Disaster/Weather Preparedness

The Hillsborough County Fire Rescue Office of Emergency Management is tasked with strategizing and organizing efforts to ready, react, and rebound from both natural and human-induced crises within Hillsborough County. This office oversees the County Emergency Operations Center, facilitates emergency preparedness exercises, and aids in the coordination of Citizen Emergency Response Teams and the Citizen’s Corps. For Emergency Management inquiries, please dial (813) 272-6600.

HCFL Alert is Hillsborough County's official mass notification system

Get Connected. Stay Alert. Stay Connected. Remain Alert. Be the foremost to stay updated on community occurrences with HCFL Alert, the official notification platform of Hillsborough County. HCFL Alert is crafted to keep you abreast of local emergencies, daily activities, and pertinent county updates.

Upon registration, tailor your preferences for updates and select your preferred mode of communication. Whether through voice calls, text messages, or emails, county alerts will promptly reach you, ensuring real-time transmission.

Here are just a few of the alerts you can opt-in to receive:

Emergency alerts, like hurricane evacuations or flood warnings
Severe weather alerts
Major road closures
County events
County Closures
Funding and grant opportunities
Classes, Programs and Learning Opportunities
Human Services

Hillsborough County upholds a Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan, establishing consistent policies and protocols for efficiently coordinating efforts aimed at preventing (where feasible), preparing for, responding to, recovering from, and mitigating potential natural or human-induced disasters that could impact the well-being and safety of both residents and visitors of Hillsborough County.

CEMP Purpose:

The CEMP is designed to accomplish the following:

Minimize suffering, loss of life, personal injury, property damage resulting from hazardous or emergency conditions.
Provide a framework for a comprehensive emergency management system that addresses all aspects of emergency prevention, preparedness, response, recovery, and mitigation.
Minimize disaster-related material shortages and service system disruptions that could have adverse impacts on county residents and visitors.
Provide immediate relief and promote short-term and long-term recovery following a disaster.

Download Hillsborough County CEMP

CERT - Community emergency response team

By joining a Hillsborough County CERT team, you'll get training in:

Basic Disaster Response Skills
Fire Safety
Light Search and Rescue
Team Organization
Disaster Medical Operations

CERT offers a consistent, nationwide approach to volunteer training and organization that professional responders can rely on during disaster situations, allowing them to focus on more complex tasks.

Visit Ready.gov/CERT for more information.
ContactFor more information or to join a Hillsborough County CERT Team email [email protected] or call (813) 272-6690.

emergency shelters

If you must evacuate to a shelter, be advised:

Shelters are opened on an “as-needed” basis
Shelter openings may vary with each emergency
Never go to a shelter unless local officials have announced it is open

The County operates 3 types of shelters during an emergency:

General Population Emergency Shelters
Pet-friendly Emergency Shelters
Special Needs Shelters

Find Your Evacuation Zone

General population emergency shelters

These shelters are intended to provide immediate protection and save the lives of those in the path of a catastrophic and deadly storm. It’s important to have a plan – shelters are not resorts. If you do need to shelter in a County evacuation shelter keep in mind:

Evacuation shelters will not have cots or blankets for residents.
If you have specific comfort needs (i.e. special dietary or snacks), plan to get those items ahead of time.
Don't bring alcoholic beverages, illegal drugs, weapons

Pet-friendly emergency shelters

We offer pet-friendly shelters during an evacuation emergency. When the shelter list is put out it will note which shelters are designated as pet-friendly.
To shelter your pet in case of emergency you must bring:

Proof of current rabies vaccination and license for dogs and cats
Pet must be on a leash or in a carrier
A crate large enough for your pet to stand up and turn around. Cats need a crate large enough to contain litter and food/water
Bring all pet supplies to include: crate, food, water, litter, treats, cleaning supplies, medicines, etc.
You are responsible for the care of your pet while in the shelter
Cohabitation of pets and owners is not permitted

If you are unable to meet these requirements, please make other arrangements to shelter your pet. Visit our Pet Disaster Planning page to learn more.

Special needs shelters

The County provides special needs shelters for residents whose medical condition may require the use of electrical equipment, oxygen, dialysis, or individuals with physical, cognitive, or medical conditions that may require assistance from medical professionals. Although special needs shelters provide more care than a general shelter, they DO NOT provide continuous bedside nursing, only assistance with daily functions and medical monitoring.
If you believe you or someone you know may need a special needs shelter it is highly recommended you pre-register for the Special Needs Shelter Program before hurricane season. Follow these instructions to register for a special needs shelter.

Find evacuation information

fire jurisdiction map

health care cemp program

hurricane & tropical storm preparedness

pack your evacuation kit

post disaster redevelopment plan

post redevelopment plan documents

preparedness education & outreach

shelter in place

storm safety

text to 911

DISASTER/WEATHER PREPAREDNESS