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South Florida Hurricane Prep Basics: A Practical Starter Kit

September 23, 2026 by I Love South Florida Leave a Comment

Disclosure: Product links go to retailers for convenience. We are not currently earning commissions from these links. If we add affiliate tracking later, we will update this notice. This page is not emergency advice — follow official county and state guidance.

Hurricane season in Florida runs June 1–November 30. The calm mistake is waiting for a named storm to shop. Shelves empty, gas lines grow, and delivery windows vanish. This hurricane prep basics assortment is a practical South Florida starter kit aligned with guidance from the Florida Division of Emergency Management and Ready.gov — build it early, then tailor for pets, infants, and medical needs.

Official checklists beat any blog when lives are on the line. Bookmark FloridaDisaster.org, Ready.gov hurricanes, and your county emergency management page. Know your evacuation zone before you need it.

Water, food, and power-out living (aim for 7 days)

Florida guidance increasingly stresses about seven days of supplies per person after recent storm seasons — not the old three-day minimum. Adjust upward for heat, multi-story buildings, and special diets.

Water: at least one gallon per person per day (drinking + sanitation). Store sealed commercial water or properly filled containers; rotate before expiry.
Food: ready-to-eat, no-cook or minimal-cook options you will actually eat — canned proteins, nut butters, bars, dried fruit, and infant formula if needed.
Manual can opener, paper goods, trash bags — when the power is out, dishwashing is optional; hygiene is not.

Light, alerts, and phone survival

Flashlights + spare batteries (one light per room beats one fancy lantern you cannot find).
NOAA Weather Radio — battery or hand-crank, with tone alerts. Cell networks congest; radio still works.
Power banks + car chargers — charge everything before landfall; keep a car charger for post-storm.
Whistle and glow sticks — simple signaling if you need help in the dark.

First aid, meds, and documents

Stocked first-aid kit plus a two-week supply of prescriptions when your doctor allows.
Copies of IDs, insurance, and med lists in a waterproof pouch (phone photos help; paper survives dead batteries).
Cash in small bills — card readers fail when power and networks do.
Mosquito protection for post-storm standing water (our climate does not take storm weeks off).

Home and go-bag extras for South Florida

Heavy-duty garbage bags, duct tape, work gloves, and a basic tool multi-kit for cleanup.
Rain ponchos and sturdy closed-toe shoes.
Pet carriers, food, water, meds, and leashes if animals are part of the household.
Full vehicle fuel before watches turn into last-minute scrambles.

What this kit is not

It is not plywood, generators, or roof work — those are home-hardening decisions with local codes and licensed help. It is not a substitute for evacuation orders. If county officials say go, go.

South Florida Doctor Reverses Blindness Using Stem Cells

February 21, 2016 by Olivia Lancaster 1 Comment

“We didn’t know how penicillin worked for many years, but it saved many lives in the meantime,” said Dr. Jeffrey N. Weiss of Margate, Florida, speaking about stem cell treatments he has used on hundreds of patients suffering from blindness.

Dr. Weiss has been enrolling blind patients in an unorthodox stem cell study that injects stem cells into the eyes of patients in one of three ways – around the retina, in the retina, and directly into the optic nerve – in hopes of restoring some people’s sight.

According to Weiss, 60% of his 278 patients with macular degeneration, glaucoma, and other diseases have regained some sight.

The procedure is not FDA approved and can cost roughly $20,000, to enroll, but to some, that is a price worth paying to restore their vision.

“I’m happy to be a guinea pig,” said Vanna Belton, who regained her sight after being treated by Dr. Weiss in Florida.

Read about Belton’s stem cell success story, reported by the Baltimore Sun, by clicking here.

As word of his success begins to spread, Dr. Weiss may be a boon to South Florida in the ways of stem cell tourism in the future.

“Move Over” Law Targets Slow Drivers

June 14, 2013 by I Love South Florida Leave a Comment

A new law that will come into effect on July 1, 2013 states that any motorist in the left lane driving 10 mph or more slower than the posted speed limit must get out of the way of someone trying to pass – or face a $60 ticket.

