- April 16, 2024
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The official start of hurricane season will be here rapidly, and Flagler officials are urging residents to prepare early by shopping locally and taking advantage of the upcoming sales tax holiday.
Governor Ron DeSantis signed legislation Friday, May 21, designating a 2021 Disaster Preparedness Sales Tax Holiday from Friday, May 28 through Sunday, June 6 – over a full week.
During this sales tax holiday, items related to disaster preparedness are exempt from sales tax.
“We ask residents to have a number of emergency supplies ready, and this is the perfect time to buy what you need or replace anything that may be out of date,” said Emergency Management Director Jonathan Lord. “Remember to test things like flashlights and replace outdated batteries.”
As with food, water, and medications, officials recommend having seven days’ worth of supplies.
The qualifying list of items includes the following: reusable ice packs; flashlights, lanterns and candles; batteries (excluding automobile and boat); two-way and weather band radios that are powered by battery, solar or hand-crank (some qualify even if electrical cords are included); coolers and ice chests; portable power banks; tarps; ground anchor systems; tie-downs; bungee cords; ratchet straps; and, portable generators selling for less than $1,000 to be used for providing light, communications or to preserve food in the event of a power outage.
Remember to shop locally.
“Another thing we would ask residents is to do now is to take a moment to sign up for emergency alert notifications at www.flaglercounty.org/alertflagler,” Lord said. “If you know someone with special needs – someone who requires electricity, refrigeration for medication, or oxygen – encourage them or register for evacuation assistance.”
Go to www.flaglercounty.org/emergency and select “Individuals with Special Needs” to register for special needs evacuation and sheltering assistance.
“Now is a good time to find out if you live in an evacuation zone,” Lord said. “Do this when no storms are threatening. It’s not even June and we’re already seeing a couple of little disturbances.”
Zones are alphabetically named A, B, C, D, E, and F. Do not confuse zones B, C, and F with the Palm Coast neighborhood sections. This information is available on the county website www.flaglercounty.org/emergency and also by using the Flagler County Neighborhood App and typing the address in the upper left-hand search bar. This application is also accessible through the smart device app – U Gov Flagler – which is available as a free download for both iPhone and Android platforms.
For more information about the 2021 Disaster Preparedness Sales Tax Holiday go to https://floridarevenue.com/disasterprep/Pages/default.aspx.
