If you’ve lived on Florida’s Gulf Coast for more than a season, you know the drill. The forecast cone shows up, the stores get busy, and everyone scrambles for water and batteries at the same time. The families who handle storm season best aren’t lucky. They just get ready early.
We put this together for our Sarasota and Manatee County neighbors. Whether you bought your first home in Parrish last spring or you’ve been on Siesta Key for twenty years, a little prep now saves a lot of stress later.
Start with water and food
The rule of thumb is one gallon of water per person per day, for seven days. Count your pets too. For food, stock non-perishable items that need little or no cooking, and keep a manual can opener with them. It’s the one tool everyone forgets.
Sort out power and light before you need it
Have flashlights and fresh batteries, a NOAA weather radio, and a charged power bank for your phone. One thing to skip: candles. They cause more house fires after a storm than anything else. Use a flashlight instead.
If you’re buying a generator, gas cans, batteries, or tarps, here’s some good news. As of August 1, 2025, Florida made many of these supplies permanently tax-free. You no longer have to wait for a tax holiday to save.
Protect your documents
Put your insurance policies, deeds, IDs, and medical records in a waterproof container, or at least snap photos and back them up to the cloud. If a storm damages your home, you’ll want these fast for your claim.
Write the plan down
A plan in your head falls apart under stress. Sit down with your family and agree on a few things: where you’ll meet, who your out-of-town contact is, and what happens with the pets. Public shelters don’t take animals, so figure out a pet-friendly option now rather than the night before.
Know your zone
This is the big one for coastal living. If you’re on a barrier island, in a mobile home, or in an evacuation zone, know that today. You can look up your zone for Manatee County at mymanatee.org and Sarasota County at scgov.net, and sign up for county alerts while you’re there. If officials call for evacuation, leave early. Roads fill fast.
We’ve got your back
At The AGNT Group, looking after people is the whole job, and that doesn’t stop after closing. If you have questions about flood zones, need a contractor you can trust after a storm, or want a straight answer about a home, call or text us at 941.867.8667.
We built three free, fill-in guides for our area: an emergency supply checklist, a family emergency plan, and a local resources sheet with every Sarasota and Manatee number you’d want in a storm. Grab all three on our hurricane preparedness page and keep your family ready.