I lived and still do in the South end and was here during Irma when there was flooding in the northern villages but no problems down here. TV did a great job designing the retention ponds allowing water to go from one to the other and then to the golf courses. We got a lot of rain from Irma and the retention pond we live on was no where near the top and if it ever get's that high it will go over the end where no one lives and then down the road to the golf courses. No worries down here. On the other hand they were pumping water out of the northern sections for weeks, even some of the golf car tunnels were flooded. Also, you don't need to buy a radio if you have a car. Just gas, food, water and meds. A small generator wouldn't hurt, we have one but have never used it, never lost power down here for more than 30 minutes over the last 6 years however there have been long outages in some of the northern villages.

Play lots of golf before a hurricane hits because the courses might be under water for several days post storm.

Please understand this. It is not a North or South end thing. I have been through dozens of hurricanes. Sometimes, only one part of a neighborhood gets damage, some lose electricity, some do not. Sometimes the damage is throughout. Sometimes it is only one or two houses. With Mother Nature, it is never ALL or Nothing! Plan ahead that you may be one of the unfortunate. You will be glad you did! If you are lucky, you will have kind neighbors who have no damage and are willing to share. Another reason to have extra supplies. To help those in need!

Everybody take a deep breath.

By the time a hurricane reaches us, here in the middle of the state, it has lost power and is more like a bad thunderstorm.

I have lived in The Villages for 12 years. The worst storm was Irma, which passed nearly overhead. Lots of branches down in the roads. (Quickly cleaned up). Lots of water directed towards the golf courses. Could not play golf for a week or more. (Egad!) No houses were affected by water, except only in the historic section.

Power flickered a few times. Did not go out for long. SECO is very good about preparing for storms. Can't speak about the other power companies.

If your life depends on oxygen or refrigerated meds, perhaps you want a generator. Otherwise, I would not spend the money.

Our houses are stronger and more comfortable than any shelter. Stay in your home.

Good idea to keep food and water on hand. A full gas tank may be helpful. And if you have a power bank for your cell phone, be sure it is fully charged. Haven't needed it yet, but ???

I have heard about filling the bath tub with water for flushing the toilet, and we have done that. Never needed it. All the pipes are underground, but perhaps the pumping stations could suffer a power outage? Hasn't happened yet.

The Hurricane Expo was May 6 at the Savanna Center.

Full tank of fuel in car, full propane container for gas grill,, 2 cases of water, fill tub with water, prior to hurricane I freeze several gallon freezer bags bags to ice in event of possible power loss to protect food (haven’t lost power in 12 years). Protect personal documents in water tight bag. Bug out suitcase with meds. Cash money, batteries, candles, flashlight, portable power bank for phone.
Most gas stations and grocery stores have generators.
Obviously you’ll have a lot of wind and water with hurricanes but also the possibility of tornados within the storm. If your in direct path of the storm you will encounter the eye which is calm , then you’ll encounter the back side of the storm.

Good advice to remain calm. Every city has emergency preparations and will be out to help as soon as they can. But, there are times when they can not reach you for quite some time because trees and debris are blocking the streets or another area is in more need. Also, it does not matter if your utilities are underground. The electrical grid can go haywire and the sewage can be blocked up. I have lived through this. There is a saying about those who ignore the simple act of planning and preparing, they are always the ones who suffer the most. Do not panic! Be prepared! Again, I can not fully describe the absolute discomfort of "after the storm.". It is not location that has saved the Villages with prior hurricanes, it is pure luck! Mother Nature is not selective!

