (brevardschools).

• For more information, please see the Brevard Public Schools website.

FPL doesn't restore power based on when customers report an outage, where customers live or the status of accounts. Rather, they begin in multiple locations and follow an overall plan that calls for restoring power to the largest number of customers safely and as quickly as possible.

• If a hurricane approaches, be prepared to lose power for several days.

• FPL encourages customers to visit FPL Storm Center for tips on how to prepare.

• Once the storm is over, visit the FPL Power Tracker for updates on power restoration. You can also follow FPL on Facebook (Florida Power & Light) and Twitter (@insideFPL) for updates.

• FPL realizes how disruptive power disturbances can be to your life. If you experience an outage or repeated power problem, visit www.FPL.com/outage or call FPL at 1-800-4OUTAGE (1-800-468- 8243) to report the problem.

• You can download the FPL Mobile App to report or get the latest information on outages. Customers can also get on-the-go, instant and secure access to their accounts. The app is available for download in the iOS App Store and Google Play.

Safety and Electricity

Be cautious of downed power lines following a storm. Debris or standing water may be hiding lines that could be energized and dangerous. Stay away from flooding caused by severe weather events.

When approaching an intersection that has a traffic signal that is not working correctly follow the guidelines below:

• Flashing Red - Treat as a STOP sign
• Flashing Yellow - Proceed with CAUTION
• NO SIGNAL LIGHTS - Treat as a 4-way STOP

• Operate generators outdoors in an area with plenty of ventilation. Never run a generator in a home or garage. Generators give off deadly carbon monoxide.
• Do not place generators near air handler/air intakes.
• Do not plug a generator into the wall to avoid back feed. Use heavy-duty extension cords to connect appliances to the outlets on the generator.
• Turn the generator on before plugging appliances to it. Once the generator is running, turn your appliances and lights on one at a time to avoid overloading the unit. Remember, generators are for temporary usage; prioritize your needs.
• Generators pose electrical risks, especially when operated in wet conditions. Use a generator only when necessary when the weather creates wet or moist conditions. Protect the generator by operating it under an open, canopy-like structure on a dry surface where water cannot form puddles or drain under it. Always ensure your hands are dry before touching the generator.
• Be sure the generator is turned off and cool before fueling it.
• Keep children and pets away from portable generators. Many generator components are hot enough to burn you during operation.

Generator Safety Flyer - ENG/ESP

A hurricane or other disaster can cause a disruption of your water service. In the event of service interruption due to a hurricane or other disaster, Palm Bay Utilities will notify customers via AlertBrevard notifications. Register to receive AlertBrevard emergency notifications by visiting www.palmbayflorida.org/news.

Loss of Utilities
If a hurricane is in the forecast, be prepared to be without certain utilities during and after the storm, including; power, water, and wastewater services. A service interruption can last several days depending on the severity and impacts of the storm.

Ways to prepare for electric outages or interruptions:

• Lower the temperature on your thermostat so that your house remains cool as long as possible

• Fill buckets or jugs with water for toilet flushing

• Have flashlights or lanterns out and in multiple rooms for easy access

Water Service
During a hurricane, all residents will be advised to be prepared for potential loss of water service and for the possible issue of a Precautionary Boil Water Notice once water service is restored. Prepare by storing water ahead of the storm.

Wastewater
Be prepared for limited to be without wastewater treatment services and/or to strictly limit sewer usage after the storm. Lift stations collect all wastewater runoff from different areas of the county and pump that runoff to the wastewater treatment plant through force mains. Lift stations need power to pump water to the treatment facility. If lift stations lose electricity, back-up into homes and businesses may occur. Also, heavy inundation of rainwater from a storm can also put strain on the wastewater treatment service system.

After a hurricane, you may be asked to limit usage of the following:

• Flushing toilets

• Taking showers

• Doing laundry

• Washing dishes

• Or any other activity that sends a lot of water down the drain and into the sewer system 

Storm shutters can keep you and your family safe during a hurricane, but did you know they can also trap you in the event of a house fire? Blocked windows not only limit your family's escape routes, but also limit safe entry and exit points for Palm Bay's firefighters.

Although leaving shutters up through the end of hurricane season may seem tempting, Palm Bay Fire Rescue recommends taking the shutters off your home once the storm passes. Keeping shutters up until the end of the hurricane season can create a fire hazard that has potentially deadly consequences. Firefighters follow a “vent, enter, search” protocol, which means they will enter room-by-room and search them to ensure everyone is out of the burning structure. Shuttered and boarded-up windows can hinder this process.

• Business Disaster Loans
• Economic Injury Disaster Loans
• SBA Business Recovery Centers
• SBA Homeowner Disaster Loans
• US SBA Fact Sheet