Southwest Florida’s getting ready for hurricane season in a big way. With June 1 marking the official start and running until November 30, communities across the region have been hosting a string of hurricane preparedness events.
Venice, Florida stood out, as its Hurricane and Home Expo drew a sizable crowd at the Venice Community Center. The event ran from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on both days, packed with over 50 vendors offering tips on home improvement, landscaping, and storm recovery. They handed out giveaways, hosted expert presentations, and even held raffles for generators and weather radios.
Meteorologist Matt Devitt was a highlight that drew an enormous amount of support. He spent Saturday sharing hurricane season predictions, focusing especially on storm surge and the impact of wind direction. He encouraged everyone to come out, chat, and get prepared, and his energy really brought the event to life.
The Venice expo is a public service aimed at helping locals get ready for whatever the season brings. Admission was free, and the lineup included federal, state, county, and city groups, plus nonprofits and businesses specializing in storm prep and recovery.
Each speaker dove into lessons from past hurricanes, details on what emergency services and city departments do during a storm, myths and misunderstandings, and practical advice for what to do before and after a hurricane. They talked about flooding, stormwater management, evacuation centers, and even how county transportation plays a role.
Don’t worry if you missed any of the hurricane expos, as each county has multiple resources and hurricane education and preparedness programs.
