TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — Hurricane season officially begins on June 1. NOAA is forecasting between 12 to 17 named storms with one to four major storms expected.
Reggie Joyner with Ace Hardware says people should not wait until hours before a storm to stock up.
“A lot of people tend to wait and we recommend that you don’t wait. What I recommend is having a hurricane preparedness kit. I would put things like you batteries, your flashlights, water, canned foods, maybe even emergency cash,” said Joyner.
Florida’s disaster preparedness sales tax holiday begins on May 27 and ends on June 9.
The following items will be exempt from sales tax during that period:
- Pet kennels or carriers
- Collapsible or travel-sized food and water bowls
- Laundry detergent
- Paper towels
- Trash bags
- Other household items
- Batteries
- Portable radios
- Gas or diesel fuel tanks
- Non-electric food storage containers
- Smoke alarms
- Fire extinguishers
- Carbon monoxide detectors
- Portable generators
Another sales tax holiday, the Freedom Summer Sales Tax Holiday starts on Memorial Day and runs through Sept. 4. You can save on tickets to sporting events, concerts and more, as well as grills, sunscreen, sleeping bags and canoes.