The “Move Over” bill was signed into law by Governor Rick Scott as a supposed way to reduce road rage on the highways in Florida.

Governor Jeb Bush vetoed a similar bill called the "Road Rage Reduction Act" in 2005, claiming he didn’t understand why the state would punish a motorist who was not speeding.

I usually don’t side with a lot of new laws, but this is one I can support.

I’ve always said that slow drivers can be more dangerous on the highway than faster ones because people need to switch lanes quickly to avoid slowing down behind them, thus more chances for an accident to occur when cars weave into each other’s lanes.

Then again, I also believe the act of pulling someone over on the highway creates dangerous traffic conditions as well.

New Florida Law Bans Texting While Driving

May 29, 2013 by I Love South Florida Leave a Comment

A new law signed by Florida Governor Rick Scott on Tuesday, May 28, 2013 will ban manual texting and e-mailing while driving as of October 1st, 2013.

The first offense will get you a $30 fine plus court costs and a second offense will cost $60.

"As a father and a grandfather, texting while driving is something that concerns me when my loved ones are on the road," Scott said in a statement after signing the bill.

A preliminary report from the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles recorded 257,912 reported crashes in 2012, but only 196 involved drivers who said they were texting at the time of the crash. Those crashes resulted in nine serious injuries and one death.

The ban will make the act of texting while driving a secondary offense, which means you would need to be pulled over for another reason in order to get a texting ticket, and you will still be able to text at stop signs and in stopped traffic.

The Famous Prancercise Workout

January 13, 2013 by I Love South Florida Leave a Comment

If you don’t know what it means to Prancercise®, then you are so out of the loop on what is hot in fitness right now!

Or maybe you just haven’t seen the viral video yet of Coral Springs woman Joanna Rohrback prancing around a park in what is described as “a springy, rhythmic way of moving forward, similar to a horse’s gait and ideally induced by elation.”

If you haven’t seen the video yet, you can do so here:

Prancercise: A Fitness Workout

Rohrback first created the Prancercise® concept in the 1980s, but it didn’t quite catch on.

Two decades, a book, and a viral training video later – it has become an internet sensation.

In an interview, Prancercise creator Joanna Rohrback said, “I prancercised since ’89. One of the things I started to do was power walking with ankle weights on, on this area along the beach in Hollywood, Florida, called the Broadwalk. And one day, I had my headphones on and I heard some really good music that got me going…and all of a sudden, I got more rhythmic, and more accentuated, and more springy, and that was it.”

Future plans? Rohrback said she hopes to open indoor Prancercise tracks franchised all around the country and even Prancercise parks with real live horses in the middle to get exercisers in the mood. Also, a clothing line including specialized shoes, t-shirts, and DVDs.

All exercising aside, I believe Joanna Rohrback has shown the world how fun and creative South Floridians can be.

You can learn more about Joanna Rohrback, owner of Prancercise LLC, by visiting Prancercise.com or checking out one of these articles she’s been featured in due to her newfound fame:

Prancercise: The Failed 80’s Exercise Video By Joanna Rohrback Goes Viral, Becomes Internet’s Latest Obsession

VIDEO: Prancercise Creator Joanna Rohrback On The Viral Success Of Her Fitness Workout

Interview with Joanna Rohrback, the Prancercise Guru
Also, you can Prancercise with Joanna Rohrback June 18, 2013 , from 6 to 9 p.m., at the Seminole Casino Coconut Creek, 5550 NW 40 St., Coconut Creek, FL. The venue is giving out more than $17,000 in cash and free casino time to the best prancers in the crowd. Call 954-977-6700, or visit seminolecoconutcreekcasino.com for more information.

News: Red Bull Flugtag Miami Prepares for Liftoff: Teams Selected

September 14, 2012 by I Love South Florida Leave a Comment

FINAL TEAMS SELECTED TO TAKE FLIGHT NOV. 3

Chosen Aviators for 2012 Event Announced at Unveiling Party

To prepare for Red Bull Flugtag soaring back to Miami this year, Red Bull hosted an unveiling party on Sept. 6 to give “wiiings” to 34 teams chosen to participate in South Florida’s flight and fight event on Saturday, Nov. 3. The main event at Bayfront Park will launch at noon to welcome thousands of Downtown Miami residents and visitors to its beautiful waterfront to watch as the avid aviators compete in the flying spectacle that awes millions around the world.

