Having trouble viewing this email? Click here

MAY 2021 Hurricane Season Predictions I Re-Entry Program I Preparedness Resources I Sales Tax Holiday

NOAA 2021 Hurricane Season Predictions May 20, 2021: NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center is predicting another above-normal Atlantic hurricane season. Forecasters predict a 60% chance of an above-normal season, a 30% chance of a near-normal season, and a 10% chance of a below-normal season. However, experts do not anticipate the historic level of storm activity seen in 2020. For 2021, a likely range of 13 to 20 named storms (winds of 39 mph or higher), of which 6 to 10 could become hurricanes (winds of 74 mph or higher), including 3 to 5 major hurricanes (category 3, 4 or 5; with winds of 111 mph or higher) is expected. NOAA provides these ranges with a 70% confidence. The Atlantic hurricane season extends from June 1 through November 30. Click here for more information.

Low-Pressure System Likely to Become a Subtropical Cyclone May 20, 2 pm EDT: A non-tropical low pressure system located about 650 miles east-northeast of Bermuda is now moving northward, and recent satellite wind data indicate that the system has gale-force winds. The low is expected to turn westward and west-southwestward over warmer waters tonight and Friday, and it will likely become a subtropical cyclone near and to the northeast of Bermuda on Friday. Click here for more information and to follow the forecast.

City of Tampa Hurricane Re-Entry Program The City of Tampa Hurricane Re-Entry Program is for residents and businesses in the areas most likely to be evacuated during a hurricane event (within Zip Codes 33602, 33605, 33606, 33607, 33609, 33611, 33616, 33619, 33629, 33634 and MacDill Air Force Base 33621). It is designed to make it easier for residents and business representatives to re-enter the area after evacuation orders have been lifted. During a catastrophic hurricane event, public safety officials will screen vehicles attempting to re-enter the impacted area. In an effort to avoid long lines, the vehicle Re-Entry Hang Tag will allow public safety officials to quickly identify vehicles approved to re-enter. Those vehicles will be waved through, bypassing the normal public screening required to enter the affected area. The Re-Entry Hang Tag Program will enhance safety and speed up the recovery process by getting residents and business representatives back into the affected areas. For more information or to request passes, please click here.

Hurricane Preparedness & Emergency Resources Evacuation Zones vs. Flood Zones - though they are often mistaken for each other, Flood Zones and Evacuation Zones are two very different things that measure very different conditions. So what's the difference? And when do you use them? Click here to find out today. Alert Tampa City of Tampa Office of Emergency Management FEMA Business Protection Toolkit FEMA Continuity Resource Toolkit Florida Division of Emergency Management Get a Business Emergency Plan Hillsborough County Disaster Planning Guide HCFL Alert Hillsborough County Office of Emergency Management National Hurricane Center (NOAA) Ready Business Continuity Planning Suite SBDC Business Continuity and Disaster Preparedness State Assistance Information Line* (SAIL) 1-800-342-3557 *Operational during an emergency event only

2021 Disaster Preparedness Sales Tax Holiday The 2021 Disaster Preparedness Sales Tax Holiday begins Friday, May 28, and extends through Sunday, June 6, 2021. During this sales tax holiday period, qualifying items related to disaster preparedness are exempt from sales tax; some of the items include: Reusable ice packs ($10 or less) Candles, flashlights and lanterns ($20 or less) Gas or diesel fuel containers ($25 or less) Batteries, excluding automobile and boat batteries ($30 or less) Radios powered by battery, solar, or hand-crank Tarps Tie-down kits  Portable generators ($750 or less)

Connect with us! ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