Page 4 - Florida Sentinel 5-30-17

State News Hurricane Supplies
‘Sales Tax’ Holiday Set For 2017 Hurricane Season
BY IRIS B. HOLTON Sentinel City Editor
On Thursday morning, Governor Rick Scott signed HB 7109 into law. The $180 million tax cut includes sales tax holidays for disaster pre- paredness and back-to-school sales tax holidays.
The Atlantic Hurricane Season begins on June 1st and ends on November 30th.
Rep. Sean Shaw said, “I am excited that Florida will have a tax holiday for disaster preparedness. While I’m confi- dent that our first responders and emergency officials are equipped to handle any natu- ral disaster emergency, it is still imperative that we are all ready in the event a big storm hits.
“Families will be able to purchase items to prepare for a disaster such as flashlights, batteries, weather radios, and other essential items. I encour- age everyone to take advantage
SEAN SHAW State Representative, District 61
of the tax holiday to pick up the supplies they need.”
The Disaster Preparedness Sales Holiday begins at mid- night on June 2nd and ends on June 4th at midnight. During this period, certain items pur- chased for the 2017 Hurricane Season will not be taxed.
The items include: Portable self-powered light
sources such as lanterns sell- ing for $20 or less;
Portable self-powered ra- dios, two-way radios, or Weatherband radios selling for $50 or less;
Tarps or other flexible, wa- terproof sheeting selling for $50 or less;
A self-contained first-aid kit selling for $30 or less;
A ground anchor system or tie-down kit selling for $50 or less;
A gas or diesel fuel tank selling for $25 or less;
Non-electric food storage cooler selling for $30 or less;
A portable generator used to provide light or communica- tions or preserve food in the event of a power outage selling for $750 or less;
Reusable ice selling for $10 or less; and
A package of AA-Cell; C- Cell; D-Cell, 6-Vote, or 9-Volt batteries selling for $30 or less. Batteries for automobiles or boats are not included.
Getting Ready!
A spokesman for the Na- tional Weather Service said it only takes one storm or hurri- cane to hit your community to change your life.
The Florida 2017 Hurricane Season begins on June 1st and concludes on November 30th. Everyone is encouraged to get ready before the season starts to ensure the safety of you and your loved ones.
You’re going to need sup- plies to get through the storm, and for the potentially lengthy and unpleasant aftermath. Have enough non-perishable food, water and medicine to last each person in your family for at least one week.
Electricity and water could be out for at least that long. You’ll need extra cash, a battery- powered radio and flashlights. Many of us have cell phones, and they all run on batteries. You’re going to need a portable, crank or solar powered USB charger.
Emergency Supplies Needed:
There are some basic items you should stock --- water, food, first aid sup- plies, clothing, bedding, tools, emergency supplies, and special items.
Water - at least 1 gallon per day, per person
Food – to last at least 7 days
The food should be:
• non-perishable, packaged or canned food and juices
• ready to eat canned meats, fruits and vegetables
• canned juices, milk, soup
• sugar, salt, pepper, etc.
• foods for infants or the elderly and snack foods
• high energy foods --- peanut butter, jelly, crackers, granola bars, trail mix, etc
• vitamins
• comfort foods --- cookies, hard candy, sweetened cereals, in- stant coffee, tea bags, etc
• non-electric can opener
• cooking tools and fuel
• paper plates and plastic uten- sils
• medicine dropper
• coolers, 1 for food, 1 for drinks
NOTE:
Water can be purified by adding 16 drops of bleach (plain) to one gallon of water
Blankets, Sleeping Bags, Pillows, etc.
Clothing
• seasonal clothing
• rain gear and sturdy shoes
Special Items Weather
Radio,
Flashlight and extra batter- ies (for each item)
Cash - Banks and ATMs may not be open or available for ex- tended periods.
Keys
Toys, Books and Games
Cell Phone --- fully charged cell phone with charger
Vehicle fuel tanks filled
First Aid Kit, Medicines, and Prescription Drugs
• Antibiotic ointment to prevent infection
• Burn ointment to prevent in- fection
• Eyewash solution to flush the eyes or as general decontami- nant
• Dust mask
• Sterile adhesive bandages in assorted sizes
• Assorted sized sterile gauze pads and tape
• Sterile roller bandages
• Scissors
• Tweezers
• Needles
• Moistened towelettes
• Antiseptic
• Thermometer
• Petroleum jelly
• Assorted safety pins
• Cleaning products
• Latex gloves
• Sunscreen
• Non-Prescription Drugs
• Aspirin
• Anti-diarrhea medication
• Antacid
• Syrup of Ipecac (poison con- trol)
• Activated charcoal (poison control)
County To Host 2017 Hurricane Expo
Free Weather Radios and Disaster Prepared- ness Starter Kits to be given to 500 Attendees
BY IRIS B. HOLTON Sentinel City Editor
For the first time in sev- eral years, the Hillsborough County Hurricane Expo will not be held at MOSI. This year, the event will take place at Westshore Mall on Satur- day, June 3rd.
It will begin at 11 a.m. and conclude at 3 p.m. It will be held near the center court area of the mall and the clos- est entrances are on the Kennedy Blvd., side of the building.
The theme this year is,
“Partners In Prepared- ness.” The Expo will focus on the importance of the whole community (those most at risk for a known hazard, children, older adults, people with disabilities, non-English speakers, vulnerable popula- tions, emergency managers, first responders, businesses, community groups, schools etc.) working together to be better prepared for major emergencies or disasters.
The 2017 Hurricane Expo will bring together local part- ners and feature activities for adults and children. The event will feature educational dis- plays, disaster preparedness booths, and a severe weather panel at 12:30 p.m. There will also be local meteorology ex-
perts at the event.
Those attending the Expo
will have an opportunity to identify their evacuation zone, pick up preparedness materi- als, sign up for the HCFL Alert, and enter raffles to win prizes.
Disaster response experts from Hillsborough County, the City of Temple Terrace, the American Red Cross, and the National Weather Service will be on hand to answer questions and provide infor- mation.
Members of the partner- ship presenting the Expo in- clude Hillsborough County, the American Red Cross, MOSI, the National Weather Service, and Westshore Plaza.
PAGE 4 FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY AND FRIDAY TUESDAY, MAY 30, 2017