Gulf County hurricane guide¶
Gulf County Emergency Management, in Port St. Joe, plans for hurricanes, orders evacuations, and sends AlertGulf warnings. The coast and Cape San Blas face dangerous storm surge, and hurricanes also bring strong wind, heavy rain, flooding, and power outages. Know your evacuation zone now, and leave when your zone is called. Mobile homes are not safe in hurricane winds, so if you live in one, plan to leave when evacuations are ordered.
Checked on September 30, 2026
Every phone number and web address on this page was checked against official sources on that date. Details can change, especially during a storm. Always follow instructions from Gulf County Emergency Management. In a life threatening emergency, call 911.
What to know in Gulf County¶
- The county says its emergency management Facebook page is the fastest place for updates during hurricanes, road closures, and emergencies: Gulf County Emergency Management on Facebook.
Emergency and information numbers¶
| Service | Number | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Emergency | 911 | Police, fire, and ambulance. Call only when someone's life or property is in danger. |
| Emergency management office | 850-229-9110 | Office line. Not for emergencies. |
| County information line | 850-229-6106 | County Administration. Office line. Not for emergencies. |
| County dispatch center non-emergency | 850-229-9111 | Gulf County Dispatch Center, including animal control matters that are not emergencies. |
| Sheriff's Office | 850-227-1115 | Main office line in Port St. Joe. Not for emergencies. |
| Water and sewer emergencies | 850-340-0118 | Gulf County Water Department, any time, for a leak or loss of water service. |
| Road and traffic conditions (FL511) | 511 | Evacuation routes and road closures. |
Official alerts and information¶
- AlertGulf: Free alerts about severe weather, evacuations, and road closures. Sign up before a storm. Website.
- Gulf County Emergency Management: The county's official hurricane information page. Website.
Evacuation zones¶
Gulf County has three storm surge evacuation zones. Zone A has the highest risk and should be ready to leave when told. Zones B and C may be added depending on the storm, so which zones must leave changes from storm to storm. On the county's zone map, Cape San Blas is in Zone A. Always follow the evacuation orders from Gulf County Emergency Management.
Evacuation centers¶
Open only when announced
Evacuation centers open only when officials announce them, and not every center opens for every storm. Check the official list of open centers before you leave home. Bring your own bedding, food, water, and medicines.
Gulf County does not publish a list of shelters in advance. The county's evacuation map marks a Honeyville Shelter, but do not go to any shelter until the county announces it is open. Watch AlertGulf and the county's Facebook page for shelter openings. The state's shelter status page lists shelters that are open now.
Official list of open evacuation centers
Help to evacuate¶
- Florida Special Needs Registry: Gulf County Emergency Management uses the state registry. Choose Gulf County when you sign up. Register before a storm if you will need help to evacuate or a special needs shelter. Website.
- Gulf County Animal Control: For animal control matters that are not emergencies, call the county dispatch center. Phone: 850-229-9111. Website.
Radio, TV and weather¶
Keep a battery or hand crank radio. When power and cell service fail, radio is often the only way to hear official updates.
Radio stations¶
| Station | Frequency | Language | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| WFSY | 98.5 FM | English | Emergency Alert System primary station (LP1) |
| WPAP | 92.5 FM | English | Emergency Alert System primary station (LP1) |
| WFLF-FM | 94.5 FM | English | Emergency Alert System primary station (LP2) |
| WKGC-FM | 90.7 FM | English | Public radio station of Gulf Coast State College in Panama City. |
| WFSW | 89.1 FM | English | WFSU news and information service for the Panama City area, licensed to Panama City. |
Emergency Alert System roles come from the Florida state EAS plan, last revised in April 2021.
NOAA Weather Radio¶
A weather radio turns itself on for warnings, even in the middle of the night. Set it to this frequency.
| Station | Frequency | Transmitter |
|---|---|---|
| WWF86 | 162.500 MHz | East Point |
| KGG67 | 162.550 MHz | Panama City |
TV stations¶
| Station | Channel | Network | Language |
|---|---|---|---|
| WJHG-TV (WJHG NewsChannel 7) | 7 | NBC | English |
| WMBB | 13 | ABC | English |
| WPGX | 28 | Fox | English |
| WFSG (WFSU) | 56 | PBS | English |
Official forecasts¶
- National Weather Service Tallahassee: Local forecasts, watches, and warnings. Phone: 850-942-8833. Website.
- National Hurricane Center: Official hurricane forecasts, watches, and warnings. Website.
Power, water and debris¶
- Duke Energy Florida: Report an outage online or by phone. Assume every downed line is live and stay far away. Phone: 1-800-228-8485. Website.
- Gulf Coast Electric Cooperative (GCEC): Report an outage online or by phone. Assume every downed line is live and stay far away. Phone: 1-800-568-3667. Website.
- Gulf County Water Department emergencies: Call any time for a leak or loss of service. Boil water notices are posted on this page. Phone: 850-340-0118. Website.
- Storm debris collection (Gulf County Public Works): The Road division handles storm debris response and cleanup on county rights of way. Phone: 850-227-1401. Website.
