Florida CFO announces new hurricane preparedness initiative across the state

FL CFO urges proactive hurricane prep now

With hurricane season less than a month away, state officials are making a push to make sure Floridians are prepared ahead of time. FOX 13's Kylie Jones reports.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - With hurricane season less than a month away, state officials are making a push to make sure Floridians are prepared ahead of time.

Florida Chief Financial Officer Blaise Ingoglia was in Tallahassee on Tuesday to announce a new statewide initiative.

The backstory:

Ingoglia's office announced an initiative to emphasize hurricane preparedness.

The CFO says his team will go into neighborhoods and communities around the state to pass out materials and information with resources and tips about what to do to prepare ahead of a storm. 

They'll also include information about where to turn after a storm hits.

Big picture view:

The CFO emphasized the importance of getting ready now, instead of waiting until the days before a storm hits.

Ingoglia said that since 2020, there have been more than a dozen storms in Florida that made landfall on Florida's West Coast.

What you can do:

Ingoglia urged people to make sure their home and flood insurance policies are up-to-date, stock up on essentials like water, pack emergency kits and organize and protect important documents.

State leaders also encouraged people to take photo and video inventory of everything in and around their homes, in case they suffer damage during a future hurricane. 

Ingoglia said it's important to have documentation of everything, and to keep track of any and all communication with insurance adjusters.

The CFO also urged people to be on alert for fraudsters and scams after a hurricane hits. Millions of dollars around the state are lost after a storm hits, because of scammers taking advantage of people who are rebuilding and recovering from the storm.

What they're saying:

"We spend a lot of money, a lot of time and a lot of resources after a storm, putting our communities back together," Ingoglia said. "I think we need to start taking a more proactive role to mitigate this."

Ingoglia said they're prepared to respond quickly after a hurricane, but he said the more work people do to be prepared beforehand, the easier recovery is after a storm hits.