FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — Palm Beach County officials on Tuesday urged the public to stay vigilant for storms now that the six-month hurricane season has started. And they’re telling residents how to prepare.

The region has been spared of a direct hit by hurricanes for many years, making it “very lucky,” said Mary Blakeney, the county’s emergency management director, during a public meeting Tuesday.

But that’s no reason not to be ready for when a storm does strike.

“It just takes one storm to impact us, so that’s why it’s really important that preparedness cannot wait,” Blakeney said.

This is especially true given the “wiggle room” that often must be accounted for with hurricanes. A 20-mile shift, for example, could make a huge difference in where a storm makes landfall, Blakeney said.

“Wiggles really matter, and it’s really important for individuals to stay vigilant all year long when a storm is approaching our community,” she said.

Evacuation

If they haven’t already, people should learn if they live an evacuation area, Blakeney said.

“The time to learn that is now,” she said.

Palm Beach County residents can find evacuation-related maps at discover.pbc.gov/publicsafety/dem/pages/hurricane.aspx. Broward County’s evacuation maps and a hurricane-preparedness guide can be found at Broward.org/hurricanes.

Blakeney explained how evacuation often is ordered due to storm surge — the abnormal rise in seawater level during a storm. During storms, the county could see as much as 6 feet to 9 feet of storm surge, and that is often what does a large amount of damage.

Storm surge often leads to severe flooding, and Blakeney said flooding of all kinds, whether from storm surge or rainfall, is the No. 1 cause of deaths during hurricanes.

What to expect

The number of inches of rain and the length of time during which that rain lingers can be a good indicator of how much water people can expect in their area.

Tommy Strowd, the Lake Worth Drainage District’s executive director and district engineer, identified what people can expect during rain events:

— About 3 to 4 inches of rain, which is a frequent occurrence during the rainy season, will mean standing water in yards and ditches.

— About 5 to 7 inches of rain in 24 hours could lead to some flooding in low-lying areas along residential roads.

— About 15 to 23 inches is considered “excessive rainfall” and that could mean flooding in homes and businesses.

Strowd cited the example of the intense rainfall received in Fort Lauderdale in April 2023, which amounted to more than 20 inches in 24 hours.

“It’s very rare but it does occur,” Strowd said during the meeting.

Preparation

County officials urge residents to set aside important documents, non-perishable food, hygiene items, medications, batteries, flashlights, water, cash and even board games in the event of evacuation.

Blakeney also said people with pets or family members who have disabilities should pre-register for shelters that accommodate those needs.

“We really encourage people to use shelters as a last resort,” she said. “They’re not going to get cots. They’re not going to get a private room. They’re not going to get a private bathroom. It’s literally floor space in a school, so they need to realize that’s what they’re going to get.”

Hurricane forecasters currently are calling for 13 to 19 named storms with six to 10 of those being hurricanes.

Hurricane season began June 1 and runs until Nov. 30.

“The happiest day is the end of hurricane season for all of us, and quite frankly, we get a little lax toward the end of hurricane season, and historically that’s when we’ve been getting our worst storms, so we really can’t be asleep at the switch toward the end,” County Mayor Maria Marino said.

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