Miami-Dade County hurricane guide¶

Miami-Dade County's Department of Emergency Management runs hurricane planning, evacuation orders, evacuation centers, and emergency alerts for the whole county, including every city. Much of the county is low and close to the water, so storm surge is the biggest danger. County phone help through 311 is available in English, Spanish, and Haitian Creole.

Emergency and information numbers¶

Official alerts and information¶

• Miami-Dade County Emergency Alerts: Free text and email alerts. Create a miamidade.gov account and turn on Emergency Alerts in your preferences. Website.
• Ready MDC app: The county's hurricane app for iPhone and Android. It shows your evacuation zone, open evacuation centers, and bus pickup sites. Website.
• Miami-Dade Emergency Management hurricane page: Official county updates before, during, and after a storm. Website.
• Severe Weather and Emergency Readiness Guide: The county's printable guide in English, Spanish, and Haitian Creole. Website.

Evacuation zones¶

Miami-Dade has five storm surge planning zones, from Zone A, the areas at greatest risk, to Zone E. When a storm threatens, the county orders whole or partial zones to leave based on the storm's track and expected surge, not only its category. These zones are not the same as FEMA flood zones. If you live in a mobile home, or you rely on electric medical equipment, leave whenever any evacuation order is issued, whatever your zone. When orders are issued, the county's evacuation orders map shows which areas must leave.

Look up your evacuation zone

Evacuation centers¶

Miami-Dade opens evacuation centers, mostly in public schools, only after an evacuation is announced. The county does not publish a fixed list in advance. Find open centers on the county map, in the Ready MDC app, or by calling 311. Centers are a last resort: each person gets about 20 square feet, all centers meet accessibility requirements, and service animals are welcome. After an order, the county's SAFE map also shows bus pickup sites, disaster assistance centers, and places to get food and water.

Official list of open evacuation centers

Help to evacuate¶

• Emergency and Evacuation Assistance Program (EEAP): Free help for people who cannot evacuate on their own because of medical needs, transportation needs, being homebound, or relying on electric medical equipment. It offers transportation, a shelter with medical monitoring, and wellness checks. Register once, online, by phone, or through 311, before an evacuation order is issued. A caregiver must come along. Applications are available in English, Spanish, and Haitian Creole. Phone: 305-513-7700. Website.
• Emergency evacuation buses: After an evacuation order, free buses with wheelchair lifts run between marked pickup sites and open evacuation centers. Look for signs that say EMERGENCY EVACUATION BUS PICKUP SITE. If no site is near you, ride a regular Miami-Dade Transit bus and tell the driver where you are going. Transit may stop about three hours before the storm or when winds reach 39 mph, so leave early. Phone: 311. Website.
• Pet-friendly evacuation centers: For people in evacuation areas, unsafe homes, or mobile homes. No registration is needed, and locations are announced when they open. Bring photo ID and a recent utility bill that shows you live in an evacuation zone, plus vaccination records and supplies for each pet. Pets stay in a crate or carrier, a family member stays with them, and the limit is four pets. Dogs need a visible Miami-Dade dog license, and dogs and cats need current rabies shots. Phone: 311. Website.
• Miami-Dade Animal Services: County animal services. From inside the county, call 311. Phone: 305-468-5900. Address: 3599 NW 79 Avenue, Doral, FL 33122. 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¶

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.

TV stations¶

Official forecasts¶

• National Weather Service Miami: Forecasts, watches, and warnings for Miami-Dade County. Phone: 305-229-4522. Website.
• National Hurricane Center: Official storm forecasts. The center is located in Miami. Website.

Power, water and debris¶

• Florida Power & Light (FPL) outage reporting: Report an outage online or by phone. Assume every downed line is live and stay far away. Phone: 1-800-468-8243. Website.
• Miami-Dade Water and Sewer emergencies: 24 hours. For flooding inside your property, call 311. Phone: 305-274-9272. Website.
• Storm debris collection: Pile storm debris on the right of way, away from fences, mailboxes, storm drains, and low wires. Do not trim trees or put trash out during a watch or warning. If the county does not collect your trash, your city handles debris. Phone: 311. Website.
• Bulky waste pickup before a storm: County waste customers can book a free bulky waste pickup before a storm threatens. Phone: 311. 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¶

• 211 Miami: Free help finding shelter, food, and services, day or night. Alternate number 305-631-4211, or text your ZIP code to 898211. Phone: 211. Website.
• Miami-Dade 311: County services, debris, and recovery information. From outside the county, call 305-468-5900. Phone: 311. 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.
• Miami-Dade Department of Housing and Community Development: Public housing and county housing programs. Phone: 786-469-4100. Website.
• Miami-Dade Homeless Trust helpline: For people who have nowhere to stay. Phone: 1-877-994-4357. Website.

Food¶

• Feeding South Florida: Food assistance for Miami-Dade and Broward. Call for an appointment. Phone: 954-518-1857. 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 Greater Miami: Free civil legal help for people with low incomes. Phone: 305-576-0080. Website.
• Florida Disaster Relief Hotline: Free legal help for disaster survivors, switched on after a storm. Phone: 1-866-550-2929. Website.

Emotional support¶

• Thriving Mind South Florida mobile crisis teams: 24 hours a day. Also written 800-HELP-YOU. Phone: 800-435-7968. Website.
• Thriving Mind South Florida help line: Connects you to mental health and substance use services. Phone: 888-248-3111. Website.
• 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline: Call or text, any time. Phone: 988.

Relief organizations¶

• American Red Cross, Greater Miami and the Keys Phone: 305-644-1200. Website.
• The Salvation Army, Miami Phone: 305-456-5850. Website.
• United Way Miami Phone: 305-646-7000. 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.miamidade.gov/global/311/home.page
• https://www.miamidade.gov/apps/gis/eeap_publicregistration/
• https://www.miamidade.gov/global/emergency/home.page
• https://www.mdso.com/
• https://www.fpl.com/support/report-concerns.html
• https://www.miamidade.gov/global/water/home.page
• https://www.fl511.com/
• https://www.redcross.org/local/florida/south-florida.html
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• https://www.miamidade.gov/global/emergency/hurricane/home.page
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• https://www.miamidade.gov/global/emergency/hurricane/storm-surge-zones.page
• https://www.miamidade.gov/global/service.page?Mduid_service=ser1598287646006415
• https://www.miamidade.gov/global/animals/contact.page
• https://www.fpl.com/my-account/web-outage.html
• https://www.miamidade.gov/global/emergency/hurricane/hurricane-recovery.page
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• https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/
• https://www.211miami.org/
• https://egateway.fema.gov/ESF6/DRCLocator
• https://www.miamidade.gov/global/housing/home.page
• https://www.homelesstrust.org/
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• 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.legalservicesmiami.org/
• https://www.floridabar.org/public/consumer/hurricaneinfo/
• https://thrivingmind.org/crisis-support
• https://thrivingmind.org/
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• https://www.myfloridalegal.com/consumer-protection/price-gouging
• https://www.myfloridalicense.com/wl11.asp