Get hurricane season ready: Here’s what is tax free during Florida’s Disaster Preparedness holidays

Hurricane season begins June 1

ORLANDO, Fla. – Floridians have two opportunities to buy tax-free hurricane supplies this year.

This year, there will be two Disaster Preparedness sales tax holidays. The first period begins Saturday, May 27, and runs through June 9 while the second period comes during the peak of hurricane season on Aug. 26 through Sept. 8.

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The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration released its predictions for the 2023 Atlantic hurricane season.

NOAA predicts a “near normal” season and forecasts 12-17 named storms in 2023. Of those, five to nine could be hurricanes and one to four of those could become major hurricanes, reaching Category 3 intensity or greater.

Hurricane season begins June 1 and runs through Nov. 30.

Here’s what is tax free during the two sales tax holidays and what you may need building or refreshing your hurricane kit.

$10 or less

  • Cans or pouches of wet pet food (per can or pouch)

$15 or less

  • Manual can openers
  • Collapsible or travel-sized food or water bowls for pets
  • Cat litter pans
  • Pet waste disposal bags
  • Hamster or rabbit substrate

$20 or less

  • Reusable ice
  • Leashes, collars, and muzzles for pets
  • Pet pads

$25 or less

  • Cat litter weighing 25 or fewer pounds

$30 or less

  • Household cleaning supplies
  • Laundry (Liquid, Powder or Pod) detergent
  • Fabric softener
  • Paper napkins or tissues
  • Bleach
  • Stain removers
  • Sunscreen
  • Toilet paper
  • Paper towels
  • Soaps (hand, bar, body)
  • Dish soap (liquid, powder or pod)
  • Disinfecting wipes
  • Hand sanitizer
  • Trash bags

$40 or less

  • Portable self-powered light sources
  • Pet beds

$50 or less

  • Portable self-powered radios, two-way radios, or weather-band radios
  • Gas or diesel fuel tanks
  • Battery packages, including rechargeable batteries, listed sizes only: AA-cell, AAA-cell, C-cell, D-cell, 6-volt, 9-volt

$60 or less

  • Portable power banks
  • Nonelectric food storage coolers

$70 or less

  • Smoke detectors or smoke alarms
  • Fire extinguishers
  • Carbon monoxide detectors

$100 or less

  • Tarpaulins (tarps) or other flexible waterproof sheeting
  • Ground anchor systems
  • Tie-down kits
  • Bags of dry pet food weighing 50 or fewer pounds
  • Over-the-counter pet medications
  • Portable pet kennels or pet carriers

$3,000 or less

  • Portable generators used to provide light or communications or to preserve food in a power outage

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About the Author

Brenda Argueta is a digital journalist who joined ClickOrlando.com in March 2021. She is the author of the Central Florida Happenings newsletter that goes out every Thursday.