Hillsborough County, Fla. (Sept. 30, 2015) – In conjunction with FEMA’s National PrepareAthon! Day on Sept. 30, Hillsborough County launched a new service called HCFL Alert.

The mass notification system is designed to keep subscribers informed about emergencies and certain non-emergency events. Anyone who lives or works in Hillsborough County, or who routinely travels to the area, is encouraged to register for HCFL Alert. Subscribers can choose to get messages by text, voicemail on cellphones and landlines, and email – one, some, or all.

Examples of alerts could include:

• evacuation or shelter-in-place instructions
• hazardous materials incidents
• mandatory boil-water notices in unincorporated Hillsborough County
• other critical public health and safety messages
• tropical storm and hurricane warnings
• major County road work; and
• major service interruptions

Registration is quick and easy. Sign up at HillsboroughCounty.org/HCFLAlert. Persons without Internet access may call (813) 272-6602 to register.

Those who register for HCFL Alert between now and June 1, 2016 will be eligible for monthly prizes that include weather radios and emergency kits.

With the recent rainfall, residents may now have standing water around their homes that can support the breeding of mosquitoes. Follow these tips from the Florida Department of Health to help prevent mosquito breeding:

• Drain water from garbage cans, house gutters, pool covers, coolers, toys, flower pots, buckets, watering cans, kiddie pools, and any other containers where rain water has collected.
• Discard old tires, drums, bottles, cans, pots and pans, broken appliances, and other items that may collect water.
• Empty and clean birdbaths and pet water bowls at least once or twice a week.
• Protect boats and vehicles from rain with tarps that do not accumulate water.
• Maintain swimming pools in good condition and chlorination.

For more information on the Mosquito and Aquatic Weed Control Unit, tips to reduce mosquitoes, a video about the Unit or to report a mosquito concern, visit the Mosquito Control webpage at www.HillsboroughCounty.org/Mosquito.

Hillsborough County, Fla. (Aug. 28, 2015) – Hillsborough County is carefully monitoring the progress of Tropical Storm Erika, and working closely with the National Hurricane Center, National Weather Service-Ruskin, the Florida Division of Emergency Management, and other regional/local partners to share information as it becomes available and coordinate as necessary. At this time, the Emergency Operations Center is not open. No evacuation orders are currently in place.

There is a great deal of uncertainty regarding this system. It is critical that residents carefully monitor news broadcasts and get the latest information from Hillsborough County Emergency Management as the situation develops. The greatest threat posed by Tropical Storm Erika are heavy rains and the potential for tropical storm force winds in excess of 34 miles per hour.

This morning, Governor Rick Scott signed an Executive Order for TS Erika; which gives additional authority and resources to assist in protective actions and planning response efforts. This allows the state and counties to work closely to respond to the threat posed by the storm.

Residents are reminded to check and update their storm readiness plans to ensure they address the needs of all family members and special needs.

Remember, we are only approaching the midpoint of the Atlantic Hurricane Season. September is the busiest month, October is the month when we are most concerned about landfalling storms on Florida’s west coast and the season runs through Nov. 30.

For more information on the developments for Tropical Storm Erika, visit HillsboroughCounty.org/StaySafe.