Hurricane season is here and in Florida that means hoping for the best but preparing for the worst. This week, I released our 2020 Hurricane Preparedness Guide, full of tips and tools to help Floridians get ready for a tropical storm or hurricane—should disaster strike.

There have already been three named storms this year and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is predicting the 2020 Atlantic Hurricane Season to be extremely active with 13 to 19 named storms total.

Aggravating preparedness plans this year is the COVID-19 pandemic. While Florida is currently under an emergency declaration due to the virus, consumers should know that price gouging on essential commodities protected under the current declaration differs from those covered during a hurricane state of emergency.

Some additional important hurricane preparedness tips from our just-released guide include:

• Knowing evacuation routes, noting that some shelters may not be open this year due to COVID-19;
• Stocking up on food, water and emergency supplies; including supplies that can help protect you and others from COVID-19—such as hand sanitizer, cleaning materials and face coverings;
• Verifying that storm-related products are actually hurricane-proof or impact-proof before purchasing;
• After the storm, being wary of any contractor who approaches unsolicited or offers to perform repairs at a discount with leftover supplies from another job; and
• Researching recovery charities before giving, as solicitations increase following a disaster and so do charity scams designed to profit off the goodwill of others.

To view more tips in the Attorney General’s 2020 Hurricane Preparedness Guide, click here.

The safety of you, your family, pets and property, depends on preparing now.

Stay safe, Florida.