Florida: 2026-27 El Niño preparation
In an emergency, or if life is at risk, call 911. Follow evacuation orders and instructions from local officials and the National Weather Service. They override this checklist.
Download the printable checklist (PDF)
Top 10 actions
- Florida has a winter tornado threat; the El Niño signal is particularly pronounced in central and south Florida. On a tornado warning use a basement or safe room if available; otherwise use an interior room on the lowest floor of a sturdy building, away from windows, and protect yourself from flying debris.
- Manufactured homes are unsafe tornado shelters; an overnight warning may leave little travel time. Arrange to reach a safer structure before severe weather.
- Flooding can develop quickly and make roads dangerous. Identify higher ground and alternative routes beforehand; obey evacuation instructions and never walk or drive through floodwater.
- Ask your county or city whether it gives out sandbags; rules differ. In Pinellas, the limit is 10 per resident, enough for one doorway to about 15 inches. Sandbags slow water but do not stop it, and do not stop waves or storm surge. Never delay leaving to place them.
- Floodwater can conceal contamination, electrical hazards and damaged roads; moving water can sweep away people and vehicles. Move to safety before routes flood.
- Winter thunderstorm winds and rain exploit weak openings; the check does not certify tornado resistance.
- Blocked drainage worsens flooding during repeated Florida winter downpours; avoid roof or ladder work beyond safe ability.
- Severe-storm winds can bring trees onto homes and lines. Leave line-adjacent trimming to utility-qualified professionals.
- Tornado warnings or flooded routes may separate children from parents; CDC says schools and childcare centers have plans to reunite children with families
- Rapid sheltering or flood evacuation can separate children; cards need trusted adults' contacts and relevant care information.
Official live tools and local help
- Enable Wireless Emergency Alerts on compatible phones
- Hillsborough households: enrol in HCFL Alert
- Orange County households: enrol in OCAlert
- Obtain an alert-capable NOAA Weather Radio with battery backup; program and test locally
- Charge and test compatible phone power banks and cables
- Save your county emergency-management contact using FDEM's official directory
- Save the American Red Cross 'Get help' page: https://www.redcross.org/get-help.html
- Check FDEM/county shelter status before traveling
- FPL customers: save outage reporting number 1-800-468-8243
- Duke Energy Florida customers: save outage reporting number 800-228-8485
- Tampa Electric customers: save outage reporting number 877-588-1010
- Learn the difference between a Flood Watch (be prepared) and a Flood or Flash Flood Warning (take action now), and agree what each household member does for each
- Learn the difference between a Tornado Watch (be prepared) and a Tornado Warning (take shelter now), and agree where each household member goes for each
- Sign up for AlertFlorida local emergency alerts via the Florida Division of Emergency Management (also listed: Ready.gov Alerts, BEACON 24/7 app)
- Save 2-1-1 (find your local 211 on 211.org) for local shelter, food, housing and disaster-recovery referrals
- Save the State Assistance Information Line (SAIL) hotline 1-800-342-3557 for state disaster information
- Agree with neighbors how you will check on each other, especially older or disabled people living alone
Water and food
- Rain floods can interrupt or contaminate Florida water supplies.
- Storm outages and flooded roads can prevent refrigeration and shopping.
- Canned storm supplies remain usable when the electric opener has no power.
- CDC: food that may have had contact with floodwater or storm water may be unsafe to eat, and unsafe food can make you sick even if it looks and smells normal
- CDC: boiling or bleach cannot make water with fuel or toxic chemicals safe; use bottled water instead
- CDC: throw out perishable refrigerator food when the power has been off for 4 hours or more
Power, heat and light
- Nighttime tornado warnings and storm outages require light without candle fire risk.
- Fuel-burning equipment used during outages can produce fatal carbon monoxide; alarms provide warning.
- CO can enter the house during a Florida storm outage and kill; generators must never be run inside or too close to openings
- Winter storm outages can leave vulnerable Florida residents cold. Never heat rooms with an oven or use charcoal grills or camping stoves indoors.
