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LIVE BLOG: Updates on Hurricane Milton
WUSF is part of the Florida Public Radio Emergency Network, which provides up-to-the minute weather and news reports during severe weather events on radio, online and on social media for 13 Florida Public Media stations. It’s available on WUSF 89.7 FM, online at WUSFNews.org and through the free Florida Storms app, which provides geotargeted live forecasts, information about evacuation routes and shelters, and live local radio streams.

Tax holiday for hurricane preparation supplies begins Saturday

Floridians will be able to save on supplies useful in a hurricane starting this Saturday.

Floridians will be able to save on supplies useful in a hurricane starting this Saturday. May 28 marks the first day of the 2022 Disaster Preparedness Sales Tax Holiday, which will run for a full two weeks until June 10.

Today, Governor Ron DeSantis and the Florida Division of Emergency Management (FDEM) urged Floridians to start purchasing disaster relief items via a news release.

Notably, for the first time ever, these tax savings are extending to pet supplies to help keep household animals safe. Eligible items include pet food, litter boxes, can openers, pet waste disposal bags, collars, leashes, muzzles, pet beds, carriers and more.

Other standard disaster preparation items Floridians can save on include:

  • Reusable ice packs
  • Flashlights and lanterns
  • Batteries and weather radios
  • Coolers and portable power banks
  • Smoke detectors, carbon monoxide detectors and fire extinguishers
  • Bungee cords, tarps and tie-down kits

A full list of eligible supplies and their price ranges can be found on the Florida Department of Revenue website.

FDEM Director Kevin Guthrie also urged all Floridians to take advantage of the sales tax holiday by building a fully stocked disaster kit of at least seven days of supplies for each family member.

The 2022 Disaster Preparedness Sales Tax Holiday is part of the largest tax relief package in Florida’s history. Governor DeSantis signed the bill earlier this month. House Bill 7071 allotted more than $1.2 billion in tax relief in the form of ten tax holidays. Other upcoming tax holidays include the one-month long Fuel Tax Holiday in October and a 7-day sales tax holiday for tools and home improvement items in September.

Forecasters say this hurricane season will likely be an above-average one. The Atlantic Hurricane Season begins next week on June 1 and lasts until November 30.

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