Hurricane season on the Suncoast isn’t something that happens only when a storm is spinning toward us. It’s an ongoing reality that requires year-round thinking, and that’s exactly what Florida Power & Light and the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office wanted to drive home at Saturday’s Touch-A-Truck Hurricane Expo at LECOM Park in Bradenton. The event gave families direct access to emergency vehicles, bucket trucks, and the first responders who would be working to keep them safe when a hurricane hits. More importantly, it sent a message about what preparedness actually looks like: not panic planning when you see a cone on the weather map, but thoughtful planning today.
The experts who work hurricane response day in and day out see patterns in what goes wrong. People underestimate flooding risks, thinking their neighborhood is safer than it actually is. They wait too long to evacuate, hoping storms veer away or imagining their home is more secure than it is. Lt. Rick Kelleher Jr. from the sheriff’s office pointed out that the difference between a successful evacuation and a tragedy often comes down to following orders promptly, even if it feels like overkill. Moving 15 miles to a shelter when ordered might feel unnecessary until the water starts rising. FPL spokesperson Kamrel Eppinger broke down what every household should tackle right now: knowing your evacuation route, understanding how to safely operate a generator, and identifying steps to take if anyone in your home depends on electricity for medical equipment.
These three things are your foundation. Do you know which roads you’d take if ordered to evacuate? Have you actually tested your generator or learned how to use it safely? If someone in your household uses a CPAP machine, oxygen concentrator, or any other electric medical device, do you have a backup power plan? Start there. You don’t need to wait for hurricane season to peak or for a storm to form. What’s your biggest concern about hurricane preparedness on the Suncoast, and have you started your emergency plan yet?
