Unless you’ve been living under a rock, or somewhere else without access to any television or radio media, I’m sure y’all know that tropical storm Fay is due to arrive in the Central Florida area today.

Even though so far it doesn’t appear to be anywhere near as strong as any of the 2004 hurricanes, it is so far packing quite a punch as it hits land in southern Florida, with a tornado already touching down in West Palm Beach. So I thought I’d pop in with some quick tips and links to help everyone get through the worst of the storm.

Basic Storm Information:

• The Orlando Sentinel maintains a hurricane survival guide ^[1] on its website, including a list of items you should have on hand to ride out a severe storm, like Fay.
• The website for WESH ^[2] has several great links, from live tracking of the storm to being prepared for the storm.
• If local media isn’t your thing, Mashable has a list of resources in their article “How to Chase Hurricane Fay Online ^[3].”
• Make sure you have bottled water on hand -at least several gallons per person – in case of problems with the tap water
• Also make sure you are stocked up on batteries for flashlights and other items like radios. Candles and matches couldn’t hurt either. It’s possible for power outages with a storm like this, so be prepared for that.
• Fully charge any electronics like cellphones and laptop batteries, in case of said power outages
• If you’re out and about today, fill up your gas tank and grab some cash out of an ATM. If there are any power outages, credit and debit cards may be useless.
• If you live near any elderly or disabled neighbors, take a moment to check on them before and after the storms pass. It’s the right thing to do.

Closures and Cancellations:

• Schools – for the most part, every school in Central Florida will be closed today and tomorrow. Check with yours to be sure before you send the young ones off.
• Port Canaveral is closed to large ships, which means no cruise ships today or tomorrrow. If you were scheduled to take a cruise from here, check with the cruiseline before departing for the port.
• Many airlines have canceled flights into and out of Central Florida airports, including OIA. Check with your airline if you have travel plans for today, or are expecting loved ones to fly in.
• Kennedy Space Center is closed for today.
• So far, Lynx bus service in Orlando is running, but their Access Lynx routes have been heavily scaled back. If you use the service, check with them for any schedule changes.
• SeaWorld has canceled its evening program at Discovery Cove today, but otherwise reports both parks are staying open.
• Walt Disney World reports they will open all four parks earlier today, at 8am, to allow park guests more time to enjoy them before the worst of the storm hits Central Florida.
• Universal Orlando reports both parks will also be open
• Tolls have been suspended for most roads in central and southern Florida for today. Check here for the complete list ^[4].
• Promoters report tonight’s Stone Temple Pilots show at UCF has been canceled due to the storm. Tickets can be refunded at the point of purchase.

If you have any tips, closure news or links to share with the Metroblogging Orlando readers, please leave them in the comments. Otherwise, please stay safe and don’t go out in the storm if you don’t have to.