After the storm: help for displaced residents¶
If your home is damaged or you cannot go back, these organizations help with shelter, food, money, and paperwork. Many programs open only after a disaster declaration, so check their pages for current status.
Where to start¶
- 2-1-1 Northwest Florida: The 211 helpline and resource directory for the western Panhandle, linked from United Way of West Florida. 24 hours a day. Phone: 855-420-8689. Website.
Housing and shelter¶
- FEMA Disaster Recovery Centers: After a federal declaration, these centers help you apply for aid in person. Use the locator to find the nearest one. Phone: 1-800-621-3362. Website.
Food¶
- Second Harvest of the Big Bend: Regional food bank for the Big Bend; its site has a Find Food page. Phone: 850-562-3033. Website.
- Disaster SNAP (D-SNAP): State food benefits after a declared disaster. Dates and locations are posted when it opens. Website.
Money, work and insurance¶
- DisasterAssistance.gov: Apply for FEMA aid after a federal declaration. Phone: 1-800-621-3362. Website.
- Florida Insurance Consumer Helpline: Free help with insurance claims and disputes. Phone: 1-877-693-5236. Website.
- SBA disaster loans: Low interest loans for homeowners, renters, and businesses after a declared disaster. Phone: 800-659-2955. Website.
- Disaster Unemployment Assistance: For people who lose work because of a declared disaster. Website.
Legal help¶
- Legal Services of North Florida (Panama City office): Free civil legal help for low-income residents; apply online or call the office for your county. Phone: 850-769-3581. Website.
- Florida Disaster Relief Hotline: Free legal help for disaster survivors, switched on after a storm. Phone: 1-866-550-2929. Website.
Emotional support¶
- NWF Health Network (Northwest Florida Health Network): State-contracted managing entity that funds and coordinates public mental health and substance use care in its region; it does not treat people directly. Website.
- 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline: Call or text, any time. Phone: 988.
Relief organizations¶
- American Red Cross Capital Area Chapter (North and Central Florida Region): Local Red Cross chapter that runs shelters and gives emergency help after disasters and home fires. Office hours Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. For disaster help at any hour, call 1-800-733-2767. Phone: 850-878-6080. Website.
Scams, contractors and price gouging¶
- Price gouging hotline (Florida Attorney General): Report price gouging during a declared state of emergency. Phone: 1-866-966-7226. Website.
- Contractor license check (DBPR): Check any contractor's license before you pay for repairs. Phone: 850-487-1395. Website.
Cities and towns¶
Each city has its own services and some have their own alerts. The county's evacuation zones, evacuation centers, and emergency alerts cover everyone, in every city and in unincorporated areas.
Related guides¶
- Should I evacuate?
- What to expect at a hurricane shelter
- Hurricane supply list
- After a hurricane: the first 24 hours
- Insurance claims and disaster aid
Sources¶
Checked on September 30, 2026. If a number or address here is wrong, please tell us at Keith@KMyers.me.
- https://www.gulfcounty-fl.gov/county_government/emergency_management
- https://www.gulfcounty-fl.gov/county_government/administration
- https://www.gulfcounty-fl.gov/county_government/public_works
- https://www.gulfsheriff.com/
- https://www.gulfcounty-fl.gov/county_government/water_department
- https://www.fl511.com/
- https://www.gulfcounty-fl.gov/county_government/emergency_management/stay_informed
- https://www.gulfcounty-fl.gov/county_government/emergency_management/know_your_zone
- https://www.weather.gov/source/nwr/JS/CCL.js
- https://api.weather.gov/zones/county/FLC045
- https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/
- https://publicfiles.fcc.gov/api/service/facility/search/WFSY
- https://publicfiles.fcc.gov/api/service/facility/search/WPAP
- https://publicfiles.fcc.gov/api/service/facility/search/WFLF
- https://www.wkgc.org/
- https://news.wfsu.org/
- https://publicfiles.fcc.gov/api/service/facility/search/WJHG-TV
- https://publicfiles.fcc.gov/api/service/facility/search/WMBB
- https://publicfiles.fcc.gov/api/service/facility/search/WPGX
- https://publicfiles.fcc.gov/api/service/facility/search/WFSG
- https://www.duke-energy.com/Customer-Landing-Pages/Florida-Storm-Ready
- https://www.gcec.com/outages-safety/outage-center/report-an-outage/
- https://egateway.fema.gov/ESF6/DRCLocator
- https://fightinghunger.org/
- https://www.myflfamilies.com/dsnap
- https://www.disasterassistance.gov/
- https://myfloridacfo.com/division/ica/contactus
- https://www.sba.gov/disaster/
- https://floridajobs.org/workforce-resources/reemployment-assistance/general-information/special-programs
- https://www.lsnf.org/contact/
- https://www.floridabar.org/public/consumer/hurricaneinfo/
- https://nwfhealth.org/
- https://www.myfloridalegal.com/consumer-protection/price-gouging
- https://www.myfloridalicense.com/wl11.asp
- https://211nwfl.communityos.org/cms/
- https://www.redcross.org/local/florida/north-central-florida/about-us/locations/capital-area.html