There will be A LOT of coverage on the MSM. We're from the midwest where tornados happen---they can here too. When Irma hit, it did go almost overhead (unexpected, I think). We stayed put. We did clear out the master closet floor and put our sofa-bed mattress in there. Wouldn't have to and saved a night of very uncomfortable "sleeping". We did invest in an inflatable mattress after that's never been out of the box. It "might" come in handy one day---if not someone else will benefit from it, maybe. As another OP mentioned that living here, hurricanes effects are more like a serious thunderstorm. The "historical" side did flood and were without electricity for sometime. BUT their infa-structure is above ground and I think since it was developed our "powers that be" have taken excellent steps for safety etc. IF you listen to the weather "news" non-stop then it will fuel fear. Having simple safety steps in place is good as a "just in case" but don't compare to the coasts what happens!!

As an aside....a lot of the "weather tends to go around us here. Marion Cnty to the north seems to get hit quite a bit.

Keep plenty of gas, propane, water, beer, and roofing patch material on hand and things will be fine.

Looks like there was one on May 5th at the Savanna Center. Not sure if there will be others.

I lived through an emergency where there was no power for ten days in a 75 mile radius. Here is my take:

If you are reasonably comfortable you'll do fine. Comfort includes fan or AC, fridge, internet and television.

I did it during the emergency with a generator. I observed my neighbors who quickly found that gasoline or propane is used by large generators quickly and fuel is hard to obtain. No rational person thinks the propane company is promptly coming by to fill your underground tank before it's empty during an emergency.

The whole home generators powered by buried PROPANE tanks will be empty within four days. Every gas can within a hundred miles will be gone as well as extension cords. Water, in the meantime will always be available.

So what to do? Buy a small efficient inverter generator less than 2500 watts. Two five gallon gas cans and a full golf cart will provide 7 1/2 days of power (1000 watt Genset) 24/7 or 15 days at 12 hours a day. 1000 watts powers your fridge, internet, TV, some lights and fans. Yes, that's right all of that with a thousand watts, I know as I've done it.

A 2500 watt Genset will power all that and a small window AC unit. Yes, you'll have extension cords everywhere but so what. You'll be comfortable at less than $1,000

Any specific questions? I'll be happy to elaborate.

From past hurricanes in TV I noticed that services like groceries, flooded out roads etc may cause a problem up to a week after the big event has passed. So I have a mobile generator and fill up two 5L tanks with gasoline. Get gas in advance as it is harder to get the closer the hurricane. Generator tent to keep it dry and hurricane lamp if generator needs to be set up in the dark in hurricane winds.The bigger the generator the louder it is you and neighbors can’t sleep through it - so get the least powerful one but one strong enough for what you absolutely need. Long proper outdoor extension cord with multiple outlets, cost over $100 to bring power to the house. Incase more gasoline is needed, the car tank and cart tank can subsidize - have a pump to suck out the gas. Then drinking water for a week for 2 people. Paper supplies. Dry goods, eg carton milk which does not need refrigeration etc. Canned tuna or meat. I have an emergency alert radio with batteries. Flashlight with lots of batteries. Camp fire lighter. My husband did a dry run to see what was needed. I eat the canned food once a year and replace with new. I like the idea of filling bath tub to flush if needed but I use mine every day. Think of hand wipes, plates, cups as if you were going camping where there is no water. Have at least $400 cash, ATMs may not work.

We have NEVER needed any of this stuff. But it’s like property insurance - peace of mind. Then there is a bit of extra preparation needed for a tornado. But you didn’t ask about that.

Definitely prepare, we do. Water, canned goods, everything that they recommend. You never know what’s going to happen. I’d get a battery operated radio. No need for sand bags. The Villages has a good design to let the golf courses flood first.

Every June I start adding to my “Hurricane Prep Food / Water” supply. Slowly but surely, a little bit very time I go to the grocery store. Don’t wait until a few days before to stock up, the shelves will be empty. We use the HVAC closet in the garage as a place to stockpile this stuff. It keeps things cool and out of the way.

Come November when the hurricane season is over, we just use up what we stockpiled. No big deal. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

Don’t rely solely on the govt to help you out in a disaster, they will have their hands full with those who did not prepare. Dont stress out, just plan ahead.

And why should one be glad they don’t live on the south end?!?!