Hurricane Information
The City of Cocoa wants to make sure all of our residents and customers are prepared this storm season. Of course, all of this information is subject to change based on the size, trajectory and intensity of each storm. It is always best to plan ahead and make sure you are prepared for Hurricane Season.
Sources of Information
Brevard County Emergency Management will always be the go to source for the latest information on any emergency situation.
If you need emergency assistance dial 9-1-1.
Brevard EOC Contact Info
Twitter: @BrevardEOC
Facebook: Brevard County Emergency Management on Facebook (Click "Get Notifications" under the "Liked" button to ensure that you see all of the posts)
Text Alerts: Text BrevardEOC to 888777 (normal text messaging rates apply)
City of Cocoa Contact Info
Website: www.CocoaFL.org
Twitter: @CityofCocoa
Facebook: City of Cocoa - Government on Facebook (Click "Get Notifications" under the "Liked" button to ensure that you see all of the posts)
Text and E-mail Alerts: Sign-up to receive text and e-mail notifications and click on the Hurricane Weather Alerts under the Alert Center Notifications
Website: www.weather.gov/mlb/
Twitter: @NWSMelbourne
Facebook: US National Weather Service Melbourne Florida on Facebook (Click "Get Notifications" under the "Liked" button to ensure that you see all of the posts)
Community Information Hotline - 211 Brevard
Phone: 2-1-1
Website: www.211brevard.org
Twitter: @2-1-1 Brevard
Facebook: 211 Brevard on Facebook (Click "Get Notifications" under the "Liked" button to ensure that you see all of the posts)
Website: www.edline.net/pages/Brevard_County_Schools
Brevard Public Schools
Website: www.edline.net/pages/Brevard_County_Schools
Twitter: @BrevardSchools
Facebook: Brevard Public Schools (Official) on Facebook (Click "Get Notifications" under the "Liked" button to ensure that you see all of the posts)
Mobile App: BPS Mobile (Sign-up for push notifications to get the latest information on school closures)
Mobile App: BPS Mobile (Sign-up for push notifications to get the latest information on school closures)
Other Important Phone Numbers and Online Resources
City of Cocoa Police Non-Emergency Line: (321) 639-7620
Brevard County Sheriff Non-Emergency Lines:
- North Area: (321) 264-5100
- Central Area: (321) 633-7162
- South Area: (321) 952-6371
Florida Price Gouging Hotline (To Report): (866) 966-7226
Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA): (800) 621-3362; www.ready.gov
Florida City Gas: (888) 352-5325
Florida Division of Emergency Management: www.floridadisaster.org
National Hurricane Center: www.nhc.noaa.gov
Small Business Administration (Business Preparedness Information): https://www.sba.gov/business-guide/manage-your-business/prepare-emergencies
United Way of Brevard assists with storm related volunteer efforts. Please make sure to prepare yourself and your family first and then if you are able, here are links if you are interested in volunteering.
Small Business Administration (Business Preparedness Information): https://www.sba.gov/business-guide/manage-your-business/prepare-emergencies
Volunteer Information
United Way of Brevard assists with storm related volunteer efforts. Please make sure to prepare yourself and your family first and then if you are able, here are links if you are interested in volunteering.
- United Way Community Points of Distribution: https://online.uwbrevard.org/Volunteer/VolOpInfo.jsp?nbr=565*0
- United Way Volunteer Reception Center: https://online.uwbrevard.org/Volunteer/VolOpInfo.jsp?nbr=566*0
- VOAD Debris and Tree Removal: https://online.uwbrevard.org/Volunteer/VolOpInfo.jsp?nbr=570*0
- VOAD Tarp Installation: https://online.uwbrevard.org/Volunteer/VolOpInfo.jsp?nbr=572*0
- FEMA Disaster Recover Centers: https://online.uwbrevard.org/Volunteer/VolOpInfo.jsp?nbr=573*0
- Disaster Stress Management: https://online.uwbrevard.org/Volunteer/VolOpInfo.jsp?nbr=571*0
- Disaster On-Call Volunteers: https://online.uwbrevard.org/Volunteer/VolOpInfo.jsp?nbr=584*0
- 2-1-1 Emergency Phone Operators: Call Belinda Stewart at 321-631-9290.
Your Pathways to Preparedness
Brevard County Emergency Management helps you be prepared and stay informed. Visit www.embrevard.com to see their steps to preparedness this storm season including: knowing your risks, building a kit, having a plan, staying informed, and getting involved.
