How do I find my hurricane evacuation zone?
Look it up by address on the Florida Division of Emergency Management's Know Your Zone map.
Read the answer →Ask 1stFlorida
When is hurricane season in Florida, and how do I get ready?
Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1 to November 30. The National Hurricane Center puts its peak on September 10, with most of the activity from mid-August to mid-October.
Getting ready starts with where you live. Look up your address on the state's Know Your Zone map: evacuation zones run from A, the most exposed to storm surge and the first ordered out, to F, and the order to leave comes from local officials. If you are not in a zone being evacuated, staying in a sound home may be the safer choice; if you live in a mobile home, follow every evacuation order. Buy flood insurance well ahead of a storm, because a policy through the national flood program usually takes 30 days to start, and a standard homeowners policy does not cover flooding. Since August 1, 2025, several storm items are permanently free of Florida sales tax, among them portable generators of up to 10,000 running watts, fuel cans of five gallons or less, smoke and carbon monoxide alarms, fire extinguishers, and ground anchor systems and tie-down kits.
Where to go from here.
Do I need flood insurance in Florida?
A standard homeowners policy does not cover flooding. Flood is a separate policy, from the National Flood Insurance Program or a private insurer, and an NFIP policy usually takes 30 days to start, so it cannot be bought the day a storm is named.
Read the answer →Why is home insurance so expensive in Florida, and how can I lower it?
Hurricane wind is the main cost in a Florida home policy, and the price is set by the address, the age and shape of the roof and how the house is built, so it can differ a great deal between two homes on the same street.
Read the answer →How to research a Florida county
The six checks that decide whether a Florida county is right for you: housing cost, flood and wind, schools, healthcare, daily travel and storm readiness.
Open the page →Where this comes from.
- National Hurricane Center, tropical cyclone climatology ↗ Read September 16, 2026
- Florida Division of Emergency Management, Know Your Zone ↗ Read September 23, 2026
- FEMA National Flood Insurance Program, Why do I need flood insurance? ↗ Read September 23, 2026
- Florida Department of Revenue, TIP 25A01-05, new sales tax exemptions beginning August 1, 2025 ↗ Read September 23, 2026
More questions like this.
Does it ever freeze or snow in Florida?
In the north, yes. The Panhandle and the Big Bend have a real winter: the National Weather Service puts the average first freeze at Tallahassee on November 25, and on the coast at Apalachicola on December 13.
Is lightning dangerous in Florida?
Yes, more than anywhere else in the country. In the National Weather Service's count from 1959 to 2004, Florida had 2,117 people killed or injured by lightning, more than twice North Carolina, which was second with 818.
What time of year should I visit Florida?
The weather decides most of it. From about the middle of October into May is the dry season, with far less rain, and in the Keys a normal January afternoon is about 74 degrees.
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