WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — Florida has survived so many major hurricanes that the lessons the state has learned the hard way could fill a textbook for disaster preparation and response.

[For the latest updates on Friday, read our Hurricane Dorian live briefing here.]

Perhaps no truth is more frightening than the fact that a storm need not reach Category 5 strength — or even strike land — to wreak havoc on the jutting Florida peninsula and its 21.3 million residents.

“Every disaster comes with its own little hiccups,” said Bill Johnson, the director of emergency management in Palm Beach County and a 30-year veteran of working Florida storms. “My mantra is, ‘I don’t want to repeat the same mistake twice.’”

Hurricane Dorian creeped toward Florida on Monday and was expected to move “dangerously close” to the state’s coast by Tuesday night. As the state prepares for what could be major wind and rain, here are five lessons that Florida has learned about hurricanes.