With the 2026 hurricane season less than a month away, Florida’s chief financial officer is taking a new approach to storm readiness — going directly to residents before a storm is in the forecast.
Florida CFO Blaise Ingoglia announced the initiative on Tuesday, saying his team will visit neighborhoods and communities across the state to distribute materials with resources and tips on how to prepare ahead of a storm, as well as information about where to turn once a storm has passed.
Ingoglia framed the effort as a shift toward prevention rather than reaction. “We spend a lot of money, a lot of time and a lot of resources after a storm, putting our communities back together,” he said. “I think we need to start taking a more proactive role to mitigate this.”
He pointed out that since 2020, more than a dozen storms have made landfall on Florida’s West Coast.
Among the steps Ingoglia urged residents to take now: reviewing home and flood insurance policies, stocking up on essentials like water, assembling emergency kits, and organizing important documents. State officials also encouraged Floridians to create photo and video inventories of their homes and belongings in case of storm damage.
Ingoglia also warned residents to stay alert for fraud and scams in the wake of a hurricane, noting that millions of dollars are lost each year to scammers targeting people who are rebuilding and recovering. He said keeping detailed records of all communication with insurance adjusters is essential.
Hurricane season officially begins June 1.
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