2007 Hurricane Season Countdown

In seven days, the official 2007 hurricane season will begin. What the next six months have in store for Floridians, until the season officially ends on November 30, is anticipated with uncertainty.

The 2004 and 2005 hurricane seasons, with eight hurricanes in 15 months, brought damage and devastation. Ravaged coastal communities and inland neighborhoods along with the destruction to Florida’s sister states sparked compassion and a renewed awareness of nature’s power.

Extensive knowledge was gained and put into place to ensure Floridians would be more prepared, if and when, storms of that magnitude again targeted Florida. How, when and why to evacuate safely, where to send necessary food, water and supplies, how to conduct effective search and rescue efforts, how to handle price gouging and insurance loopholes were among the lessons learned.

Floridians know that to be safe, there must be a plan in place before it needs to be executed. They learned firsthand the importance of taking precautionary measures, boarding up homes and businesses, heeding evacuation warnings and having enough food, water and fuel on hand to survive for several days.

Then, as Floridians braced for the 2006 hurricane season, no hurricanes made landfall in the entire United States and residents breathed a communal sigh of relief. This year, NOAA has predicted 13-17 named storms with 7-10 becoming hurricanes and 3-5 expected to become a Category 3 or higher.

Whether NOAA’s forecast is under, over or right on target, Florida’s residents have the tools to be prepared. Approved by the Florida legislature for the third consecutive year, Governor Charlie Crist signed the 2007 bill to establish a tax free holiday for emergency materials to help Florida prepare for the upcoming hurricane season.

From June 1 through June 12, many of the items that could prove critical in an emergency situation will be available to consumers, tax free [PDF - 741 KB]. Non-taxable items range from $1 batteries to $1,000 portable generators. Other non-taxable items include coolers, tarps, radios and flashlights.

As potential 2007 hurricanes by the likes of Chantal, Humberto, Lorenzo and Tanya remain unfounded, in the event they become a reality, Floridians have the means and know-how to ensure a positive outcome in the face of the storm – or storms – whatever nature has in store for 2007.