ORLANDO, Fla. – Hurricane Milton is on a path toward Central Florida and is expected to strengthen into a major hurricane.
Counties across Central Florida have started to announce emergency shelter locations for residents to turn to in case of an evacuation.
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Below is a list of counties and their shelter locations:
BREVARD COUNTY
No shelters have been announced.
FLAGLER COUNTY
No shelters have been announced.
LAKE COUNTY
Lake County has opened 15 shelters for those who need accommodations as Milton passes through the region.
All shelters are set to open at noon on Tuesday, and residents are encouraged to bring necessary supplies like medication, bedding, and a pet carrier/crate.
General Population Shelters:
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East Ridge High, 13322 Excalibur Road, Clermont
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East Ridge Middle, 13201 Excalibur Road, Clermont
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Eustis High, 1300 E. Washington Ave., Eustis
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Leesburg High, 1401 Yellow Jacket Way, Leesburg
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Mount Dora High, 700 N. Highland St., Mt. Dora
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Tavares High, 603 N. New Hampshire Ave., Tavares
Pet-Friendly Shelters:
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Mascotte Elementary, 460 Midway Ave., Mascotte
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Round Lake Elementary, 31333 Round Lake Road, Mt. Dora
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Spring Creek Elementary, 44440 Spring Creek Road, Paisley
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Treadway Elementary, 10619 Treadway School Road, Leesburg
Pet-Friendly and Special-Needs Shelters:
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Leesburg Elementary, 2229 South St., Leesburg
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Lost Lake Elementary, 1901 Johns Lake Rd., Clermont
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Astatula Elementary, 13925 Florida Ave., Astatula
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Umatilla Elementary, 401 Lake St., Umatilla
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Villages Elementary, 695 Rolling Acres Rd., Lady Lake
For more information, residents are urged to call the Citizens Information Line at (352) 253-9999.
MARION COUNTY
Marion County is issuing a mandatory evacuation order for those living in mobile homes, RVs, modular-type homes, and site-built homes constructed before 1994.
The following locations will open as emergency shelters in preparation for Hurricane Milton. Citizens with special dietary needs should bring a supply of food with them.
Shelters will open at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 8 at the following locations:
General Population Shelters:
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Belleview Middle School, 10500 SE 36th Avenue, Belleview, FL
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Forest High School, 5000 SE Maricamp Road, Ocala, FL
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Fort McCoy School, 16160 NE Highway 315, Fort McCoy, FL
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Horizon Academy at Marion Oaks, 365 Marion Oaks Drive, Ocala, FL
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Liberty Middle School, 4773 SW 95th Street, Ocala, FL
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Madison Street Academy, 401 NW Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue, Ocala, FL
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North Marion Middle School, 2085 W Highway 329, Citra, FL
Special Needs Shelters:
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West Port High School, 3733 SW 80th Avenue, Ocala, FL (pets of special needs residents allowed)
Pet-Friendly Shelter:
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Lake Weir High School, 10351 SE Maricamp Road, Ocala, FL
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Vanguard High School, 7 NW 28th Street, Ocala, FL
Those seeking shelter should bring their own medications, food, and other essentials. Pet owners seeking shelter for animals should bring their own pet supplies, including crates.
Citizen information Line:
The Marion County Emergency Management Citizen’s Information Line will open Monday, October 7, 2024, from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. For non-emergency inquiries related to the weather event, please call 352-369-7500. For emergencies, always dial 911.
ORANGE COUNTY
No shelters have been announced.
OSCEOLA COUNTY
At this time, no evacuations are in effect for Osceola County. However, residents who live in low-lying or flood-prone areas – or in homes with potential structural issues – should have an evacuation plan ready. The following shelters will open at 5 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 8, for residents who need a safer place to ride out the storm.
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Celebration High School – 1809 Celebration Blvd., Kissimmee
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Gateway High School (Pet-Friendly) – 93 Panther Paws Trail, Kissimmee
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Harmony High School (Pet-Friendly) – 3601 Arthur J. Gallagher Blvd., St. Cloud
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Holopaw Community Center – 8801 Community Center Rd., St. Cloud
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Kenansville Community Center – 1178 S Canoe Creek Rd., Kenansville
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Kissimmee Middle School (Pet-Friendly) – 2410 Dyer Blvd., Kissimmee
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Liberty High School (Pet-Friendly) – 4250 Pleasant Hill Rd., Kissimmee
A shelter for those with special medical needs will open at noon on Tuesday, October 8, at the Osceola Council on Aging, 700 Generation Point, Kissimmee, FL 34744.
Residents who wish to evacuate are encouraged to make arrangements to ride out the storm with friends or family, or consider staying in a hotel, if possible. Shelters are available to all residents who need them but should be considered a last resort.
