Hurricane Dorian may have you going to a shelter. Here is what to bring

Slow-crawling Hurricane Dorian is making its way to Florida — and it’s time to start planning.

Miami-Dade, Broward and Monroe County have residents living in evacuation zones. But where do you go if you don’t have family or homes in other parts of the state or nation?

Miami-Dade, Broward and the Keys open public shelters to help those who need to leave their homes and have nowhere to go.

Miami-Dade may issue, if necessary, two types of evacuations — a recommendation or an order. If either is put into effect and you aren’t feeling safe at home, the county has an interactive map so you can find the nearest shelter.

When you put in your address, the map will show you the nearest open evacuation centers within 1 to 40 miles from you.

Broward County has more than 30 shelters, but the number that will open depends on the severity and reach of Dorian. Three will accept pets.

The county has made it possible to type in a city in their search and find the corresponding shelter. You can find the website here.

Monroe County shelters can only protect against Category 1 and 2 hurricanes. The four shelters that could open:

▪ Key West High School - 2100 Flagler St., Key West, FL - Capacity: 352

▪ Sugarloaf School - 255 Crane Blvd., MM 19, Sugarloaf Key, FL - Capacity: 307

▪ Marathon High School - 350 Sombrero Rd., Marathon, FL - Capacity: 280

▪ Coral Shores High School - 89901 Overseas Hwy, MM 89.5, Plantation Key, FL - Capacity: 236

If Dorian affects Monroe as a Category 3, 4 or 5 residents are told that “evacuation becomes mandatory for everyone,” according to the county’s website. That means, everyone has to leave Monroe.

When, and if the time comes, you can’t bring everything with you to the shelter because there will be limited space.

Only about a 20-foot square area is assigned to each person; a family of two will get about 40 feet and so on.

Here are important items you should bring to a shelter:

▪ A sleeping bag, with pillows and blankets.

▪ Medication.

▪ Portable chargers.

▪ Radio.

▪ Flashlights.

▪ Toiletries and personal care items.

▪ Snacks and non-perishable food items that meet your special needs. Most shelters do not serve food.

This story was originally published August 30, 2019 at 2:48 PM with the headline "Hurricane Dorian may have you going to a shelter. Here is what to bring."

Devoun Cetoute

Miami Herald

305-376-2026

Miami Herald Cops and Breaking News Reporter Devoun Cetoute covers a plethora of Florida topics, from breaking news to crime patterns. He was on the breaking news team that won a Pulitzer Prize in 2022. He’s a graduate of the University of Florida, born and raised in Miami-Dade. Theme parks, movies and cars are on his mind in and out of the office.