As Hurricane Milton approaches Tampa, Florida, this Wednesday, bringing potentially life-threatening hazards, it’s critical for your community to understand how to stay safe and reach emergency services.

Here’s what your community needs to know about contacting 911 and staying informed during the storm.

How to Reach 911 During Hurricane Milton

During the storm, 911 services may experience high call volumes. Encourage your community to:

• Only call 911 for life-threatening emergencies: During hurricanes, 911 lines are often overwhelmed. Keeping calls limited to true emergencies ensures help reaches those in immediate danger faster.
• Connect to Wi-Fi and enable Wi-Fi calling when possible: Cellular networks can become unreliable during hurricanes, but Wi-Fi calling may provide a more stable connection for emergency calls.
• If you can’t make a voice call, try texting 911: Texting can still work even when voice calls fail, providing alternate methods to reach emergency services.
• Use Emergency SOS over Satellite (available on some devices): In areas with no cellular service, devices with satellite SOS features can still connect to emergency responders.
• If a call doesn’t go through, 911 may still receive your location and contact details: Even if calls drop, 911 may capture the caller’s location and try to make contact via call or text.

Storm Surge Warning and Flooding Areas

Residents need to stay informed about the risks in their area. The following interactive maps and visuals, provided by The National Hurricane Center, will help your community understand how best to protect themselves as Milton makes landfall.

The map above shows the forecasted flooding levels from storm surges, helping residents gauge how each area, including major cities like Tampa, St. Petersburg, and Fort Myers, is likely to be impacted.

Illustrating the forecasted peak storm surge levels, this map further indicates where the most dangerous flooding is likely to occur.

As Floridians begin evacuations, it is crucial for residents to be aware of evacuation zones in order to best prepare for the storm and understand instructions from local officials. Share the Know Your Zone evacuation map so residents can understand if their area is under mandatory evacuation and how to seek shelter.

Stay Safe During Hurricane Milton: Our Thoughts Are With You

Prepare your community by sharing emergency plans and encouraging them to stay informed. By knowing how to contact 911 and which areas are most at risk, your community can stay safer during Hurricane Milton.

Stay safe, and ensure your center is ready to assist those in need during the storm.