Palm Beach County officials on Tuesday urged the public to stay vigilant for storms now that the six-month hurricane season has started. And they\u2019re telling residents how to prepare.
\nThe region has been spared of a direct hit by hurricanes for many years, making it \u201cvery lucky,\u201d said Mary Blakeney, the county\u2019s emergency management director, during a public meeting Tuesday.
\nBut that\u2019s no reason not to be ready for when a storm does strike.
\n\u201cIt just takes one storm to impact us, so that\u2019s why it\u2019s really important that preparedness cannot wait,\u201d Blakeney said.
\nThis is especially true given the \u201cwiggle room\u201d that often must be accounted for with hurricanes. A 20-mile shift, for example, could make a huge difference in where a storm makes landfall, Blakeney said.
\n\u201cWiggles really matter, and it\u2019s really important for individuals to stay vigilant all year long when a storm is approaching our community,\u201d she said.
\nA graphic illustrates how Palm Beach County has narrowly avoided direct hits from hurricanes since 2010, but county officials urge people to be prepared each year during hurricane season. (Palm Beach County Division of Emergency Management)<\/p>\n
If they haven\u2019t already, people should learn if they live in an evacuation area, Blakeney said.
\n\u201cThe time to learn that is now,\u201d she said.
\nPalm Beach County residents can find evacuation-related maps at discover.pbc.gov\/publicsafety\/dem\/pages\/hurricane.aspx. Broward County\u2019s evacuation maps and a hurricane-preparedness guide can be found at Broward.org\/hurricanes.
\nBlakeney explained how evacuation often is ordered due to storm surge \u2014 the abnormal rise in seawater level during a storm. During storms, the county could see as much as 6 feet to 9 feet of storm surge, and that is often what does a large amount of damage.
\nStorm surge often leads to severe flooding, and Blakeney said flooding of all kinds, whether from storm surge or rainfall, is the No. 1 cause of deaths during hurricanes.
\nA neighborhood flooded from Hurricane Milton in Ridge Manor, Fla. (AP Photo\/Mike Carlson, File)<\/p>\n
The number of inches of rain and the length of time during which that rain lingers can be a good indicator of how much water people can expect in their area.
\nTommy Strowd, the Lake Worth Drainage District\u2019s executive director and district engineer, identified what people can expect during rain events:
\n\u2014 About 3 to 4 inches of rain, which is a frequent occurrence during the rainy season, will mean standing water in yards and ditches.
\n\u2014 About 5 to 7 inches of rain in 24 hours could lead to some flooding in low-lying areas along residential roads.
\n\u2014 About 15 to 23 inches is considered \u201cexcessive rainfall\u201d and that could mean flooding in homes and businesses.
\nStrowd cited the example of the intense rainfall received in Fort Lauderdale in April 2023, which amounted to more than 20 inches in 24 hours.
\n\u201cIt\u2019s very rare but it does occur,\u201d Strowd said during the meeting.<\/p>\n
County officials urge residents to set aside important documents, non-perishable food, hygiene items, medications, batteries, flashlights, water, cash and even board games in the event of evacuation.
\nBlakeney also said people with pets or family members who have disabilities should pre-register for shelters that accommodate those needs.
\n\u201cWe really encourage people to use shelters as a last resort,\u201d she said. \u201cThey\u2019re not going to get cots. They\u2019re not going to get a private room. They\u2019re not going to get a private bathroom. It\u2019s literally floor space in a school, so they need to realize that\u2019s what they\u2019re going to get.\u201d
\nA list and map of the hurricane shelters in Palm Beach County.<\/p>\n
Hurricane forecasters currently are calling for 13 to 19 named storms with six to 10 of those being hurricanes.
\nHurricane season began June 1 and runs until Nov. 30.
\n\u201cThe happiest day is the end of hurricane season for all of us, and quite frankly, we get a little lax toward the end of hurricane season, and historically that\u2019s when we\u2019ve been getting our worst storms, so we really can\u2019t be asleep at the switch toward the end,\u201d County Mayor Maria Marino said.<\/p>\n
In conclusion, hurricane season is a serious threat to the safety and well-being of residents in Palm Beach County. It is essential for individuals to be prepared and stay vigilant throughout the season. By understanding evacuation procedures, knowing what to expect, and taking necessary preparations, residents can minimize the risks associated with hurricanes.<\/p>\n
Q: When does hurricane season start and end?
\nA: Hurricane season starts on June 1 and ends on November 30.
\nQ: How can I find out if I live in an evacuation area?
\nA: You can find evacuation-related maps at discover.pbc.gov\/publicsafety\/dem\/pages\/hurricane.aspx for Palm Beach County residents, and at Broward.org\/hurricanes for Broward County residents.
\nQ: What should I do to prepare for a hurricane?
\nA: You should set aside important documents, non-perishable food, hygiene items, medications, batteries, flashlights, water, cash, and board games in the event of evacuation. You should also pre-register for shelters if you have pets or family members with disabilities.
\nQ: What is the forecast for the current hurricane season?
\nA: Hurricane forecasters are calling for 13 to 19 named storms with six to 10 of those being hurricanes.
\nOriginally Published: June 11, 2025 at 6:32 AM EDT<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Introduction to Hurricane Season Palm Beach County officials on Tuesday urged the public to stay vigilant for storms now that the six-month hurricane season has started. And they\u2019re telling residents how to prepare. The region has been spared of a direct hit by hurricanes for many years, making it \u201cvery lucky,\u201d said Mary Blakeney, the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":16198,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rank_math_lock_modified_date":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[26],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-16197","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-weather"},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i3.wp.com\/www.sun-sentinel.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/7LYAO25KEVEZVE6U7RRSRZWUJQ.jpg?w=1400px&strip=all&w=360&resize=360,240&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/miami\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16197"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/miami\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/miami\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/miami\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/miami\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=16197"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/miami\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16197\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":16199,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/miami\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16197\/revisions\/16199"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/miami\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/16198"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/miami\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=16197"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/miami\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=16197"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/miami\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=16197"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}