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2014 Atlantic Hurricane Season Officially Begins Sunday

MIAMI (CBSMiami) — Here we go again. Check your battery, water and canned food supplies because the 2014 Atlantic Hurricane season is officially underway.

June 1st is the official start to hurricane season which runs through November 30.

The start of hurricane season is when South Florida residents should stock up on supplies before there's any type of storm threat.

Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam says the best defense is to plan early. His department is responsible for food and water supplies during emergencies.

The agriculture agency says Floridians should stay informed of the latest weather information, have an emergency plan and prepare a hurricane kit. The kit should include food, water, blankets, flashlights and prescription medications.

Floridians should also know the location of their local shelter and purchase supplies during the state's tax holiday, which runs from May 31 to June 8.

You can buy batteries, flashlights, tarps and even generators worth $750 or less without having to pay the state's 6 percent sales tax.

Click here to see the full list of supplies included in the Hurricane Sales Tax Holiday.

Federal forecasters are expecting a slower-than-usual Atlantic hurricane season, with eight to 13 tropical storms and three to six hurricanes. There's no way to tell whether any of those potential storms will strike the U.S. coastline during the six-month season.

Despite that forecast, every South Floridian should be ready for a storm. It's been 10 years since the historic 2004 hurricane season, when four hurricanes affected Florida for the first time since record-keeping began: Charley, Frances, Ivan and Jeanne. There were 15 named storms that season, nine of which were hurricanes. But those four hurricanes remain among the costliest hurricanes to hit the U.S.

You can get help creating your emergency storm plan by downloading the CBS4 Hurricane Guide.

(TM and © Copyright 2014 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2014 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

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