Plus, a look inside Florida’s giant emergency management hub
Recent heavy rains bring a respite from Florida’s months-long drought and wildfires, the state legislature approves new sales tax breaks on home-hardening efforts and new funding for wind mitigation, plus Florida emergency managers show-off their giant, fully operational Central Florida hub and it’s a doozie! It’s all in this week’s Disaster Management Digest.
Drought Update: Florida’s historic drought could finally be coming to a close, with heavy rains over the past two weeks prompting many counties to ease water restrictions and burn bans. Lee and Collier counties in Southwest Florida lifted water restrictions following nearly 4.5 inches of rain, with burn bans now lifted in communities including Jacksonville and Hernando County. Leon County, the worst in the U.S. for weeks, has now been downgraded from “exceptional” to “extreme” and “severe” drought conditions in different areas. Above normal rainfall is forecast for this week. As for wildfires, while some still burn in Central and Southwest Florida, the numbers appear to be in the low double digits, as opposed to the oppressive 500+ fires we reported in mid-May. Hopefully, the drought will continue to subside in time for Fourth of July festivities with fireworks.
An impact-resistant window. Courtesy, Southern Home Improvement Center
Tax-Free Resilience: Along with a new state budget, the Florida Legislature late last month approved a 2026 Tax Relief Package that includes a three-year sales tax exemption on impact-resistant windows and doors. Senate Finance and Tax Committee Chair Bryan Avila (R-Miami Springs) noted, “We know severe weather can strike at any time … making impact-resistant windows and doors tax-free for the next three years will help Floridians fortify their homes and improve safety with the added benefit of helping to bring down the cost of property insurance.” The Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS) recommends upgrading windows and doors as two of the three most important ways to lower a home’s risk of damage from storms.
My Safe Florida Home Program: The legislature also approved more than $405 million in reappropriated funds to address the backlog of approximately 45,000 homeowners who completed the free inspections but had not yet received grants from the My Safe Florida Home (MSFH) program, due to depleted funding. This will allow the Department of Financial Services, which administers this wind mitigation program, to continue processing applications already in the queue. Florida’s 2026–27 budget includes more than $600 million in combined MSFH and My Safe Florida Condo Pilot Program funding, signaling long‑term program stability and a legislative commitment to mitigation investments. The program will continue to prioritizes low‑ and moderate‑income homeowners.
FDEM Deputy Executive Director Ben Fairbrother (left) and team with rows of equipment inside the Central Operations and Coordination Office. Courtesy, FDEM
Florida’s Shining Jewel in Disaster Management: Last summer, the Florida Division of Emergency Management (FDEM) announced the grand opening of the Central Operations and Coordination Office (COCO). This state-of-the-art facility in Auburndale, in Central Florida, serves as the major hub for disaster supplies, logistics, and coordination. Now, for this hurricane season, the agency offered a tour of the 421,600-square-foot facility during the recent Florida’s Training for Emergency Management Symposium, in nearby Orlando. In a prior post on LinkedIn, FDEM’s Deputy Executive Director, Ben Fairbrother, shared pictures from an earlier tour, showing seemingly endless rows of disaster preparedness materials and equally impressive facts and figures regarding the facility, including: 400 trailer spaces, 100+ sleeping quarters, three hazardous materials closets, drive-in loading capabilities, and even a helipad able to land Florida National Guard aircraft.
Kevin Guthrie (center) leads the tour of the giant warehouse inside the Central Operations and Coordination Office. Courtesy, FDEM
A true sense of the building’s scale can be seen in the recent tour highlights in this FDEM LinkedIn post, showcasing the operational spaces, vehicles, trailers, and the sunny personnel ready to spring into action. We are incredibly proud to live in a state with leaders like Florida Emergency Management Director Kevin Guthrie, who understand the gravity of disaster response and emergency preparedness. Facilities such as COCO further demonstrate our insistence to be ready when the next storm strikes.
LMA Newsletter of 6-15-26
