Hurricane Information Palm Beach County

Storm Preparation Palm Beach County

Safety Notes for Storm Preparations:

If you have small children in your household- storing water in bathtubs can be a drowning hazard-use large plastic storage tubs with snap-on lids.

After the storm- follow safety precautions using your generators- must be outside and away from windows/ventilation vents.

For more information on the Palm Beach County Division of Emergency Management and hurricane preparedness, please visit: www.pbcgov.com/hurricane, follow us on X @PBCDEM and watch PBC-TV Channel 20.

Know your Zone www.floridadisaster.org

Download the PBC DART app from Apple store and Google play.

for the latest info and also recovery info to include Grocery Stores, Gas Stations and Shelter information.

ALERTPBC
is Palm Beach County’s Emergency Notification System allowing you to opt-in to receive notifications via phone calls, text messaging, email, and more based on locations you care about. Click here for more information

Shelter in Place
Residents are strongly urged to shelter in place if safe to do so. For shelter, info click here to visit Public Safety Emergency Management

To learn more about preparing yourself and your family, visit www.floridadisaster.org/planprepare/preparing-for-hurricane-season or call your county’s emergency management office.

When to put up shutters:

According to the National Weather Service's guide to wind speed, wind speeds of over 75 miles per hour can lift roofs and break windows. This means that for any storm with wind speeds above 75 miles per hour, your windows should be protected.

If a Hurricane Watch is issued- this means hurricane conditions of sustained 74 mph or higher are Possible.

If a Hurricane Warning is issued- this means sustained winds 74 mph or higher Are Expected.

Visit Ready.gov

Also visit https://www.floridadisaster.org/planprepare/

for more pre and post hurricane/disaster information.

Shelters and Evacuation Palm Beach County

The Emergency Information Center, 561-712-6400, is staffed 24 hours per day for residents with questions regarding sheltering and hurricane preparedness.

Stay tuned to your local media stations for up to the minute updates.

Transportation: If you are disabled, or do not qualify for the Special Needs Shelter Program, live in a hurricane evacuation zone, and only require transportation assistance in reaching a shelter call Palm Tran Connection for the Special Transportation Assistance Program by calling 561-649-9848 or 877-870-9849 (toll free)

SHELTERS-CLOSED AT THIS TIME

For more shelter info click here to visit Public Safety Emergency Management.

Florida Special Needs Registry: If you know or care for an individual with a disability or special need, such as a medical condition that requires assistance but not hospitalization, you should pre-register with the Special Needs Shelter Registry. Your local emergency management office notifies registered residents when there is an evacuation. Again, you must register in advance so emergency planners can contact you during an emergency. For more information, call your county’s emergency management office, or visit the Florida Special Needs Registry at https://snr.flhealthresponse.com/ .

What to bring to the Shelter

• Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) (i.e., Facial coverings, gloves, and hand sanitizer)

• Three-day supply of water per person (i.e., three-gallons per person).

• Prescription and emergency medications; you must be able to take all medications by yourself.

• Special-diet foods (e.g., snacks and juices for those with dietary restrictions or allergies).

• Basic snacks.

• Bedding materials (e.g., pillows, blankets, sleeping bags, cots, air mattresses, etc.).

• Comfortable clothing (at least two changes).

• Collapsible/folding beach chair or camp chair.

• Baby food, formula, bottles, diapers, blankets, & clothes.

• Flashlight, extra batteries.

• Cellphone, with a battery-operated charger.

• Radio with extra batteries and headphones.

• Important documents (identification, medical records, insurance information, deeds or leases, birth certificates and utility bills showing your home address).

• Photocopies of valuable documents.

• Eyeglasses, hearing aids, dentures.

• Toiletries and personal hygiene items.

• Quiet games, books, playing cards, favorite toys, or other items for entertainment.

• Special items for family members who are elderly or disabled.

• Chargers/cables for any electronic devices you bring - electrical outlets are limited.

• Pet items- food, cat box etc.

Food & Water Palm Beach County

No 2026 hurricane food pantry updates at this time.

Call 2-1-1 for general food pantry and meal site resources. Or self-search by clicking the button at top of the page.

Download the PBC DART app from Apple store and Google play- for the latest info and also recovery info to include Grocery Stores, Gas Stations information and to report storm damage.

