As Florida Governor Rick Scott declared a statewide state-of-emergency, students and residents around the University of Central Florida prepare for what could be a catastrophic Category 4 hurricane.
Knight News went to several local supermarkets and stores in search of essential hurricane supplies, and found most stores were running low on bottled water.
Waterford Lakes Target
Neighborhood Walmart on Alafaya
Walmart on East Colonial
However, the Publix on Colonial near the EOS apartment complex still had a good amount of water on the shelves.
According to UCF, when preparing for a major hurricane, adults should have enough supplies to survive on their own for 72 hours, including a gallon of water a day.
A standard Zephyrhills bottle holds approximately 16.9 ounces, which means students will need roughly 24 bottles of water to last the 72-hour period.
Along with water, UCF also recommends:
• A three-day supply for non-perishable food
• Battery-powered or hand crank radio
• Flashlight, with extra batteries
• Matches/Lighter
• First aid kit
• Whistle to signal for help
• Moist towelettes, garbage bags and plastic ties for personal sanitation
• Can opener
• Cash
• Local maps
• Cell phone with chargers, inverter, or solar charger
• Identification cards
• Any prescription medications you may need
As of The National Weather Service’s 8 p.m. advisory, Hurricane Irma is a category 4 storm with sustained winds of 140 mph, and is projected to make landfall in Florida later this week.
To be classified as a category 5 hurricane, a storm must have sustained winds of 156 mph.
Follow @UCFKnightnews on Twitter for Irma updates.
