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Florida severe weather: Preparing for storms forecast to impact state on Tuesday

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Updated  January 8, 2024 11:13pm EST
Marion County
FOX 35 Orlando

Preparing for storms forecast to impact Florida

It might not be hurricane season, but we need to be prepared year-round in Florida. That’s the message the Marion County Sheriff’s Office is trying to get out to the public ahead of Tuesday's storm system.

MARION COUNTY - It might not be hurricane season, but we must be prepared year-round in Florida. That’s the message the Marion County Sheriff’s Office is trying to get out to the public ahead of Tuesday's storm system.

"We just recommend people be vigilant," said Valerie Strong, the Public Information Officer for MCSO.

A powerful front is expected to bring significant rain, high winds, lightning, and even the potential for tornadoes. There are still things you can do right now to prepare. FOX 35 has declared Tuesday a Storm Alert Day because of the severe weather threat.

"If you have anything that could be easily blown away, bring it inside into your garage or hunker down, so it can't be blown away," said Strong.

Emergency management crews, tree services, and energy companies are all on standby, waiting to see who needs help and where.

Duke Energy says it prepares year-round for storms. Still, they can’t guarantee power 100% of the time when the weather gets bad. Duke Energy spokesperson Audrey Stasko says it’s essential for everyone to think ahead just in case.

"If there's a power outage where will these, um, customers go? What will they do? Do they have a generator or backup power supply?" Stasko prompted.

The Director of Operations with Florida Tree Surgeons, Christian Elliott, says this time of year is actually the best time to get your trees serviced.

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The demand isn’t as high, so the prices are lower if you have trees that need to be thinned out or dead branches to remove.

"If the tree is very full and very thick, and you get one of those really heavy gusts of wind, it catches it kind of like a kite," explained Elliott. "That's when you start to get trees like laurel oaks and water oaks that have shallow root systems - they start to topple over."

Right now, though, the priorities are to make a plan for what to do if you lose power, tie down what you can, and sign up for alerts with your local emergency operations center and power company.