Hurricane Season Begins With a Bang in the Florida Keys

Hurricane season 2022 is officially upon us. Here in the Florida Keys, we need to be hyper-vigilant regarding hurricane season, and what that means for us as residents. This year, record-breaking numbers of newbies have moved into South Florida - including right here in the Keys - from corners of the country that do not see hurricanes like we do. It never hurts to brush up on hurricane prep so that your plans are cemented in your mind, and your supplies are close at hand.

Hurricane season runs from June 1 through November 30. Most seasons we are able to ease into our preparations with storms tending to pop up later into the summer season. This year, however, we got an early wake up call. Just 3-4 days into this year’s hurricane season we got our first taste what the tropics can bring. A tropical system seemed to form out of nowhere off the coast of Mexico and quickly made its way to our shores. Though it was considered a tropical cyclone when it made landfall in the Keys last weekend, it did eventually go on to develop into Tropical Storm Alex, becoming the first named storm of the season. Even still, it brought tropical conditions and reminded residents of Florida Keys homes of the dangers that tropical systems pose to residents through massive flooding and wind damage. The tropical cyclone dumped huge amounts of rain on the Keys and resulted in many roadways becoming impassable. In fact, the Keys saw an incredible 10-11 inches of rain in areas as the slow-moving storm made its way east. The most rainfall was seen in Plantation Key - which received 11.12 inches throughout the storm.

This serves as a great - and early! - reminder to get your hurricane preparations ready sooner rather than later! This storm developed quickly and was upon us somewhat unexpectedly. Though this did not produce the power outages and downed foliage that a more dangerous storm would, it still flooded streets and homes and caused major inconveniences. Now is the time, if you have not already, to prepare yourself for hurricane season. Get your supplies ready. Take your property pictures for insurance purposes. Store your important documents in waterproof containers. Make sure your property is ready. Get your evacuation decals for your vehicle. Stock your vehicle with emergency supplies. Have your evacuation route memorized. Most seasoned Floridians have weathered many a hurricane season. But, if you are new to Florida Keys real estate, check out this important hurricane preparedness guide to help get yourself prepared for all the possibilities that we face from now until the end of November!