The Atlantic hurricane season starts June 1 and lasts until Nov. 30, a period when conditions are ripe for a severe weather event.
Experts are once again predicting an above-normal hurricane season this year, with more named storms than in previous years. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)’s forecast calls for eleven to 17 named storms, with five to nine becoming hurricanes, and two to four becoming major hurricanes. A major hurricane is considered Category 3 or stronger.
At UCF, the Office of Emergency Management prepares the campus to respond to and recover from natural disasters and other threats.
It’s also on each member of the UCF community to take personal precautions. Steps should include building a hurricane safety kit and developing a plan for evacuating or riding out a storm.
A good hurricane kit should include food and water to survive at least three days and include basic survival essentials like communication, medicines, tools and flashlights. Select hurricane supplies such as reusable ice packs, batteries, and more are tax-free in Florida Friday through Sunday.
More information on how to build a proper hurricane kit is available in a video here.
During any threatening weather, Emergency Management works with the National Hurricane Center to monitor the weather and update the campus community. Emergency updates will be posted on https://www.ucf.edu and distributed through the UCF Alert mass notification system.
Additional information is available in UCF’s Hurricane Guide.