News to Use - Hurricane Season 2020

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Hurricane season 2020 is here. Are you prepared?

Now more than ever, it is important to review your hurricane preparedness plan to a adapt quickly to a weather emergency. We know how difficult it is to focus on one more impending threat to our well-being, but we are here to help!

Cultural Resources

There are a variety of tools and resources individual artists and non-profit arts organizations can refer to when preparing for an emergency. The Arts & Business Council of Miami and the CERF+, have prepared useful guides and compiled important links we can share to help you in the process.

ArtsReady

ArtsReady is a web-based emergency preparedness platform designed to provide arts and cultural organizations with a customized business continuity plan. An initiative of South Arts, the program has different levels of membership to help organizations get started and become informed on the steps to take in case of an emergency.

Basic membership offers organizations the following:

ArtsReady newsletter

Updates and tips from ArtsReady on response, recovery, and readiness

Access the ArtsReady Library

2020 Disaster Preparedness Sales Tax Holiday

Ends This Thursday, June 4, 2020

The state of Florida’s 2020 Disaster Preparedness Sales Tax Holiday is here! The sales tax extends through Thursday, June 4, 2020. During this sales tax holiday period, qualifying items related to disaster preparedness are exempt from sales tax. For more information and a list of qualifying items, please see the Department of Revenue’s Taxpayer Information Publication on the 2020 Disaster Preparedness Sales Tax Holiday.

Miami-Dade Readiness Guide and Resources

Miami-Dade County’s Hurricane Readiness portal and guide offer detailed local information for individuals and organizations. Here you will find information on the actions you should take before, during and after a storm impacts South Florida. Here you will also find the latest guidelines and information regarding the activation of evacuation centers during the COVID-19 pandemic. You may access the portal by clinking on the link below https://www8.miamidade.gov/global/emergency/hurricane/home.page

The Hurricane Door Hanger provides a quick graphic way to identify households that need assistance after the storm. You may download and print the Hurricane Door Hanger.

You can also follow Miami-Dade County on social media for hurricane updates:

@MiamiDadeCounty

@MiamiDade311

ReadyMDC APP

The Ready MDC mobile application is now available to the public via Google Play for Android and the iOS App Store for iPhone. The mobile application allows Miami-Dade residents and visitors to get up-to-the minute information before, during and after a hurricane strike, including:

How to prepare for a hurricane

Areas that are in danger of storm surge

Evacuation center locations

Emergency bus pick-up sites

What to do with pets

Emergency evacuation & assistance information and much more

Miami-Dade Alerts

Staying informed during an imminent threat or emergency is critical in helping make the right decision. The Miami-Dade County Alerts system will notify you about public safety issues and weather advisories on your cell phone.

Alerts is a free service that enables County residents or visitors to receive emergency texts and/or emails regarding public safety issues, recommended public protective actions, or other emergency information. Sign up now.

Alliance for Response Miami

The Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs is a proud member of The Alliance for Response Miami. AFR Miami connects the arts community with the first responder and emergency management community in Miami-Dade and Monroe counties. An alliance of artists, museums, archives, libraries, galleries, cultural institutions, and emergency responders in the Miami-Dade and Monroe counties, AFR Miami provides a forum for information and communication to foster a cooperative approach to emergency management and cultural heritage protection. A Weather Ready Nation Ambassador for the National Weather Service, the Alliance for Response Miami works with arts groups, cultural institutions, and local emergency services to develop mutual understanding in advance of any emergency and/or disaster. For tips and resources to prepare before an emergency and/or disaster, please visit the webpage, Twitter @afrsflorida and Facebook page.

The Department of Cultural Affairs will stay in touch with you to make it through Hurricane season and the pandemic and all of the uncertainty surrounding the immediate future.

The most reliable way to contact us continues to be through email. You can find a staff directory at https://www.miamidadearts.org/about/staff-councils.

Please check the County’s web site for more COVID-19 information and for regular updates: miamidade.gov/coronavirus.

It is the policy of Miami-Dade County to comply with all of the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act. To request materials in accessible format, sign language interpreters, and/or any accommodation to participate in any Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs program or meeting, please contact Francine Andersen 305-375-4634 culture@miamidade.gov five days in advance to initiate your request. TTY users may also call 711 (Florida Relay Service.)

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