The start of hurricane season is around the corner. With that in mind, Floridians are urged to take advantage of the extended tax holiday meant to alleviate some of the cost that comes with being hurricane ready.
State representatives and senators met Tuesday in Doral to talk about the benefits of the tax break for Floridians who get ready ahead of time.
Their message is clear: get ready before it’s too late.
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At stores, you can still find items like batteries, radios, and generators which are crucial to weather a storm.
"We are no strangers to hurricanes, and other disasters," said Lt. Governor and Miami native Jeannette Nunez. “We always stress around this time, the beginning of hurricane season on June 1st, we always stress for Floridians to be prepared to have a plan to have all the information that they need."
Florida has expanded the tax break from 10 days to 14 days and it now includes items for your pet to be safe during a storm. Officials said in 2021, Floridians saved around $10 million because of this incentive.
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"Come out, take advantage of this tax holiday as we expect that there will be about $25 million in savings," said State Rep. Alex Rizo from Hialeah. “That's a direct impact to homeowners here in Florida and everyone who pays taxes and buys things."
Even with the extended break, a new survey from AAA shows nearly 30 percent of Floridians do not have a plan in case of a hurricane emergency. It also shows one in four Floridians would not evacuate even if warned about a hurricane approaching their area.
"We want individuals to understand the importance of being prepared. A hurricane can approach quickly as we've seen in other instances,” said Nunez. “When you're scrambling at the last minute, you see the long lines, you see the limited availability of important supplies."
Because of an anticipated busier than normal hurricane season, experts are also urging people to have seven days worth of supplies instead of the usual five because of potential supply chain issues down the line.
"Our merchants are working extremely hard, our supply chain is working extremely hard to make sure that we have the products,” said Jacob Robert, Home Depot's Regional Director of Operations. “We don't anticipate any shortage of the items that you're looking at that help with the communities today."
The tax break goes on until June 10.
