Tampa Bay Water Blog

As the 2026 hurricane season approaches, Tampa Bay Water is finalizing its hurricane season readiness efforts — reviewing emergency plans, checking fuel and supplies, training staff and coordinating closely with member governments across the region. 

“We can’t control storms, but we can control how prepared and coordinated we are to respond to them,” said Tampa Bay Water Continuous Improvement Director Shane Johnson. 

Hurricane season preparation begins each year in February and continues through May, following a structured process that strengthens readiness ahead of the June 1 start of hurricane season. 

• Reviews emergency plans and lessons learned from previous storms 
• Updates its Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan and response procedures 
• Inventories supplies, fuel and equipment 
• Tests backup communication systems 
• Maintains generator fuel levels at 90 percent before storms 
• Reviews staffing, food and employee boarding plans 
• Conducts agency-wide training and final readiness checks in May 

Tampa Bay Water continues to strengthen its preparedness through ongoing improvements identified during after-action reviews.  

Recent enhancements include: 

• Consolidating emergency plans into a single, integrated framework 
• Expanding generator capacity and contingency power planning 
• Improving fuel tracking and supply inventory systems 
• Strengthening fuel contracts to ensure reliable delivery 
• Enhancing staff support procedures, including fatigue management and boarding plans 
• Upgrading communication tools, including the addition of Starlink Mini Kits for redundancy 

Coordination with member governments is central to Tampa Bay Water’s hurricane preparation.  Before hurricane season, the agency meets with regional partners to align expectations, review communication protocols and share updates. During storms, Tampa Bay Water provides regular briefings, coordinates with county emergency operations centers and state partners and works to maintain consistent public messaging across the region. 

This collaboration ensures a shared operating picture and supports a unified regional response. 

As the region’s wholesale drinking water supplier, Tampa Bay Water’s goal for the 2026 hurricane season is to maintain a reliable water supply, support member governments and deliver a coordinated, resilient regional response.