Be prepared with these 2025 Severe Weather Awareness Week safety tips
Weather across the United States has been unpredictable - in many cases extreme. Floridians know this all too well. With last year's hurricanes, tornadoes, and wildfires, and this year's chilly weather that has kept cold weather shelters open for consecutive days, Hillsborough County wants you to be ready.
To help residents prepare, Hillsborough has joined state emergency management officials to promote Severe Weather Awareness Week from Feb. 3-7. Follow Hillsborough County on social media to learn about potential hazards and tips on how to prepare and stay safe.
Here's the lineup for Severe Weather Awareness Week 2025.
Lightning
Fact
Florida is the lightning capital of North America with an average of 1.4 million strikes per year. More than half of lightning related injuries and fatalities happen during outdoor activities. If you can hear thunder, you are close enough to be struck by lightning.
Tips
- Check weather forecasts before spending extended time outdoors
- If you hear thunder, stop swimming or other outdoor activities and seek shelter inside
- While inside, stay away from windows and electrical devices
Marine hazards and rip currents
Fact
Rip currents consistently rank at or near the top of the list of deadliest weather-related hazards, with Florida often leading the nation in reported rip current drownings each year.
Tips
- Before boating, check forecasts well ahead of time
- When possible, swim at a lifeguard-protected beach
- Take notice of beach warning flags; they have important meanings
- To avoid rip currents, swim at least 100 feet from piers and jetties
- If you are caught in a rip current, do not panic or fight the current. Swim parallel to the shoreline
- Once out of the current, swim towards shore
- If you can't escape the current, float or tread water and call or wave for help
Thunderstorms and tornadoes
Fact
Signs of a tornado include a loud, continuous roar or rumble that doesn't fade quickly like thunder, a strong consistent rotation in a cloud base, or whirling debris on the ground under a cloud base.
Tips
- Have a family emergency plan that includes where to go if a tornado forms
- During a tornado, go to an interior room without windows and, if possible, on the lowest floor of the building
- Have multiple ways to receive weather alerts and to stay up to date on tornado watches and warnings
- Never seek shelter in a vehicle during a tornado
Hurricanes and flooding
Fact
Hurricane season runs from June 1 through Nov. 30. Florida is prone to flooding almost year-round.
Tips
- Have a family emergency kit and a plan that includes where you will go if you evacuate
- Know evacuation routes and stock disaster supplies for at least seven days
- Stay away from flooded roads. Turn around, don't drown
- Review insurance policies to ensure coverage is up to date
Temperature extremes and wildfires
Fact
Severe cold outbreaks occur in Florida at least once a year. Know the 5 P's of cold weather preparation to stay safe and warm when temperatures drop
Tips
- In cold weather, remember to protect the 5 P's: people (dress in warm layers), pets (bring inside), plants (cover sensitive plants), pipes (cover and let outside faucets drip to avoid freezing), and practice fire safety (use safe heating sources indoors)
- In hot weather, wear lightweight, light-colored clothing and drink plenty of water
- When wildfire conditions exist, take steps to minimize potential damage to your home, such as removing pine needles and dry leaves within 5 feet of the structure
- Evacuate immediately when told and keep an N95 mask handy to protect against smoke inhalation
Hillsborough County's official notification system for emergency messages and urgent information is HCFL Alert. Sign up to receive messages by email, phone, and text at HCFL.gov/HCFLAlert.
For more information, including the County's Disaster Planning Guide, go to HCFL.gov/StaySafe.