Grocery Store & Gas Stations- Status - by Public Safety Emergency Management
https://discover.pbcgov.org/publicsafety/dem/Pages/Hurricane.aspx#_SSG

Feeding South Florida- Food Bank call 561-670-2518
or visit https://feedingsouthflorida.org/feeding-palm-beach-county/

Utilities Palm Beach County

Florida Power & Light
No updates at this time.

To report an outage, utilize one of these options:
• App: My FPL (69375)
• Online
• Call 1-800-226-3545

FPL Storm Guide

Solid Waste Authority of Palm Beach County
561-640-4000

Debris tips:

After a storm, remember to separate debris into five categories:

1. Normal household trash: Your regular household waste and recyclables will not be collected with storm debris. Stick to your normal garbage removal schedule.

2. Vegetative debris: This includes vegetation such as leaves, logs, plants, and tree branches. Do NOT put yard waste in bags.

3. Construction and demolition debris: This category includes cabinets, counters, doors, drywall, lumber, roofing and shingles, tile windows, wood siding, and vanities.

4. Bulky Waste: Items such as carpet, furniture, mattresses, plastic/PVC pipe, privacy fencing, vinyl siding, and pressure-treated wood.

5. Appliances and white goods: This category includes air conditioners, dishwashers, freezers, refrigerators (remember to put food waste with household trash), stoves, washers and dryers, and water heaters.

Placement for pick up:

Place the separated debris at the edge of your property near the road. Do NOT block the roadway or storm water drains. Also, do NOT place debris under power lines and trees, or near poles, mailboxes, fire hydrants, utility boxes, or other structures that can delay removal. Do NOT place debris on driveways or sidewalks, and do NOT mix household hazardous waste or electronics with other debris.

Bring them to the Proper Bailing and Recycling Facility in your area for proper disposal.

Palm Beach County Water Utilities Department
561-740-4600

*Belle Glade residents use PBC Water Utilities above.

City of West Palm Beach Public Utilities Department
561-822-1300

Lake Worth Beach Utilities Customer Service
561-533-7300

City of Boca Raton Utility Services Department
561-393-7750

City of Boynton Beach Utilities Department
561-742-6300

Western Palm Beach County

City of Belle Glade
561- 996‑0100

City of Pahokee
561-924-7832

City of South Bay
561-996-6751

Seniors & Persons with Disabilities Palm Beach County

Call 211 for any available storm recovery assistance if needed- or for general needs.

Public Safety - Emergency Management Special Needs
https://discover.pbcgov.org/publicsafety/dem/pages/special-needs.aspx

Pet Safety Palm Beach County

Animal Care Hurricane Info for Pet Owners - Palm Beach County
https://discover.pbcgov.org/publicsafety/animalcare/pages/hurricane.aspx

 Physical & Mental Health Palm Beach County

Behavioral/Mental Health Resources - Dial 2-1-1

211 staff are available if you are feeling overwhelmed and need to talk, Dial 2-1-1 or Text your zip code to 898-211

Also ask 211 staff for additional resources from our database or do self-search by clicking on red “Get Help Now” button at the top of this page.

Education & Schools Palm Beach County

No 2026 updates at this time.

The School District of Palm Beach County
https://www.palmbeachschools.org/

FAU: Updates at https://www.fau.edu/advisory/

Keiser University https://www.keiseruniversity.edu/

Palm Beach State College https://www.palmbeachstate.edu/

FEMA- Claims & Small Business Assistance Palm Beach County

After the Storm

Reminding residents and businesses that unlicensed contractors from outside the area will be looking for those seeking speedy repairs. To avoid being taken advantage of or stuck with repairs/fines that you are responsible for, you should:

• Always hire a licensed contractor,

• Get at least three written quotes for any job,

• Never put down more than a 10 percent deposit.

To verify a license, you can visit www.MyFloridaLicense.com, and click verify a license or contact your County’s Contractor Licenses Division.

Disaster Relief Applications & FEMA Assistance Residents whose homes or businesses have been damaged can apply for disaster relief funds through FEMA. You can begin your application at DisasterAssistance.gov or call 800-621-FEMA (3362) or download the FEMA App. everyone is encouraged to document any property damage with photos and videos to assist with your claims.

Small Business Loans
Residents may also apply for an SBA Loan to help with recovery efforts by going to https://www.sba.gov/funding-programs/disaster-assistance.

Help small businesses get back on their feet: https://floridajobs.org/floridadisaster.biz

Small Business Administration
https://www.sba.gov/

Palm Beach County Building Division

To ensure life and property safety within our community in the built environment through efficient and effective administration of the enacted building codes, and by taking a leadership role in code development and education.

