Today is the start of hurricane season for Orlando, Florida. So I thought I’d give some information and tips about them, plus dispel a lot of mis-information you often get.
Often when people outside Florida hear that a hurricane has hit a part of Florida, they imagine the whole state feeling the effects of it. This is very false. For all the years I’ve lived in Orlando I STILL have not been in one!
Orlando Florida is basically in the center of the state, around 70 miles from the eastern seaboard and around 120 miles from the western seaboard, or rather the Gulf of Mexico.
Once hurricanes hit land they loose their strength very quickly. Most damage you see along the coast due to hurricanes is made by the waves of the ocean, although the wind is at it’s strongest also.
All the hurricanes that have hit Florida in the past 5 years or so, the effects in Orlando was nothing more than a strong thunderstorm. In fact it’s been very rare for any hurricane to travel right into the center of the state where Orlando is.
Most travel along the coast and back out to sea, or go up the Gulf of Mexico and hit the Florida panhandle, Texas and other states out that way. So your actually pretty safe from hurricanes in Orlando.
In fact what you should fear more is tornadoes that do pop up a lot in the central Florida area. Those give you very little warning and do far more damage to whatever is in their path.
Often you have several days of notice that a major hurricane is approaching so that gives you time to leave the area or plan ahead. For the latest hurricane information go to the National Hurricane Center website for lots of information.
There you can track all hurricanes and tropical storms on their map and get lots of useful information about what to do in a hurricane. It’s hard to say how the 2012 season will be.
We have already had some early storms, but that does not mean it will be a busy year. Just keep track of any storms in the news and plan ahead. But for the most part your safe in Orlando, Florida. 
