Glossary and FAQ
Plain meanings, with the official page next to each term. Orders and zones still come from the county.
Hurricane season
For the Atlantic, Ready.gov and the National Weather Service put the season at June 1 through November 30. Storms can still matter outside those dates. Watch the forecast you have, not the calendar alone.
Tropical cyclone
The National Weather Service groups tropical depressions, tropical storms, and hurricanes as tropical cyclones. This site does not restate wind-speed cutoffs. Use the National Weather Service hurricane page for the current definitions.
Storm surge
The National Weather Service describes storm surge as the abnormal rise of water pushed by a storm’s winds. It can travel inland along bays, rivers, and estuaries. Your evacuation zone, if you have one, comes from the county.
Evacuation zone
A county label for areas that may be told to leave for storm surge or flooding. St. Johns County publishes zone information. This site does not look up an address and does not assign a zone.
Go-bag
The American Red Cross hurricane page describes a go-kit as about 3 days of supplies you can carry if you leave. A stay-at-home kit on that page is about 2 weeks.
Rally point
A meeting place your household picks, written on your private plan. Ready.gov and the Florida Division of Emergency Management both say to decide how you will reunite if you are separated. The place itself is yours to choose.
Boil-water advisory
CDC: an advisory to boil tap water so germs are killed. Bring water to a rolling boil for 1 minute, then cool it. Boiling does not fix a chemical or toxin advisory. Follow the wording officials use.
Carbon monoxide
CDC: a gas you cannot see or smell, produced when fuel burns. Generators, grills, and camp stoves indoors can fill a house with it. Use those outdoors, and keep a battery carbon monoxide alarm.
Shelf-stable food
Food that stays safe without a refrigerator, such as canned food you already eat. Ready.gov calls for a several-day supply of non-perishable food. This site does not name brands.
Hand-crank radio
A radio that plays news and weather without house power. Ready.gov’s kit list includes a battery or hand-crank radio and a NOAA Weather Radio. This site’s gear list counts a hand-crank AM/FM radio.
NOAA Weather Radio
A weather radio named on Ready.gov’s kit list and on the older-adult page. It is a public alert radio, separate from a two-way radio you talk on.
Special needs registry
Florida Division of Emergency Management describes a registry for people who need electricity for medical equipment, transportation to evacuate, or help getting medicine. How St. Johns County enrolls people is on the county emergency management page. Confirm it there.
Cooling place
Ready.gov says that in extreme heat you may need a library, a mall, or another cooler public place if home air conditioning is off. Local officials announce what is open. This site does not keep a directory.
N95
Ready.gov’s wildfire page says to store an N95 mask for smoke. It is for particles in smoky air, not a promise about every hazard.
FAQ
Is this an official government site?
No. It is a household planning aid. Evacuation orders, zones, and shelter instructions come from St. Johns County Emergency Management, the Florida Division of Emergency Management, and other public safety officials.
Where do my answers go?
They stay in this browser on this device. The public guides, cards, glossary, and blank handout do not include names or phone numbers. The household pages are marked private.
Why are the steps 3, 14, 30, and 90 days?
Three days matches the Red Cross go-kit. Fourteen days matches the Red Cross stay-at-home kit of 2 weeks and passes Florida’s at least-7-day kit. Thirty days lines up with the 1-month medicine supply on the Red Cross hurricane page. Ninety days is this site’s long goal. It is a planning choice, not a separate official standard.
How much water should I store?
Ready.gov: one gallon per person per day for drinking and sanitation. The calculator adds pet water, hot weather, and a cooking buffer, and it labels those as assumptions.
Will you look up my address or evacuation zone?
No. Use the St. Johns County evacuation page and the county emergency management page. Florida Division of Emergency Management also explains how to know your zone.
Are the dollar amounts real prices?
No. The cost range is an estimate built from constants you can edit on the calculator. They are not a price survey and not an official figure. Prescription prices are left out.
Can I print a one-page card?
Yes. Each scenario has a card, and there is a First 72 hours card. Big print is the default. Standard size is the smaller choice. The card shows this site’s address and official source links.
What if someone needs powered medical equipment?
Talk with the clinician. Ready.gov says to plan backup power and refrigerated medicines with them. Florida describes a special needs registry. Confirm the county signup before you rely on it. Call 911 in an emergency.
Can I bring pets to a public shelter?
Ready.gov says to take pets with you and not to assume a public shelter can take them. Only service animals may be allowed. Arrange a pet-friendly place ahead of time, and read the county’s pet-readiness notes.
Does this replace 911 or official alerts?
No. In an emergency, call 911. Sign up for county alerts and keep a radio that works when the power and the cell network do not.