Floridians Urged: Make Storm Preparations, Take Advantage of Sales Tax Holiday
Attorney General Charlie Crist has advised Floridians to prepare for hurricane season, which begins June 1. Preparations include purchasing supplies that could be needed during an evacuation or in the event of power outages and the unavailability of fresh water resulting from a storm.
To assist Floridians in making these preparations, the Florida Legislature and Governor Jeb Bush approved a measure that waives sales tax charges on certain hurricane-related commodities from now until June 1. These supplies include generators, portable radios, batteries, fuel tanks and other emergency provisions.
The federal government predicted a “very active” hurricane season, with 13 to 16 named storms, 8 to 10 of which will becoming hurricanes, including 4 to 6 that will be classified as “major” hurricanes of Category 3 strength or higher.
“Now is the time to prepare our homes and families for the hurricane season,” Crist said. “The last two years have taught us that the best way to remain safe is to be ready for nature’s wrath.”
Among other resources, the American Red Cross has created a website featuring “The 12 Days of Hurricane Preparedness.” The site has a list of applicable supplies that will be tax-exempt, along with other useful information such as the locations of hurricane shelters throughout Florida, links to weather information and tips on coping with other types of disasters. This website can be accessed through the Attorney General’s homepage at http://myfloridalegal.com or through the Red Cross at www.floridapreparesnow.org.
Source: Florida Attorney General’s Office