Hurricane preparations should begin well before the start of hurricane season. Make a plan for your family, stock up on supplies and review your insurance policies. Once a hurricane or tropical storm watch is declared, most of your preparations should be directed toward your home.
Sign Up for Sunny Isles Beach SIBAlert
SIBAlert enables citizens to receive accurate and up-to-date notices and warnings from the City of Sunny Isles Beach during critical incidents and emergencies. Notifications are sent based on location through a variety of methods including phone calls, SMS text messages, emails and a mobile application. You can choose any and all methods of alerts you would like to receive. Sign up now for SIBAlert!
Sign Up for Miami-Dade County Emergency Alerts & Download “Ready MDC” Mobile App
Alerts is a free service that enables Miami-Dade County residents or visitors to receive emergency texts and/or emails regarding public safety issues, recommended public protective actions, hurricane alerts, or other emergency information. Sign up for Miami-Dade County Emergency Alerts!
Residents should also download the Ready Miami-Dade app to their iPhone or Android device for up-to-the-minute information during a storm. Visit your device’s app store and search for “ReadyMDC.”
Pre-Register for Emergency Evacuation Assistance
Prior to hurricane season, residents who need assistance with daily living, medical needs, or specialized transportation must pre-register with the Emergency Evacuation Assistance Program. For applications call Miami-Dade 311 (305.468.5900), TTY/TDD 305.468.5402, or download an Emergency Evacuation Assistance Application. Individuals needing a pet-friendly Hurricane Evacuation Center (HEC) must also pre-register by calling 311. For each event, the County will announce the HEC that accepts pets.
Know Your Storm Surge Planning Zone
Storm surge is the greatest threat to life and property from a hurricane. It occurs when water from the ocean is pushed on shore by the force of tropical storms or hurricanes. This is the primary reason Miami-Dade County residents are asked to evacuate prior to a hurricane.
A Storm Surge Planning Zone is an area that could potentially be affected by a storm surge of 1 1/2 feet or higher during a hurricane. Evacuation decisions are heavily predicated on storm surge planning.
Upon identification of a threat, each zone (or portions of a zone) will be evacuated depending on the hurricane’s track and projected storm surge, independent of the hurricane’s category.
All of Sunny Isles Beach is located in Storm Surge Planning Zone B.
Five zones, marked A through E, identify the risk of storm surge. Zone A is at greatest risk for Category 1 storms and higher. These planning zones deal strictly with storm surge, not your flood zone.
- Zone A is at the greatest risk for storm surge for Category 1 and higher storms.
- Zone B is at risk for storm surge for Category 2 and higher storms.
- Zone C is at risk for storm surge for Category 3 and higher storms.
- Zone D is at risk for storm surge for Category 4 and higher storms.
- Zone E is at risk for storm surge from Category 5 storms.
View Miami-Dade County Storm Surge Planning Zone Map
Hurricane Supply Kit
A supply kit is a container of items your family may need in or after an emergency. Most of the items can be found in your house. It is important to put them in one place. Be sure every family member knows where the kit is kept.
- Keep loose items in airtight plastic bags.
- Gather the kit’s items in easy-to-carry containers or duffel bags. Put them within reach, near the exit you use most often.
- Check and update your kit at least once a year.
Your Hurricane Supply Kit Should Include:
- 7-day supply of non-perishable foods
- 7-day supply of water (one gallon per person per day, including pets)
- A manual can opener
- Battery-powered portable television or radio with extra batteries
- Flashlight with extra batteries
- First aid kit and manual
- Sanitation and hygiene items, such as instant hand sanitizing gel, disinfectant wipes, moist towelettes, toilet paper, and feminine hygiene products
- Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), such as masks and gloves
- Thermometer with batteries, if required
- Matches in a waterproof container
- Whistle
- Kitchen accessories and cooking utensils
- Cash
- Extra clothing, blankets and sleeping bags
- Photocopies of identification, insurance, prescriptions, household inventory, credit cards and your utility bill
- Copies of important documents such as birth certificates, adoption certificates, marriage licenses, divorce papers, Social Security cards, passport, green cards, will, insurance policies (home, auto, life, health, etc.), bank statements
- Prescription medications, eyeglasses, contact lens solution and hearing aid
- Batteries
- Type ABC fire extinguisher
- Telephone that is not dependent on electricity and/or a cell phone
- Formula, baby food, diapers and pacifiers
- Pet carriers, leashes, shot records, and food for each animal evacuating with you
- Tire repair kit, booster cables, pump and flares
- Toys and games for children
- Mosquito repellent
- Sunscreen (45 SPF recommended)
Make a Plan
You and your family members may not be together when a hurricane is approaching. Plan ahead and talk about what you will do before, during and after a hurricane. Know where you would go if an evacuation order is issued. Plan your route and know how you would get there.
