CLEARWATER, Fla — Pinellas County held its Hurricane Expo in Clearwater Saturday, bringing together multiple organizations under one roof to help families prepare for hurricane season, which begins June 1.
Clearwater resident Katria Rivera has lived in Clearwater for 7 years. And after Hurricanes Helene and Milton, she knows how important it is to have a plan.
"We came today to soak in all the necessary information because we are starting hurricane season," Rivera said in Spanish, "I would like for my son and I to be safe and have all the information that is relevant in case of emergency," Rivera said.
Fellow Clearwater resident Mark Lobstein attended the expo with the fresh memory of the 2024 storm season in mind.
"We didn't have the availability to get gasoline in 2024 after Milton, the trucks couldn't deliver to the gas stations. The gas stations ran out, so no matter how much fuel you had to operate a generator, you may not have had enough," Lobstein said.
Pinellas County Emergency Management's Mary Burrell urged residents to begin their planning by identifying their risk level.
"Look up your evacuation zone, look up your flood zone. From there, you can make a plan, you know, of what you might do," Burrell said.
Division Chief of Emergency Management Jarrett Hood pointed to a stark reminder of what can happen when residents do not heed evacuation warnings.
"So, 2024, for instance, in just one location, we had over 500 water rescues in one apartment complex alone, and people that stayed. And we just want people to heed that warning. If we are telling you to go, get out, get out early," Hood said.
County and city leaders said the lessons of 2024 are now driving a greater focus on pushing preparedness information forward ahead of the 2026 season.
More hurricane preparedness information, including the Stormwatch 2026 hurricane special, is available here.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
Share Your Story with Blake
Tourism and the environment are backbones to our way of life in Florida, and Blake Phillips is dedicated to covering those topics. Use the form below to reach out to Blake and start a conversation.
.
Cyclist struck and killed by car after surviving cardiac arrest months earlier
Craig Prather survived a cardiac arrest in December. Less than six months later, he was struck and killed by a car.
