How do I check whether a part of Florida is safe?

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement collects crime reports from sheriff's offices and police departments through FIBRS, the Florida Incident-Based Reporting System. Its web page shows offenses reported from 2021 to the present. Since 2021, more than one offense in an incident can be counted, not only the most serious one, so newer totals can run higher than older ones and cannot be compared directly. The department is the state law enforcement agency based in Tallahassee, and its headquarters number is 850-410-7000. The sheriff's office or police department for the place you are considering can answer questions about its own figures.

The Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1 through November 30. The Florida Division of Emergency Management runs a Know Your Zone map at floridadisaster.org/knowyourzone: type in an address and it shows whether the address is in one of the colored evacuation zones. Zones are labeled A through F, and Zone A is generally the most vulnerable and the most likely to be evacuated first. During a storm, follow the evacuation orders of local officials. The division's phone number is 850-815-4000, and callers who use TDD or TTY can dial 711 for the Florida Relay Service.

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