Hurricane Tips:
Other Important Information
Sandbags
Not all homes need sandbags. Research ahead of time if you live in a low-lying area that is prone to flooding. Sandbags may be used to protect your home by placing them across doorways to prevent water from entering the building. Most home improvement stores carry sandbags. You can purchase them and keep them in your hurricane supply kit and then fill them with sand or dirt available on your property. Home improvement stores often sell fill dirt as well. Remember DO NOT fill your bags with sand from the beach. If you plan ahead, this will save you time when a storm is approaching. Remember, lines were quite long to get sandbags during Hurricane Matthew. Location and availability of sandbags available prior to a storm will be updated as the information becomes available. Most local municipalities do not provide sandbags prior to a storm.
Barrier Islands and Causeways
Brevard County has several "barrier islands". Any community east of the Indian River Lagoon is considered a barrier island. Barrier island communities include Merritt Island, Cape Canaveral, Cocoa Beach, Satellite Beach, Indian Harbour Beach, Indialantic and Melbourne Beach. Typically in a storm situation the barrier islands will be the first communities under an evacuation notice as they are more susceptible to high winds causing downed power lines and debris. If you live on a barrier island, plan to be without utility services during and after a storm.
Causeways to the barrier islands will remain open prior to a storm but will not be safe to travel during a storm and will be closed after a storm has passed while the Florida Department of Transportation inspects to make sure the bridges are safe to travel on. So access back to the barrier islands after a storm will be limited to when those causeways are inspected and opened back up. Make sure you know your evacuation route and make sure to keep updated through Brevard County Emergency Management to find out when the causeways are re-opened.
Public Services
Public services such as Fire/EMS, Public Works, Utilities and FPL may be delayed during a storm for the safety of those employees. Please plan ahead of time. This is why it is so important to heed any evacuation warnings.
Water Utility
Please be prepared to be without certain utilities, including electricity and potable water, after the storm. Interruption in service could last for several days depending on how widespread and how severe the storm damage is.
The barrier island water system may need to be isolated from the main water system to protect the integrity of the entire utility system. If this happens, there will still be water service, but it will be limited to the amount stored in tanks on the barrier island. Local utility officials will evaluate the speed, direction, and intensity of the forecasted storm to determine if and when an isolation to the system is needed. Once the decision has been made, the message will go out through the multiple communication channels throughout the entire county and will be communicated to the news media.
Barrier islands include all areas east of the Indian River including Merritt Island, Cape Canaveral and Cocoa Beach. Water main breaks are highly likely on the barrier islands but can happen at any location where the storm hits. All residents are advised to be prepared for potential loss of water service and for the possible issue of a Precautionary Boil Water Notice once water service is restored. Prepare by storing water ahead of the storm.
Electric
Electricity outages are likely during a storm. You can prepare ahead of time by making sure the trees in your yard are free from any power lines prior to storm season. Visit http://www.fplmaps.com/ to see outages and keep track of when power will be restored.
- If a hurricane approaches, be prepared to lose power for several days.
- FPL encourages customers to visit the FPL Storm Center page for tips on how to prepare.
- Once the storm is over, visit the FPL Power Tracker for updates on power restoration. You can also follow FPL on Facebook (Florida Power & Light) and Twitter (@insideFPL) for updates.
- You can download the new FPL Mobile App to report or get the latest information on outages. Customers can also get on-the-go, instant and secure access to their accounts. The app is available for download in the iOS App Store and Google Play.
- Call 1-800-4-OUTAGE (1-800-468-8243) immediately to report a dangerous condition such as a downed power line.
Post Storm and Debris Cleanup
Please be patient after the storm has passed. Public service personnel are working hard to get our communities back up and running safely as quickly as possible. You can help by keeping the roads clear so service personnel can get to areas of concern quickly.
Make sure to keep your debris piles separated. Debris pickup will go a lot faster if debris is separated into vegetative and other debris piles. Debris pick-up will begin as quickly as possible.
Following a storm, Brevard County Waste will be sending debris trucks around to pick up debris. They are covering a large portion of the county which can delay pickup. Waste Management can not pick up any debris that is not in a Waste Management can during the time frame that the county is collecting debris. If you have smaller piles of debris, you can place them in your waste receptacle to be picked up by Waste Management.
Make sure to keep your debris piles separated. Debris pickup will go a lot faster if debris is separated into vegetative and other debris piles. Debris pick-up will begin as quickly as possible.
Following a storm, Brevard County Waste will be sending debris trucks around to pick up debris. They are covering a large portion of the county which can delay pickup. Waste Management can not pick up any debris that is not in a Waste Management can during the time frame that the county is collecting debris. If you have smaller piles of debris, you can place them in your waste receptacle to be picked up by Waste Management.