- Odorless, invisible fumes from fuel-burning generators and heaters can cause carbon monoxide poisoning during Florida storm outages
Flood and storm protection
- Florida has a winter tornado threat; the El Niño signal is particularly pronounced in central and south Florida. On a tornado warning use a basement or safe room if available; otherwise use an interior room on the lowest floor of a sturdy building, away from windows, and protect yourself from flying debris.
- Manufactured homes are unsafe tornado shelters; an overnight warning may leave little travel time. Arrange to reach a safer structure before severe weather.
- Flooding can develop quickly and make roads dangerous. Identify higher ground and alternative routes beforehand; obey evacuation instructions and never walk or drive through floodwater.
- Ask your county or city whether it gives out sandbags; rules differ. In Pinellas, the limit is 10 per resident, enough for one doorway to about 15 inches. Sandbags slow water but do not stop it, and do not stop waves or storm surge. Never delay leaving to place them.
- Sustained rain and simultaneous power loss can defeat an untested existing drainage pump; a new system needs property-specific advice.
- Floodwater can conceal contamination, electrical hazards and damaged roads; moving water can sweep away people and vehicles. Move to safety before routes flood.
- USGS identifies FEMA's Flood Map Service Center as an official source of insurance flood maps. Pinellas County confirms that flooding can occur outside designated flood zones; use local floodplain advice alongside mapped information.
- FDEM: residents should know whether they live in an evacuation zone, a low-lying flood-prone area, a mobile home or an unsafe structure, because these areas and buildings are the most likely to be evacuated
- Ready.gov: a full tank helps in an evacuation or power outage; six inches of water can cause a vehicle to lose control or possibly stall
Home preparation
- Winter thunderstorm winds and rain exploit weak openings; the check does not certify tornado resistance.
- Blocked drainage worsens flooding during repeated Florida winter downpours; avoid roof or ladder work beyond safe ability.
- Severe-storm winds can bring trees onto homes and lines. Leave line-adjacent trimming to utility-qualified professionals.
- Flood or tornado losses are easier to document when pre-storm evidence survives evacuation.
- Flood preparations may require safe utility isolation. Floodwater may be electrically charged. If reaching the power switch requires entering standing water, call an electrician. Only qualified gas-company representatives or emergency personnel should operate the main gas-meter valve.
- Floodwater can damage electrical systems; local codes may require a licensed electrician or inspector to check before power is restored, and damaged equipment should never be touched
- Ready.gov: prepare a go-bag you can carry when you evacuate on foot or by public transportation, and leave early enough to avoid being trapped by severe weather
- Ready.gov: know how you will contact one another and reconnect if separated; set a family meeting place
Documents
- Evacuation after Florida floods or tornadoes can separate families from proof of identity and coverage. Include IDs, passports, children's birth certificates, policies and deeds/leases.
- Storm evacuation can disrupt care and pet shelter admission; include medical records, medicine names/doses, clinicians, health insurance and pet vaccination/microchip details.
- Floodwater can destroy the grab-bag paperwork needed for care, housing and claims; keep a separate backup too.
- A flooded home or dead phone can block access to insurance and identity records; keep password-protected copies separately and paper contacts available.
Children
- RTF formula is safest for formula feeding during emergencies because it needs no mixing water. If powder is unavoidable, follow CDC's age-specific preparation instructions and use safe water. Boiling cannot remove harmful chemicals or toxins. Babies under 2 months, born prematurely or with weakened immunity need extra precautions: boil water, wait about 5 minutes, mix while very hot, then cool the prepared feed before feeding. For other infants, follow CDC's emergency safe-water instructions and the formula label. Use exact water/powder amounts; never dilute. Use prepared formula within 2 hours of preparation and 1 hour after feeding starts; discard leftovers. Use safe water for cleaning; discard nipples and pacifiers touched by floodwater. Discard opened/prepared refrigerated formula after 4 hours without power or if refrigerator temperature exceeds 40°F.
- Tornado warnings or flooded routes may separate children from parents; CDC says schools and childcare centers have plans to reunite children with families
- Rapid sheltering or flood evacuation can separate children; cards need trusted adults' contacts and relevant care information.