• https://discover.pbcgov.org/pzb/building/Pages/default.aspx 

Insurance Information

When a tropical storm or hurricane is projected to hit our state, the Florida Department of Financial Services activates a special consumer helpline for Floridians to seek assistance on insurance matters. The number is 1-800-22-STORM, or 1-800-227-8676. Hearing-impaired residents may use a TDD to call 1-800-640-0886.

• Florida Department of Financial Services web site

• After Disaster Checklist

• Disaster Insurance Assistance

• LÍNEA PARA ASISTENCIA SOBRE SEGUROS DURANTE UN DESASTRE

• www.myfloridacfo.com/division/ica/fullcoverage/homeowners 

• www.citizensfla.com/en/web/public/recovery-resources?

 Transportation & Lodging Palm Beach County

Reminder to motorists that all non-functioning traffic signals should be treated as a four-way stop.

https://tracker.gasbuddy.com/ can help locate operational gas stations after a storm

Gas Station & Grocery Store Status

https://discover.pbcgov.org/publicsafety/dem/Pages/Hurricane.aspx#_SSG

NOT IN OUR SERVICE AREA AT THIS TIME: Airbnb is offering temporary housing for those impacted by Hurricanes Helene & Milton

To see counties/states that are participating go to:  
https://news.airbnb.com/airbnb-org-offers-temporary-housing-to-people-impacted-by-hurricane-helene/ 

Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office-Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office wants to remind motorists that all non-functioning traffic signals should be treated as a four-way stop.

Palm Beach International Airport experienced no major damage due to Hurricane Milton. Flight operations have resumed and the airport is open.
Check your flight status with your airline prior to coming to the airport due to flight cancellations.

• Discover is updating hotel availability for accommodations throughout the Palm Beaches. Please see the worksheet here: www.thepalmbeaches.com/severe-weather. The list’s date range goes from Oct. 10-13. If you’re planning to visit an attraction, museum or restaurant, contact them in advance as they may have temporarily closed or changed hours due to the weather conditions.

Palm Tran 561-841-4BUS (4287)

 (As of 10-9-24)

• As Hurricane Milton approaches, we want to keep the community informed about Palm Tran services this afternoon. The speed of the storm is being closely monitored, and we will adjust our services as necessary based on weather conditions.
   

• All Palm Tran Services including, fixed route bus service, Connection, Go-Glades, BusLink and the Port Saint Lucie Express will resume normal operations tomorrow Friday, Oct. 11

Current Service Plan:

Palm Tran fixed-route bus service, Connection, Go-Glades- customer service at 561-841-4287 for updates.

Palm Tran Connection: Special Transportation Assistance Program

If you are disabled, or do not qualify for the Special Needs Shelter Program, live in a hurricane evacuation zone, and only require transportation assistance in reaching a shelter call Palm Tran Connection for the Special Transportation Assistance Program by calling 561-649-9848 or 877-870-9849 (toll free)

Tri-Rail
1-800-TRI-RAIL (874-7245).

For additional updates on Tri-Rail service, passengers can monitor www.tri-rail.com, call 1-800-TRI-RAIL (874-7245) or follow Tri-Rail’s Facebook and Twitter pages.

Brightline

Guests are encouraged to monitor Brightline on Twitter as well as gobrightline.com for real-time schedule and service updates.

FREE RIDES AVAILABLE to shelters:

 Both Lyft and Uber use code MILTONRELIEF

 Note the state is also announcing a shuttle number:  1-800-729-3413 should someone be in  evacuation zone.

Local Government Offices Palm Beach County

For current updates, visit the website.

Palm Beach County Emergency Management
Visit the website or call 561-712-6400 for more information.

Beaches, Parks & Recreation
For updates, visit the website.

Volunteer & Donation Opportunities Palm Beach County

No 2026 updates at this time.

General Volunteer Opportunities:

United Way of Palm Beach County
https://unitedwaypbc.org/volunteer

Volunteer Florida
www.volunteerflorida.org

 Before, During and After: 211 Helpline provides information on services for your everyday needs and in times of crisis. Call 2-1-1 or (866) 882-2991

211 Helpline - partners with emergency management services and local agencies in Palm Beach and the Treasure Coast to get you the information needed to prepare, endure, and recover from adverse events.      

Be prepared. We encourage all individuals, families, organizations and businesses to take stock, plan and get prepared.  

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