Hurricane Preparedness in Orlando

Orlando sits inland in Orange County, which the county hazard plan calls not directly threatened by storm surge because it has no coastline (2026 Orange County Local Mitigation Strategy).

The Orlando evacuation decision therefore turns on flooding, wind and the type of home rather than a surge zone. The state rule of thumb applies directly to Orlando. The Florida Division of Emergency Management says people in an ordered evacuation zone, a low-lying flood area or a mobile home should follow evacuation orders, while people who are not in an evacuation zone, low-lying flood prone area, mobile home or unsafe structure may be safer staying home, and should always follow local officials (Florida Division of Emergency Management). The same state page offers an evacuation zone map with an address lookup, and also asks residents to know whether their house can withstand strong winds and heavy rain before choosing to shelter in place (FDEM).

Orange County shelters reflect that inland picture. County general population shelters are for Central Floridians who have been evacuated from their homes, for those who live in low-lying areas and for others seeking shelter from a storm (Orange County Government). For an Orlando household, the practical questions before June are whether the home is a mobile home, whether the street floods in heavy rain, and whether the roof and windows can ride out hurricane wind.

Inland flooding, wind and tornadoes are the main Orlando hurricane hazards, and the Orange County plan says wind can affect the entire county during the June 1 through November 30 season, which peaks from August through October (Orange County LMS).

Rain is the hazard most likely to reach an Orlando doorstep. The National Hurricane Center says tropical cyclones often produce widespread, torrential rains in excess of 6 inches and that flooding is the major threat from tropical cyclones for people living inland; longer term flooding on rivers and streams can persist for several days after the storm (National Hurricane Center). Orlando already starts wet: the city typically receives more than 53 inches of rainfall every year, and a summer thunderstorm alone can produce one to three inches within a few hours (City of Orlando).

The county plan names where flooding concentrates. Orange County is vulnerable to inland flooding especially near the Little Econlockhatchee River, Shingle Creek and Lake Apopka, and in low-lying neighborhoods where water accumulates (Orange County LMS). The county plan adds that flood exposure varies with topography, drainage, rainfall and mapped flood hazards (Orange County LMS), and the City of Orlando points property owners to its Information Locator Tool and the FEMA Flood Maps for flood information about a property (City of Orlando).

Tornadoes are the fast hazard. The National Hurricane Center says hurricane tornadoes most often occur in thunderstorms embedded in rain bands well away from the center of the storm (NHC), and the Orange County plan lists tornadoes from outer bands and prolonged utility disruptions among the secondary hazards for the county (Orange County LMS).

Hurricane Charley in August 2004 passed directly over Orange County as a strong Category 1 hurricane, and the county plan lists Frances, Jeanne, Fay, Matthew, Irma, Ian and Milton among the other storms that brought federal disaster declarations (Orange County LMS).

Milton is the most recent Orange County event in the table. It reached Category 5 intensity over the Gulf and made landfall near Siesta Key on October 9, 2024, as a Category 3 hurricane, yet still produced wind, rain, tornado, outage, sheltering and flood impacts in Orange County (Orange County LMS). The FEMA declaration review in the plan, which runs through September 2, 2026, also lists Orange County designations for Hurricanes Isaias, Nicole, Idalia and Debby, and no additional Orange County designations for 2025 through that date (Orange County LMS).

The City of Orlando asks each household to make a plan, build a kit and stay informed, starting with one gallon of water per person per day and at least a three-day supply of water and nonperishable food (City of Orlando).

The Orlando kit list adds clothing and bedding, a first aid kit for the home and each car, tools and supplies meant to last 72 hours without electricity, water and other utilities, such as a battery operated radio, batteries, a non-electric can opener and duct tape, and cash in small bills in case card readers are down (City of Orlando). The city sets the planning window as hurricane season from June 1 to November 30, and its Office of Emergency Management takes preparedness calls at 321.235.5438 or 321.235.5439 (City of Orlando).

Pets need their own plan in Orlando. The city notes that Red Cross disaster shelters allow only service animals, and that when Orange County opens emergency shelters there is always one pet-friendly shelter, located before a storm through Orange County 3-1-1 (City of Orlando). Orange County asks people heading to a pet-friendly shelter to bring shot records, food and a crate (Orange County Government).

For shelter stays, Orange County lists water and food for three days, clothing and bedding, important papers, an identification card and a mobile phone charger among the items to bring, and says the American Red Cross or Salvation Army provides food at the shelters (Orange County Government).

Orange County runs the hurricane shelters used by Orlando residents, and open locations, water and ice distribution centers and evacuation routes are pushed through the county OCFL Alert app (Orange County Government).

Orange County shelters are alcohol, drug and weapon free, ID cards are not required to enter, and shelter locations may change from storm to storm (Orange County Government). Residents who need a Special Needs or medical shelter are asked to dial 407-836-3111 or 3-1-1, and residents who are deaf or hard of hearing can chat online, use the OCFL 311 app or register at www.ocfl.net/psn (Orange County Government). OCFL Alert also carries severe weather, traffic, evacuation and boil water alerts from Orange County Emergency Managers (Orange County Government).

One stale detail on the county side is worth knowing. As of October 15, 2026, the Orange County Shelters page still sends readers to www.ocfl.net/Milton for the latest updates on Hurricane Milton, a storm from October 2024 (Orange County Government), so the shelter list on that page dates from that storm. The county describes OCFL Alert as the app that shows open shelter locations during an emergency (Orange County Government).

Orange County is also mid-update on its hazard plan. The county asked residents to review the Local Mitigation Strategy and submit comments by Monday, September 28, 2026 (Orange County Government), and the 2026 plan, a September 1, 2026 reviewer draft with adoption pending, covers unincorporated Orange County and 14 additional jurisdictions and entities (Orange County LMS).

Last verified: October 15, 2026, on the City of Orlando and Orange County websites.

Before a named storm, the City of Orlando asks residents to skip major yard work and to keep yard waste off the curb and store it against the home (City of Orlando Solid Waste Division).

The reason is drainage: Orlando Solid Waste warns that yard waste at the curb can wash into storm drains and cause localized flooding. After the storm, Orlando crews focus on debris that is bagged or bundled in four-foot sections, and large unbundled piles wait for a claw truck or contractors. Vegetative debris such as tree limbs must be kept in a separate pile from building materials like fencing, and piles should not sit under utility lines or next to trees, poles, hydrants, mailboxes, storm drains or water meters. Out-of-town debris contractors must follow FEMA guidelines and cannot collect in gated communities or on private streets, so gated communities are asked to open entrance gates before the storm. The Solid Waste Division answers at 407.246.2314 (City of Orlando).

Flood insurance is the slow piece of Orlando preparedness. The city says there is a 30-day waiting period after buying a flood insurance policy before coverage takes effect, that all renters should buy flood insurance for their contents, and that Orlando participates in the FEMA Community Rating System at class 6, which can equal a 20% discount on premiums. Flooding or drainage problems are reported at 407.246.2238 (City of Orlando).

Inside the house, the Orlando sewer system is part of the storm plan too. During and after a storm the Water Reclamation Division asks households to avoid running washing machines and dishwashers, take quick showers instead of baths and flush toilets sparingly so the sanitary sewer does not overflow (City of Orlando). OUC electric customers report a power outage by texting OUT to 69682, through the myOUC outage form or at the 24-hour line, (407) 423-9018, and OUC asks for a report when an outage lasts more than 10 minutes (OUC).