Officials with the city of Fort Lauderdale are giving out free sandbags to residents in an effort to help them prepare for rainy season.
The program, which began on May 16, allows residents to pick up prefilled sandbags from five locations on the third Saturday and Sunday of every month through November, which happens to coincide with Atlantic hurricane season. The stations are open from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Five prefilled bags will be distributed per vehicle, according to a flyer advertising the initiative. Only those living in Fort Lauderdale are eligible to receive bags while supplies last, and proof of residency is required.
The city’s website also includes guidelines regarding the disposal of sandbags — only dry and uncontaminated bags should be reused, and those that have been exposed to floodwaters should be placed in residents’ bulk trash piles for collection. The sand within the bags should never be disposed of in drains, or on streets and beaches.
The city is also offering residents an opportunity to fill up sandbags themselves at two self-serve sites, which are open every day from 6:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. — the Floyd Hull/Morton Center, located at 2800 S.W. 8th Ave. and Mills Pond Park, located at 2201 N.W Ave.
Where will sandbags be distributed in Fort Lauderdale?
According to the city’s website, distribution sites include:
Floyd Hull/Morton Center, located at 2800 S.W. 8th Ave.
George English Park, located at 1101 Bayview Dr.
Holiday Park, located at 1150 G. Harold Martin Dr.
Mills Pond Park, located at 2201 N.W. 9th Ave.
Riverland Park, located at 950 S.W. 27th Ave.
When is hurricane season in Florida? When does rainy season begin?
Hurricane season in Florida begins June 1 and ends Nov. 30, but we’re already in the typical wet season in some places.
South Florida’s “wet season” lasts from mid-May through October, with mid-May through July usually being the “stormiest” phase of the process, according to a 2025 outlook issued by the National Weather Service office in Miami.
Lately, the region has been unseasonably warm, and the state at large has been facing its worst drought in 25 years. As the heat continues to intensify with the approach of summer, wildfire dangers are expected to last longer than usual.
Sarah Perkel is a South Florida Connect Reporter for the USA TODAY Network’s Florida Connect team. You can get all of Florida’s best content directly in your inbox each weekday day by signing up for the free newsletter, Florida TODAY.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Fort Lauderdale residents can receive free sandbags for rainy season