With a busy hurricane season expected, Palm Beach encourages residents to prepare early
With the 2025 hurricane season set to begin June 1, the town is advising residents and businesses to prepare now.
Assistant Chief Joe Sekula, Fire-Rescue spokesman, told the Daily News that knowing evacuation routes, shelter options, and re-entry procedures is critical for storm preparedness.
"With hurricane season running from June 1 to November 30, the Town of Palm Beach — situated on a vulnerable barrier island — is urging residents, property owners, and visitors to prepare early," Sekula said. "Hurricanes can bring destructive winds, heavy rain, storm surge, and flooding, so advance planning is essential."
The 2025 hurricane season is expected to be another busy one.
In its forecast released May 22, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration predicted a 60% chance of an above-average season.
The agency called for 13 to 19 named storms, with winds of 39 mph or higher. Of those, six to 10 are forecast to become hurricanes, with winds of 74 mph or higher. They include three to five major hurricanes — Category 3, 4 or 5 — with winds of 111 mph or higher.
Experts from Colorado State University — among the nation's top seasonal hurricane forecasters — predict 17 named tropical storms will form in 2025, of which nine will become hurricanes. Based on records from 1991 to 2020, a typical hurricane season brings roughly 14 tropical storms, with seven reaching hurricane strength.
More: The other season — hurricane — has arrived; being prepared is key | Editorial
Last year, 18 storms formed, including destructive Hurricanes Helene and Milton.
The busy forecast stems from warmer-than-usual Atlantic Ocean temperatures and the expected absence of El Niño conditions, unusually warm temperatures in the Equatorial Pacific that can limit hurricane development.
When residents take proactive measures to prepare for storms, it protects them and also contributes to the broader community's ability to withstand and recover from extreme weather events, Sekula said.
Those measures include stocking emergency essentials, protecting important paperwork, establishing clear communication plans with family and neighbors, and knowing where and when to evacuate.
The town offers links to websites that assist with hurricane preparation, including those managed by the town, county and state. To access the information on the town's website, go to www.townofpalmbeach.com or contact storm@townofpalmbeach.com.
The town lies in Evacuation Zone B, which includes most of Palm Beach County's barrier islands east of the Intracoastal Waterway. Along with Zone A, which includes mobile homes and low-lying areas, Zone B typically is among the first to be evacuated when a major storm approaches.
In the event of a mandatory evacuation and a declaration by the town's chief of police that a state of emergency exists within the town as a result of a hurricane impact, town police will establish roadblocks at each of the access points and bridges leading into the town. The roadblocks prevent access to the island while conditions are unsafe, the town said.
As part of their storm preparation, residents and business owners also are encouraged to review the town's re-entry program, which is conducted in five phases following the passage of a storm.
Out-of-town residents, owners and lease holders, as well as business owners or property representatives, must complete a re-entry list program application in order to gain access to the town after an emergency. Applicants must have a government-issued ID to be placed on the re-entry list, which expires Dec. 31, 2026. To complete an application, visit the town's website at www.townofpalmbeach.com/329/15771/Emergency-Re-Entry-List-Program. For information, contact the town's Crime Scene Evidence Unit at 561-838-5466.
Early preparation measures for extreme weather events also include the town's emergency alert and news release platform, which was updated in December 2023 to provide more targeted communication with residents. The system allows for the distribution of vital information through location-specific communications with residents, who must opt in to receive them. Communications include town alerts on weather hazards, police activity, traffic delays, road closures and other situations that affect certain parts of the town, as well as news releases on upcoming events and activities.
In order to opt in for location-specific communications, subscribers can visit the town's website at https://townofpalmbeach.com/1281/Alerts-News-Releases-and-Calendar-Notice and click the "Sign Up" button. For additional information, visit the town's hurricane page at https://townofpalmbeach.com/civicalerts.aspx?aid=2389.
"Act early and prepare now," Sekula said. "Your safety depends on it."
Jodie Wagner is a journalist at the Palm Beach Daily News, part of the USA TODAY Florida Network. You can reach her at jwagner@pbdailynews.com. Help support our journalism. Subscribe today.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Daily News: Palm Beach urges early preparation as hurricane season begins
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