- Home
- Departments
- Emergency Management
- Be Informed
- Disaster Preparedness
- Natural Disasters
Natural disasters are very chaotic but with proper planning and preparedness it is possible to quickly restore order and begin the recovery process. Some of the most common natural disasters that occur in Santa Rosa County are hurricanes, flooding, wildfires, lightning and tornadoes. It is important to understand that while they may not happen often, the best way to survive is to be prepared. Everyone should have an emergency plan.
Floods are the most common natural disaster in the United States. Although many floods are caused by huge storms like hurricanes, more floods occur every day and can result from small, localized events, such as a typical afternoon thunderstorm.
A hurricane is a type of tropical cyclone, which is the general term for all circulating weather systems over tropical waters. Learn more about hurricane preparation and safety in our Hurricane Center.
Lightning is one of the most underrated severe weather hazards, yet ranks as the second-leading weather killer in the United States. More deadly than hurricanes or tornadoes, lightning strikes in America kill an average of 73 people and injure 300 others each year, according to NOAA's National Weather Service.
Florida has two tornado seasons. The summer season, from June until September has the highest frequencies with usual intensities of EF0 or EF1 on the Fujita Scale. This includes those tornadoes that form from landfalling tropical cyclones.
After a disaster where utilities have been disrupted, there may be a need to turn off certain utilities that can pose serious damage to your home and can potentially have lethal consequences. In case of an emergency, all responsible adults in the home should know where and how to operate the main shut-offs.
The threat of wildland fires for people living near wildland areas or using recreational facilities in wilderness areas is real. Advance planning and knowing how to protect buildings in these areas can lessen the devastation of a wildland fire.