Hernando County Emergency Management

18900 Cortez Blvd., Brooksville, FL, 34601

Hernando County Emergency Management is the county office responsible for preparing residents for hurricanes, floods, wildfires and other hazards, and for coordinating the response and recovery when one strikes. Its offices and the county Emergency Operations Center are at 18900 Cortez Boulevard in Brooksville, and its stated goal is to foster resilience among the whole community through mitigation, preparedness, response and recovery. For most residents, the first step is to sign up for emergency alerts. The county uses the Everbridge system for notifications, and the office's web page links to the registration form. Residents can also follow the office on Facebook at @HernandoCountyEM, call the recorded message line at (352) 754-4111 during an event, or check the county news page for the latest advisories. Preparedness information is organized by audience, with guidance for families, pets, businesses and residents with special needs. The county publishes an All Hazards Disaster Planning Guide each year, produced with the Tampa Bay Regional Planning Council, and the office's web page covers flooding and flood insurance, power outages, drinking water in emergencies, emergency declarations and the county's emergency management plan. Residents who find damage after a storm can use an online residential damage report, and the office tracks river conditions along the Withlacoochee with forecasts from the National Weather Service gauges at Trilby and Croom. Residents who depend on electricity for medical equipment or who would need help evacuating can enroll in the county's Special Needs Registry, which Emergency Management runs. Registration is available online at specialneeds.hernandocounty.us, by phone at (352) 754-4083, or through a home health provider, oxygen supplier or physician, and it must be renewed every year. Officials note that registration does not guarantee a place in a shelter, so residents are urged to plan ahead. When storms threaten, Emergency Management opens sandbag stations at four locations: Anderson Snow Park, Linda Pedersen Park, Ridge Manor Community Center and Spring Lake Methodist Church. The stations are self-serve, residents typically bring their own shovels, and each opens only when the county announces it. Evacuation zones can be looked up through the state's online zone finder, which the county's page links. The office also trains volunteers. The Community Emergency Response Team course is 21 hours of basic training, and interested residents can call (352) 754-4083 to request an application. For general questions, call Emergency Management at (352) 754-4083.