Rebuilding Together Greater Florida CEO Jose Garcia recently joined Chief Meteorologist Denis Phillips on Tampa Bay 28’s DPL (Denis Phillips Live) to discuss hurricane preparedness in Florida and the importance of helping homeowners prepare before storms strike.

For more than 25 years, Rebuilding Together Greater Florida has helped families through essential home repairs, disaster recovery efforts, and hurricane preparedness initiatives. During the interview, Garcia highlighted the organization’s impact across the region, including more than 10,000 homes repaired and a network of community partners working together to strengthen Florida communities.

A major focus of the conversation was the organization’s new hurricane distribution hub, which will help support rapid response efforts before, during, and after severe weather events. The facility is designed to stage and deploy critical resources to communities impacted by hurricanes and other disasters.

Garcia explained that hurricane preparedness in Florida starts long before a storm appears on the radar. For many homeowners, especially seniors, veterans, and low-income families, preparing for a hurricane can be difficult when homes already need significant repairs.

“A roof, windows, and the overall condition of a home all play a role in storm readiness,” Garcia explained during the discussion. Home repairs and resilience improvements can help families better withstand severe weather while reducing long-term recovery costs.

The interview also highlighted practical hurricane preparedness tools that residents can use during storm season. Garcia demonstrated solar-powered battery chargers and hand-crank emergency radios, emphasizing the importance of maintaining communication when power outages occur.

These tools can help residents stay informed during emergencies, charge essential devices, receive weather updates, and access critical information when traditional power sources are unavailable.

As Florida enters another hurricane season, Rebuilding Together Greater Florida continues working to improve community resilience through home repairs, disaster preparedness education, and long-term recovery efforts.

Through partnerships, volunteer support, and community investment, the organization remains committed to helping homeowners live in safe, healthy homes while ensuring families have the resources they need to prepare for future storms.

Residents interested in learning more about hurricane preparedness in Florida, home repair programs, or disaster recovery resources can visit RTGFL.org for additional information and upcoming opportunities.