Deltona town hall urges 'Be prepared, not scared' ahead of hurricane season

At a City of Deltona Hurricane Awareness Town Hall, speakers from Spectrum News 13, Volusia County Emergency Management, the Florida Department of Health, Deltona Fire Rescue and local insurance agents urged residents to prepare now for the June 1 start of the Atlantic hurricane season.

The session brought meteorologist Brian Carrick and county and city emergency officials together to explain seasonal outlooks, how watches and warnings work, what the county can — and cannot — do, and practical steps residents should take now, including checking insurance and signing up for the county’s special-needs registry.

“Don’t be scared. Be prepared,” said Brian Carrick, chief meteorologist for Spectrum News 13, who reviewed what hurricanes need to form, the official season dates (June 1–Nov. 30) and the seasonal peak (roughly Aug. 20–Oct. 10, with a climatological peak on Sept. 10). Carrick noted Colorado State University’s early forecast calling for 17 named storms, nine hurricanes and four major hurricanes but said that, in any season, “it only takes 1.” He repeated practical preparedness steps: build a kit, check insurance (including flood coverage), know evacuation routes and keep important documents in a watertight container.

Volusia County Emergency Management…