Did last summer's Tropical Storm Lee and subsequent flooding in Occoquan and Holly Acres take you by surprise? Prepare for the upcoming hurricane season with a tax holiday, recently announced by the Virginia Department of Taxation.

Ahead of hurricane season's start on June 1, there will be no sales tax in Virginia from May 25 to May 31 on certain items that would be useful in the event of a hurricane. Exempt items can be seen here (PDF). 

While there will be no sales tax on generators and power cables that cost less than $1,000, most of the purchases must be under $60 to qualify for the sales tax holiday. Many of the eligible items have uses outside of hurricane preparation, including duct tape, fire extinguishers, first aid kits, and cell phone chargers.

The sales tax holiday will cost the Commonwealth around $2.6 million, according to an article in the Washington Examiner. The tax rate is generally 5 percent of the cost price. 

Although hurricane season doesn't officially start until June 1, a tropical storm has already been spotted near South Carolina, according to the National Weather Service.

For more information, see these hurricane preparedness tips.

____

Get daily and breaking news email updates from Woodbridge Patch by signing up for newsletters here.