Florida Braces for Coming Hurricane Season With Tech Tools

Every year from June 1 to Nov. 30, Florida braces itself for potential hurricanes as the ocean heats up off the state’s coast, creating the perfect environment for storms.

This year, however, the stakes are especially high as NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) predicts “a range of 17 to 25 total named storms. Of those, eight to 13 are forecast to become hurricanes, including four to seven major hurricanes.”

To better understand how the state prepares for these storms, Industry Insider — Florida reached out to the Florida Division of Emergency Management to learn how it uses technology to prepare for, respond to and recover from natural disasters.

“In preparation for potential storms during the 2024 Atlantic Hurricane Season, the Florida Division of Emergency Management (FDEM), in coordination with Florida Digital Service, has more than 400 Starlink units pre-staged and ready to deploy to impacted areas in need of on-demand Internet service after a disaster,” a division spokesperson said via email.

Another top priority for FDEM during a hurricane is getting resources to residents as quickly as possible.

For example, “FDEM has implemented a new Division of Emergency Management Enterprise Solution (DEMES), which includes modernizing and digitizing the procurement process,” the spokesperson wrote. “Digitized forms will enable procurement to happen at a greater speed, therefore getting resources to residents faster than ever before.”

Another benefit of DEMES is that it will provide FDEM with a real-time snapshot of mutual aid resources and equipment in the field during a disaster.

More information about DEMES and the division’s efforts can be found online.

This story was originally published on Industry Insider — Florida, part of e.Republic, Emergency Management’s parent company.