Rock With U Entertainment’s Ross Bielejeski kicked off the unveiling party at Bongos Cuban Café by announcing the selected teams as they revealed their imaginative aircraft sketches and team names, as well as took part in a little smack-talking with their competitors. This year’s participants are from all over the southeastern United States, with many living locally and around the state, but some hailing from as far as Tennessee, South Carolina and Georgia. From art students and firefighters to engineers and self-proclaimed “pirates,” the mix is sure to please the crowd as their crafted handiwork makes its way into the air…before splashing into the sea below.

The teams participating in the 2012 Red Bull Flugtag Miami are: $2.50; Angry Flamingos; Bacon Soldiers; Bakerized; Banana Pelada; Cublice MADNESS!; Da Avincineers; Despicable Me; Dragon Riders; Fins of Fury; Flyin Shiners; Flying Cox; Go Batty; Hurricane Engineers’ Angry Birds, I Love LA Eats; La Vaca Roja; Magic Carpet Ride; Mars Attack; Pirates of the Care Free Being: Return of the Castaways; Slamacow; Snow Birds; Space Cadets; Spacecoast Flugtag Associates; Team DarkWing; Team Pirate’s Palette; Team Popow with the Flying Chaparro; Team Signal 20s; Team Venezuela; The Iron Manning Iron Men; The Oatmeal Effect; The Shock Guys; Tobacco Road’s Band of Road Warriors; Twisted Sister; and UNF SAME.

“After the thrill of traveling to compete in Red Bull Flugtag Tampa last year, we knew we had a to make a second go of it this year now that it’s back in our hometown of Miami,” said Mitch Phillips of the Hurricane Engineers’ Angry Birds. “We’re even more excited about this year and plan on using our engineering knowledge to create something that’s set to take home the prize, all while having a blast and making sure everyone knows it.”

Teams of four flight crew members and one pilot will not only compete in their distance from the launch pad, but also on innovation of their crafts and costumes to impress the judges. Before watching the teams fly – at least for a few seconds – guests will also have the opportunity to meet participants, view their aeronautical inventions and vote for their favorite to win the “People’s Choice Award.” Each team will also perform a 30-second skit to win over the judges and crowd.

AIM FOR THE SKY

Flugtag, German for “flying day,” is a competition that dares the brave and tests the brainy to design, build and pilot homemade aircrafts off a 30-foot high ramp in hopes of achieving human-powered flight. All aircrafts are entirely human-powered – no motors or stored energy such as slingshots or catapults are used.

Since the first Red Bull Flugtag in Vienna, Austria, in 1991, more than 100 Flugtags have been held around the world, attracting up to 300,000 spectators for a single event. The record for the farthest flight-to-date in the United States currently stands at 207 feet and was set at Red Bull Flugtag Saint Paul in 2010 by team Major Trouble and the Dirty Dixies. The pressure is on for this year’s Red Bull Flugtag flyers to blow these records off the charts! The Red Bull Flugtag in Miami will be the third of four Flugtags held this year, with other competitions occurring in Chicago, Philadelphia and San Francisco.

Red Bull Flugtag is free and open to the public. For more information, visit redbullflugtagusa.com. Select photos are attached, but for additional images and video from past Red Bull Flugtag events for editorial use, visit redbullcontentpool.com.

Tropical Storm Isaac Set For South Florida

August 22, 2012 by I Love South Florida Leave a Comment

Several news agencies have released forecasts on Wednesday morning showing Tropical Storm Isaac, set to be a Hurricane by Thursday, on a crash course with South Florida as early as Monday.

The latest track for Isaac posted by Meteorologist Kait Parker shows the storm reaching South Florida shores as early as 2:00 a.m. on Monday, August 27th.

Republican Convention Worries

One worry is that the hurricane could reach Tampa on Tuesday when Republicans gather for the 2012 GOP Convention.

"It is too early to determine what, if any, impacts might be experienced in the Tampa area next week during the RNC," said Dennis Feltgen of the US National Weather Service.