Sunny Isles Beach is located in the Zone B floodplain which means when Zone B is given the order to evacuate, residents in condos and single-family homes and all visitors in hotels are required by Florida law to evacuate. Residents are encouraged to stay with family members or friends who live inland in a non-evacuation area. Hurricane evacuation centers will open, but should only be considered as a shelter of last resort.
If you plan to leave the state or drive hours away, leave early. If you wait until the last minute, you may experience heavy traffic and delays. Remember, the path of a storm can quickly change, and driving north or west to a different part of Florida does not guarantee you will avoid the storm.
Your Plan Should Contain:
- Phone numbers of a pre-assigned contact person for family members to call
- List and contact information of family members, friends, neighbors and physicians
- A safe place to store important documents in a waterproof container or bag
- How you will get assistance if needed for older adults or those with functional needs in the home
- How to turn off the water, gas and electricity safely
Check Your Insurance
Check in with your insurance agent well before hurricane season. Keep in mind that standard homeowners insurance doesn’t cover flooding, and flood insurance requires a 30-day waiting period. Prepare your home and vehicles according to your policy. Know where your insurance documents are located and take them with you if you evacuate. Visit floodsmart.gov for more information.
Visit the Flood Protection page for information about flood protection in Sunny Isles Beach.
Tree Preparation for Storms
During hurricane season, the right tree in the right place may help protect your property from strong winds by acting as a buffer.
Improperly pruning trees before a storm can increase the possibility they will break or fall more easily during the storm. The large amounts of fallen and damaged trees usually seen after a storm are from improper cutting or pruning of trees.
Do not begin any pruning during a Hurricane Watch or Hurricane Warning
Several months prior to hurricane season, do the following:
- Prune trees during the tree species’ dormant season or during early spring.
- Make sure the lawn care worker or tree trimmer is a certified arborist. Ask to see their registration or license and insurance.
- Never “top” or “hatrack” any tree. “Hatracking” is the term used when a tree is cut or chopped so badly that it is left with few or no leaves on the branches.
- Do not remove more than 25 percent of the tree canopy.
- Do not cut the tree root system.
- Remove mainly the interior branches. This will thin the canopy of the tree and allow the winds to pass through it more easily.
- Make sure to correctly dispose of all tree cuttings since branches and stumps left out in the open can become projectiles during a storm.
- Once the tree trimming has been completed, schedule a bulky waste pickup.
- Assessing Damage and Restoring Trees After a Hurricane
- Hurricane-related tree and landscape tips from the Miami-Dade Cooperative Extension
Pet Preparation
Whatever plans you make for yourself, remember to include your pets. If you’re riding out the storm in the home of a family member, friend or neighbor, take your pets with you.Keep your pet in a crate or carrier and find a safe area where you will all be together. Keep their collar and tag on in case you get separated. It’s always best to microchip your pets since they tend to lose their collars.
Pet owners residing in an evacuation zone, unsafe structure or trailer are encouraged to come to a pet-friendly evacuation center. Before disaster strikes, pet owners are encouraged to review the Animal Supplies Checklist to learn how to prepare pets before, during and after a disaster.
Pet-Friendly Evacuation Centers
Animal Services operates pet-friendly shelters during emergencies. Pre-registration is not required to use the evacuation center. Evacuation centers will be announced as needed.
Upon arrival at the center, pets will be examined by a licensed veterinarian to determine if the pet presents a safety risk. Any pet deemed a risk will not be allowed to enter the evacuation center.
For more information visit Miami-Dade County’s Pet Preparation webpage.