Early-morning thunderstorms crashed across northwest Florida on Tuesday morning, almost as if to announce the arrival on Wednesday morning of the 2005 hurricane season.
At the same time, Florida Governor Jeb Bush and other state and national agencies were cautioning everyone to prepare for the hurricane season as the governor urged homeowners across the state to take advantage of the June 1 start of a 12-day sales tax holiday on hurricane supply purchases, local retailers were stocking up in preparation for an onslaught of consumers eager to save 6 percent on purchases of specified supplies.
Department of Homeland Security Under Secretary and head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency Michael D. Brown said more homeowners, renters and business owners need to know how to prepare for flooding.
Experts are predicting another active hurricane season for 2005. If those forecasts are correct, the 2005 season could be comparable to last year’s storm-filled season — the costliest hurricane season on record. Because there is a 30-day waiting period before new flood insurance policies become active, Brown urged Americans to take steps now to protect their property against tropical storm flooding. Adequate insurance is one of the best ways, he said.
During the 2004 hurricane season the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) paid flood insurance policy holders nearly $1.4 billion to recover from storm damage. The following states topped the list for insurance claim reimbursements: Florida $810,160,181, Pennsylvania $175,527,943, Alabama $171,840,648, West Virginia $64,828,894, and Texas $46,489,344.
“Although Charley, Frances, Gaston, Ivan and Jeanne battered Florida and the Eastern Seaboard, property owners and renters don’t have to be located on the coast to experience devastating flooding resulting from Hurricane and tropical storms,” Brown said.
David Maurstad, Acting Federal Flood Insurance Administrator and Acting Director of FEMA’s Mitigation Division reminds consumers everywhere to protect their property. “Inland areas are at high risk for flooding during hurricane season. It is important to protect your property no matter where you live.”
The NFIP offers the following suggestions to make your home or business FloodSmart:
* Know that your homeowner’s policy doesn’t cover you for flooding.
* There is a 30-day waiting period to get flood insurance. Learn your
risk and act now. The average cost of a flood insurance policy is $400 a year.
* Call your agent to make sure that your flood insurance policy is up to
date.
* Make sure you know what your policy covers — the building, the contents, etc.
* To receive the maximum benefit, insure your home and its contents to their full value.
* To learn more about your flooding risk and how to protect yourself,
visit the NFIP Web site, http://www.floodsmart.gov or call 1-800-427-2419.
The aisles at Florida home improvement stores are packed with all types of supplies for the sales tax holiday, everything from low-cost items like batteries, to generators.
The sales tax exemption applies to each eligible item regardless of the number of items sold on the same invoice to a customer. If the sales price of the qualifying item exceeds the allowable threshold amount, the exemption will not apply.
Items qualifying for the sales tax holiday include:
Items selling for $20 or less: Any portable self-powered light source, battery-powered flashlights, battery-powered lanterns, gas-powered lanterns and candles.
Items selling for $25 or less: Any gas or diesel fuel container.
Items selling for $30 or less: Batteries, including rechargeable (listed sizes only), AA-cell, C-cell, D-cell, 6-volt (excluding automobile and boat batteries); Coolers (food-storage, non-electrical); first aid kits (first aid kits are always exempt from sales tax, regardless of the sales price).
Items selling for $50 or less: Radios (self-powered or battery-powered), two-way radios (self-powered or battery-powered), weather band radios (self-powered or battery-powered), tarpaulins, flexible waterproof sheeting, ground anchor systems, tie-down kits.
Items selling for $750 or less: Portable generators that will be used to provide light or communications or to preserve perishable food in the event of a power outage due to a hurricane.
Topics Florida Catastrophe Natural Disasters Flood Hurricane
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