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Whether or not Hurricane Isaac affects your region, it is always important to be prepared with a Hurricane Checklist (Coming Soon).

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Diana Nyad ends 103-mile swim attempt from Cuba to Key West

August 21, 2012 by I Love South Florida Leave a Comment

Swimmer Diana Nyad, who turns 63 on Wednesday, cancelled her fourth attempt to swim from Cuba to Key West on Tuesday morning, citing storm squalls and jellyfish. Last year’s attempt was thwarted by ocean swells, shoulder pain, and asthma.

The swimmer’s representative Mark Sollinger reported that Nyad had been pushed off course by an “extremely difficult” Gulf Stream. She was just 50 miles short of success.

The last successful swim from Cuba to Key West, Florida was accomplished by Susie Maroney in 1997, who completed the attempt in 23 hour, 47 minutes and used a shark cage for safety, according to the Los Angeles Times in 2011.

Instead of using a shark cage for protection, Diana Nyad was followed by kayaks with underwater electrical shields that emitted a frequency intended to repulse sharks.

A Reuter’s report claims that this was likely Nyad’s final attempt.

Something tells me that after four attempts, this will not be the last one!

Tropical Storm Ernesto es No Bueno

August 3, 2012 by I Love South Florida Leave a Comment

Here in South Florida, hurricanes do some of the worst damage to our homes, houses and families.

In order to prepare for one of these devastating storms, it’s important to be aware of any upcoming storm systems.

We at I Love South Florida will keep our visitors up to date with current storms and projected paths.

Be sure to return often to keep your family safe, as these storms can be incredibly unpredictable.

Tropical Storm Ernesto is expected to strengthen and is aiming toward the Gulf of Mexico.

South Florida is currently out of the danger zone, but as we all know, that can change any moment.

Below, we have Tropical Storm Ernesto’s projected strength and path during the next five days.

It is expected to turn into a hurricane Monday morning, and by then, we should have a clear picture as to where this storm will be heading.

These storms can be fatal for some if not properly prepared.

Many of us have friends and family in neighboring countries in the gulf and should be keeping them updated on Tropical Storm Ernesto’s projected strength and path.

Please come back for an updated outlook on Tropical Storm Ernesto’s status in the coming days.

A ‘Fire Rainbow’ spotted in South Florida

August 2, 2012 by I Love South Florida 1 Comment

Evergreen science + local-interest refresh. On July 31, 2012, South Floridians shared photos of glowing, dome-like colors in the clouds and nicknamed them “fire rainbows.” The nickname stuck in local conversation — even when the physics is a little more specific than the nickname.

What people usually mean by “fire rainbow”

Two different sky shows get mixed together in casual talk:

Cloud iridescence: pastel, mother-of-pearl colors in clouds, often near the sun, caused by similarly sized water droplets or ice crystals diffracting light. NASA and weather educators often point to iridescent clouds for photos like the 2012 South Florida set.
Circumhorizontal arc: the rarer “true” fire rainbow look — a colorful band parallel to the horizon — which needs high ice-crystal clouds and a sun high in the sky. That geometry is less common in some seasons/latitudes than simple iridescence.

Either way, the wow factor is real: bright colors that look painted onto storm or haze tops.

Why South Florida sees wild cloud color

Summer storm towers grow fast here. When moist air is shoved upward and thin cloud sheets form with relatively uniform droplets, you can get brief iridescent patches — especially if you are viewing from the right angle relative to the sun. Colors shift as you move, so two neighbors can swear they saw different hues.

How to look safely

Never stare at the sun. Use buildings or a hat brim to block the solar disk while you glance at nearby cloud edges.
Phone cameras often exaggerate saturation — still fun, still share.
If lightning is close, admire from indoors. No photo is worth a storm-chase mistake.

Seen something wild overhead lately? Tell us in the comments or email ILoveSouthFlorida@gmail.com. For more outdoor sky-watching, see our refreshed Perseid meteor shower guide.

Nickname retained for search familiarity; descriptions align with common meteorology/NASA explanations of iridescent clouds and related optical phenomena.