LAKE COUNTY, Fla. – With the hurricane season looming just two weeks away, authorities in Lake County are urging residents to prepare for the possibility of storms, flooding, and power outages.
This week, emergency management officials convened at the Lake County Fairgrounds for a hurricane preparedness expo. The event was designed to assist families in planning ahead for severe weather conditions.
Authorities stressed that preparations should begin long before a storm is imminent. They are advising residents to assemble emergency kits filled with food, water, and other vital supplies.
“Don’t wait for the storm to be at your doorstep before deciding on your course of action,” advised Megan Milanese, Lake County’s emergency management director. “It’s crucial to put together a kit with extra food and water now.”
Besides the essentials, officials highlighted the need for reliable communication methods during emergencies, especially during power outages.
A volunteer from the ham radio community mentioned that emergency activation systems can serve as a crucial backup when conventional communication networks fail.
“So when an activation takes place, hurricanes, tornado and that kind of thing, the activation at the emergency operations center includes ham radio,” the volunteer said. “If we have an issue and power outages, houses blown away, fires, that we have direct access to the emergency operations center.”
County officials also demonstrated sandbag filling and home protection techniques, including how to properly stack sandbags around entryways and use plastic coverings to help prevent floodwater intrusion.
“Sandbags during hurricane season are kind of like a fire extinguisher at your house,” said Terri Pietroburgo, a recreation coordinator for Lake County Parks and Water Resources. “You hope you never ever use it, but the day you realize you need it and you don’t have one, it’s a bad day.”
Officials also stressed the dangers of post-storm flooding, particularly for children.
“While it may look cool, it comes with hazards,” said David Clark of Lake County Fire Rescue. “Once the storm gets here and the water starts to build up, we don’t know what’s under the water.”
Emergency leaders said even in quieter seasons, residents should not become complacent, pointing to past storms as evidence that it only takes one major system to cause widespread damage.
Lake County officials also highlighted preparedness for pets, encouraging residents to include animals in evacuation and emergency plans. Officials said pets should have food, medications and comfort items packed ahead of time, along with identification such as microchips and tags.
“Pets are family,” said Whitney Boylston, director of the Lake County Office of Animal Services. “So you want to prepare for your pets in the same way you would for anyone else.”
Boylston added that the county offers low-cost microchipping services and pet preparedness kits through its wellness program.
Officials said sandbag locations will open when storms are imminent, urging residents to wait for official notices before heading out.
County leaders say the goal is simple: ensure families are ready before the first storm of the season arrives.
