Hurricane Response

In 2024, our area was hit by two devastating hurricanes back-to-back, Hurricane Helene and Hurricane Milton. It was quite fortuitous that we established our Disaster Preparedness Committee in July of 2024 and had the opportunity to purchase what is now the Rotary Club of Seminole trailer. We purchased this trailer specifically for the purpose of responding to hurricanes, and that we did. It is a point of pride for our Club that we were the very first organization on the Barrier Islands after Hurricane Helene distributing water and ice to those hardest hit. We were there before FEMA.

In partnership with the Seminole Area Chamber of Commerce, we made use of our trailer for "pop-up" hurricane drives to collect food and supplies following Hurricane Helene and Hurricane Milton.

We are now better positioned to respond to future natural disasters in the Tampa Bay area and surrounding counties.

Shelterbox

ShelterBox provides emergency shelter and vital supplies to support communities around the world overwhelmed by disaster and humanitarian crisis. When families are in need of emergency shelter, ShelterBox does everything they can to help them

Since ShelterBox was founded, they have responded to over 240 disasters and humanitarian crises in more than 90 different countries and provided emergency aid for well over one million people.

The ShelterBox solution in disaster response is as simple as it is effective. They deliver the essentials people need to survive and begin to rebuild their lives in the aftermath of a disaster. ShelterBox aid is tailored to a disaster but typically includes a disaster relief tent for a family, thermal blankets and groundsheets, water storage and purification equipment, solar lamps, cooking utensils, a basic tool kit, mosquito nets and children’s activity pack.

For more information, please visit the ShelterBox website.