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Citrus County sheriff urges year-round preparedness, outlines hurricane-season tools and shelters
Summary
The Citrus County Sheriff’s Office presented the county’s hurricane-season outlook and preparedness guidance, telling residents to focus on impacts not the forecast cone and describing evacuation zones, shelters, sandbag guidance and new public resources.
The Citrus County Sheriff’s Office delivered a comprehensive hurricane-season briefing Tuesday that emphasized preparedness, clarified evacuation guidance and described new and existing public resources for residents.
Lede: Sheriff’s Office representatives told the Board of County Commissioners that while the 2025 hurricane forecast predicts an active season, local preparedness and awareness matter most, and they urged residents to plan for seven days of supplies and to “run from the water and hide from the wind.”
Nut graf: The sheriff’s presentation covered how federal forecasts are translated for local impacts, evacuation-zone lookups, shelter types, sandbag use, and mitigation steps for homes. Office staff unveiled a new disaster-preparedness guide, described an “Alert Citrus” messaging system and said the department can use Wireless Emergency Alerts to reach all county cell phones during severe events.
Details: Captain Chris (Sheriff’s Office emergency management lead) walked commissioners through hurricane fundamentals — season dates (June 1–Nov. 30), peak activity (around Sept. 10) and forecasted averages — and stressed that impacts, not just the forecast cone, determine local risk. “Storm strength does not determine storm surge,” the presenter said; “focus on the impacts, not the cone.”
On shelters and evacuation: The sheriff’s office described three shelter types at Citrus County Schools: general-population shelters, pet-friendly shelters and special-needs shelters for residents requiring electricity or oxygen. The office emphasized that Citrus County Transit can transport residents to shelters free of charge.
Sandbags and mitigation: Officials said sandbags should be lined with plastic sheeting to be effective and that residents should buy materials early rather than wait for emergency distribution. The sheriff’s office also cautioned that emergency workers will not perform rescues during sustained winds above 45 mph, underscoring the need to follow evacuation orders.
New tools and outreach: Sheriff’s staff announced a newly published county disaster-preparedness guide on sheriffcitrus.org and reminded residents about the county’s GIS address lookup for evacuation zones, base flood elevations and other property-level information. “Please check in,” the sheriff said, encouraging residents to follow local briefings and sign up for Alert Citrus, a free county notification system.
Preparedness numbers: The office recommended a seven-day supply of water (one gallon per person per day, not including pets), fuel at least half-tank (“halfway full, halfway there”) and disaster kits that include medical and specialty needs and guidance on lithium-ion battery safety.
Ending: The sheriff’s office invited residents to an all-hazards expo on June 14 at the College of Central Florida and said staff will continue outreach and exercises. Commissioners praised the briefing and highlighted the practical steps residents can take to reduce storm impacts.
