Hurricane Season Preparedness for HOA and COA Communities on Florida’s East Coast

unty emergency management office, so residents who think they may qualify should ask well before a storm approaches. Anyone heading to a general population shelter should plan to bring their own bedding, clothing, toiletries, and personal medications.

Pack a shelter-ready kit

Whichever shelter a resident uses, the state advises bringing a personal emergency kit built to cover at least three days of daily necessities. Its guidance on what to take to a shelter is especially detailed for anyone with medical needs, and it is worth passing along to residents. Along with the standard kit, those individuals should be sure to bring:

• A 30-day supply of all required medications, along with copies of prescriptions and dosage information

• Medical equipment and supplies sufficient to last at least two weeks, plus a backup power source for anything that needs it

• Medical and insurance information, including provider contacts and copies of Medicare or Medicaid cards

• Personal documents such as a photo ID with current address, Social Security card, and emergency contacts

• Any special dietary items, kept to non-perishable foods

Working through the season together

A management company earns its keep during hurricane season by handling the parts of preparation that a board should not have to manage alone, from lining up dependable vendors to protecting reserves and keeping residents informed as a storm approaches and in the days after it passes. At Southern States Management Group, we have spent more than 35 years helping Florida communities prepare for and recover from severe weather, and as a family-owned firm we bring a rigorous vendor selection process and a habit of treating every property we manage as if it were our own. If your board would like to review its storm plan before the next advisory, we would welcome the conversation. You can learn more about our approach at ssmgfl.com or reach out to our team directly.