- Storm noise, shelter stays and displacement can distress children; restore routines, listen, limit repeated disaster media and seek professional help for persistent problems.
Older, disabled and medical needs
- Storm outages threaten powered treatment. FPL Medically Essential Service needs physician certification and does not guarantee power; agree backup, safe runtime and transport with the care team.
- Ask your doctor or pharmacist for at least 2 weeks of each regular medicine and a written medicine list (FDEM recommends a two-week supply). If power is out for a day or more, throw out medicine that needs a fridge unless the label says otherwise. If a life depends on it, keep using it until you get a new supply. Keep a cooler and ice packs.
- People needing medical, electricity or evacuation support may need assistance during winter storms; registration alone guarantees neither a shelter place nor rescue.
- Flood isolation or night outages can leave older/disabled people without help; share a care plan, keys as agreed and how to respond if contact fails.
Pets
- Tornado sheltering and flood evacuation are safer when animals can be contained quickly; size and strength must suit the animal.
- Evacuation or flooded roads can cut access to pet supplies; human water totals exclude animals.
- Not every shelter accepts pets. Check county rules, transport, carrier and vaccination requirements; arrange an alternative with friends/boarding if needed.
Alerts and communication
- Urgent tornado and flash-flood warnings can arrive overnight; WEA needs no signup. Check phone settings and keep another warning method.
- Tampa-area rain flooding and severe weather require county evacuation and closure messages.
- I-4 corridor residents need tornado, flash-flood and shelter updates for home and children's locations.
- Overnight tornado warnings need an audible backup when phones or broadband fail; choose tone alert and SAME location coding, not a listen-only radio.
- Emergency kits should include a portable charger and phone charging cables. Keeping compatible backup power charged helps preserve household communications during outages.
- NWS: a Flood Watch means conditions are favorable for flooding, which is possible but not certain; a Flood Warning means flooding is imminent or occurring; a Flash Flood Warning means move immediately to high ground if you are in a flood-prone area
- NWS: a Tornado Watch means tornadoes are possible in and near the area, so review plans and check your safe room; a Tornado Warning means a tornado has been sighted or indicated by radar, so move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a sturdy building and avoid windows; from a mobile home, vehicle or outdoors, move to the closest substantial shelter
- FDEM: be sure to sign up for emergency weather alerts in your area; having multiple ways to receive information keeps you safer in an emergency
- FDEM: the SAIL hotline is operational only during an emergency event; at other times a recorded message with general information is available
Money and insurance
- Most homeowners policies exclude flood damage. NFIP normally has a 30-day waiting period, with exceptions. Confirm current transaction availability and the actual effective date with the insurer or agent. A policy bought today normally starts about 30 days later.Key date: NFIP authority runs to Dec 11, 2026. If it lapses, FEMA stops selling and renewing policies but can still pay valid claims. source
- Tornado wind, wind-driven rain and rising-water flood claims differ; ask about exclusions, contents, temporary accommodation and the applicable deductible.
- Storm outages can stop ATMs and card payments; choose the amount around essential needs and keep it secure.
- After a flood, take photos or video of the damage and record serial numbers before you throw anything out. Then follow your insurer's claim steps.
Local help
- Orange County (I-4), Pinellas County (Tampa Bay) and Miami-Dade emergency-management offices provide local flood/shelter instructions; use your actual county rather than a statewide assumption.
- Florida storm-displaced households can ask the Red Cross about disaster help and shelter information.
- A listed school or potential shelter may not be open for a winter tornado/flood event; confirm opening, accessibility and pet arrangements rather than assuming a location is usable.
- Winter severe winds and flooding can interrupt power; report outages and check restoration information for the correct service address.
- Central Florida storm outages require the correct utility channel; report online, by telephone or text OUT to 57801.
- Tampa Bay winter storms can bring down lines; for a downed/damaged power line call 911, then Tampa Electric, and stay away.
- 211.org lists disaster recovery, housing and food programs under its get-help menu; use it for non-emergency local help after a storm
- Ready.gov: discuss how people in your network can assist each other