POLK COUNTY
Based on the current projections and estimated time of Hurricane Milton’s arrival to Polk County, the following public shelters will be open at noon on Tuesday, Oct. 8:
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Auburndale High School, 1 Bloodhound Trail, Auburndale
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Spessard Holland Elementary School, 2432 E.F. Griffin Road, Bartow
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Citrus Ridge Academy, 1775 Sand Mine Road, Davenport
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Horizons Elementary School, 1700 Forest Lake Dr., Davenport
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George Jenkins High School, 6000 Lakeland Highlands Road, Lakeland
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Highlands Grove Elementary, 4510 Lakeland Highlands Road, Lakeland
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Kathleen High School, 1100 Red Devil Way, Lakeland
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R. Bruce Wagner Elementary School, 5500 Yates Road, Lakeland
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Sleepy Hill Elementary School, 2285 Sleepy Hill Road, Lakeland
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Mulberry Middle School, 500 S.E. Martin Luther King Jr. Ave., Mulberry
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Lake Marion Creek Middle School, 3055 Lake Marion Creek Dr., Poinciana
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Chain of Lakes Elementary School, 7001 Hwy. 653, Winter Haven
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Winter Haven High School, 600 6th St. S.E., Winter Haven
Three pet friendly shelters will also be open noon on Tuesday, Oct. 8.
They are located at:
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Haines City High School, 2800 Hornet Dr., Haines City
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Lake Region High School, 1995 Thunder Road, Eagle Lake
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Tenoroc High School, 4905 Saddle Creek Road, Lakeland
Pet owners must bring shot records for their pets, an airline-approved carrying case or crate and pet food.
Special Needs shelters will also open at 7 a.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 8, for those residents with special and/or medical needs. Special needs shelters are temporary emergency facilities capable of providing care to residents whose medical condition(s) may require the use of electrical equipment, oxygen or dialysis, or individuals with physical, cognitive or medical conditions who may require assistance from medical professionals. Although special needs shelters provide more care than a general shelter, they do not provide the level of care found in a medical facility.
The Special Needs shelters are located at:
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FDOH Polk Specialty Care Unit, 1255 Brice Blvd., Bartow
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Ridge Community High School, 500 W. Orchid Dr., Davenport
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McKeel Academy, 1810 W. Parker St., Lakeland
For the most up-to-date information, please monitor your local news media or call the Citizen’s Information Line at (863) 298-7500 (locally) or toll-free 866-661-0228. Check the county website for updates at www.polk-county.net. You may also obtain further emergency information at www.facebook.com/polkcountyem and www.twitter.com/polkemergency.
SEMINOLE COUNTY
No shelters have been announced.
SUMTER COUNTY
No shelters have been announced.
VOLUSIA COUNTY
Volusia County has enacted an evacuation order for Hurricane Milton beginning 8 a.m. Wednesday, Oct. 9, for the following:
• All areas east of the intracoastal waterway
• All manufactured and mobile homes
• All low-lying areas and other areas prone to flooding
• All campsites and RV recreational parks
Shelters will open at 9 a.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 9 at the following locations:
General population shelters:
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Creekside Middle School, 6801 Airport Road, Port Orange
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Deland High School, 800 N. Hill Ave., Deland (pet-friendly)
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University High School, 1000 W. Rhode Island Ave., Orange City
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Mainland High School, 1255 W. International Speedway Blvd., Daytona Beach (pet-friendly)
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Volusia County Fairgrounds, 3150 E. New York Ave., Deland (pet-friendly)
Special needs shelters:
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Galaxy Middle School, 2400 Eustace Ave., Deltona
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David C Hinson Sr Middle School, 1860 N., Clyde Morris Blvd. Daytona Beach
General population shelters
General population shelters are stocked with necessities, including food, water, and a place to sleep. Shelters are not homes or hotels. These accommodations are for survival and are oftentimes crowded and provide little privacy or comfort.
Special needs shelters
Special needs shelters, which will be staffed by health care professionals, will also be available. Evacuees should be accompanied by only one caregiver. These shelters are not for isolated patients or people who need 24-hour dedicated care, a hospital bed, a ventilator, or other complex care. These individuals should discuss other shelter arrangements with their primary care physician, home health service provider, or caregiver.
Pet friendly shelters: Pets will be accepted at Deland High School, Mainland High School, and Volusia County Fairground shelters, however, owners must bring a few days’ worth of pet food and prescription pet meds, food bowls and water bowls, leashes and collars for each pet, Pet ID tags filled out with contact information, drinking water, potty pads or cat litter, crates, and copies of pet medical records.
Transportation to shelters Votran and Volusia County Schools will provide free transportation to public shelters. All Votran bus stops are evacuation assembly points during an evacuation order. Bus space is limited. Evacuees should take only essential items, such as personal identification, food, bedding, clothing, and medications. Carry-on items are limited to a pillow, blanket, and one carry-on bag (not larger than 22″ x 16″ x 8″). Residents can also bring a folding chair (i.e. lounge chair to sit or sleep on).
Hurricane Milton poses a significant threat of heavy rainfall, flooding, and damaging winds and gusts. Evacuees are encouraged to seek short-distance evacuations to a nearby location, stay with friends or family, or visit www.volusia.org to find local shelters and help minimize traffic congestion.
For a list of school closures across Central Florida, click here.
For a list of sandbag locations across Central Florida, click here.