ORLANDO, Fla. – The city of Orlando announced it will be offering free sandbags this week to residents looking to get prepared ahead of a storm.
The distribution event is scheduled to take place at the City of Orlando Streets and Stormwater building located on 1010 Woods Ave, officials said, where city staff members will be on-site to assist with loading sandbags directly into cars. Each car is limited to 10 sandbags, the city said.
THE CITY’S SANDBAG DISTRIBUTION TIMES:
- Thursday, July 10 — 7 a.m. to 2 p.m.
- Friday, July 11 — 7 a.m. to 2 p.m.
- Saturday, July 12 — 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.
William Haines, who lives in Orlando, visited the site to pick up sandbags.
“I just keep these bags until I need them, and it’s better to have them and not need them than need them and not have them,” Haines said. “If there’s heavy rain, there is a lot of standing water. So, I have sliding doors and I want to keep that out.”
This comes as signs of activity are beginning to show in the tropics.
According to the National Hurricane Center on Wednesday morning, no new areas of possible development are expected within the next seven days.
However, looking beyond that period, there is something worth watching as mid-July approaches. The latest long-range outlook from the National Weather Service’s Climate Prediction Center highlights a growing area of interest in the Gulf.
There is no immediate threat to Florida at this time, but this serves as a reminder that the tropics are slowly waking up.
If you’ve never used sandbags before, or have and forgot, News 6’s Erik von Ancken has you covered with four easy steps on how to fill and position them. His pro tip: bring gloves.
Besides sandbags, it’s important to be equipped with a hurricane kit in case of any emergency this hurricane season. If you need help assembling yours, FloridaDisaster.org has a checklist broken up into several key categories, including food and water, general, and first aid.
If you have a hurricane kit left over from last year, make sure to check these items’ expiration dates:
- Food
- Baby formula
- Pet food
- Water
- Batteries
- First aid supplies
- Medication
- Any other perishable item
Some more tips to help you maintain your hurricane kit, courtesy of Ready.gov, include keeping canned food in a cool, dry place, storing boxed foods in tightly closed metal or plastic containers, and rethinking your needs every year.
It’s equally as important to have the proper flood insurance before the hurricane or storm hits. According to FEMA, it typically takes up to 30 days for a policy to go into effect, and homeowners’ insurance policies do not cover flooding, so keep that in mind as you prepare for hurricane season. You can get flood coverage under the National Flood Insurance Program.
As hurricane season continues to ramp up, be sure to download the News 6 Weather App for the latest on hurricanes and other tropical developments in the area.
Hurricane season runs through November.