ORLANDO, Fla. – Hurricane Milton is on a path toward Central Florida and has made landfall as a major hurricane.
Counties across Central Florida have emergency shelter locations open 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
Brevard County opened a new pet-friendly shelter Wednesday night. The shelter is open at:
- Port St John Community Center, 6650 Corto Road, Cocoa, FL 32927
That’s in addition to the three shelters already open for residents who live in manufactured or mobile homes, flood-prone or low-lying areas, or those needing safe harbor from potentially dangerous wind and rain conditions anticipated from Hurricane Milton. The following shelters are still available for general population and families wishing to bring their pets.
- South Mainland Community Center, 3700 Allen Ave., Micco, FL 32976
- Walter Butler Community Center, 4201 N Cocoa Blvd, Cocoa, FL 32927
- Wickham Park Community Center, 2815 Leisure Way, Melbourne, FL 32935
Space Coast Area Transit will provide transportation to the shelters for registered special needs clients.
To request transportation to a special needs shelter call 2-1-1.
Residents going to shelters will need to take their own supplies, including bedding, folding chairs, or sleeping bags; any needed medications; multiple changes of clothing and sturdy shoes; personal hygiene items; and entertainment items, like games, cards, books or magazines.
For more information about this and other Hurricane Milton questions, call the Community Information Hotline at 2-1-1.
FLAGLER COUNTY
According to county officials, a pet-friendly shelter is open at Rymfire Elementary School, located at 1425 Rymfire Drive.
LAKE COUNTY
Lake County has opened 15 shelters for those who need accommodations as Milton passes through the region.
Residents are encouraged to bring necessary supplies like medication, bedding, and a pet carrier/crate.
Residents who need help getting to a shelter should call the Citizens Information Line to schedule their travel. LakeXpress, Lake County’s fixed-route bus system, will be providing free rides on Wednesday to travelers who state they need to be taken to a shelter. Riders must tell the driver they are going to a shelter to use the free ride.
General Population Shelters:
- East Ridge High, 13322 Excalibur Road, Clermont
- East Ridge Middle, 13201 Excalibur Road, Clermont
- Eustis High, 1300 E. Washington Ave., Eustis
- Leesburg High, 1401 Yellow Jacket Way, Leesburg
- Mount Dora High, 700 N. Highland St., Mt. Dora
- Tavares High, 603 N. New Hampshire Ave., Tavares
Pet-Friendly Shelters:
- Mascotte Elementary, 460 Midway Ave., Mascotte
- Round Lake Elementary, 31333 Round Lake Road, Mt. Dora
- Spring Creek Elementary, 44440 Spring Creek Road, Paisley
- Treadway Elementary, 10619 Treadway School Road, Leesburg
Pet-Friendly and Special-Needs Shelters:
- Leesburg Elementary, 2229 South St., Leesburg
- Lost Lake Elementary, 1901 Johns Lake Rd., Clermont
- Astatula Elementary, 13925 Florida Ave., Astatula
- Umatilla Elementary, 401 Lake St., Umatilla
- 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 has closed all of the general population and pet-friendly shelters. The special-needs shelter at West Port High School in Ocala has a few residents remaining.
Citizen information Line:
For non-emergency inquiries related to the weather event, please call 352-369-7500. For emergencies, always dial 911.
ORANGE COUNTY
Orange County, Florida Government still has these shelters open for individuals needing to evacuate. ID cards are not required to enter shelters.
- Apopka High School (Pet friendly)
- Lake Buena Vista High School
- Oak Ridge High School
- Odyssey Middle School
- Timber Springs Middle School
- Union Park Middle School (Pet friendly)
- Wedgefield K-8 School
Additionally, 3 shelters for persons with special needs (PSN) are open for Orange County residents. Please dial 3-1-1 or 407-836-3111. LYNX will provide free service to shelter locations.
- Goldenrod Recreation Center
- Silver Star Recreation Center
- South Econ Community Park
Remember to bring essentials, including bedding, pillows and toiletries. Visit ocfl.net/shelters for more information on what to bring with you to a shelter.
OSCEOLA COUNTY
- All public shelters have closed
POLK COUNTY
The following public shelters are still open:
- Auburndale High School, 1 Bloodhound Trail, Auburndale
- Highlands Grove Elementary, 4510 Lakeland Highlands Road, Lakeland
Two pet-friendly shelters are located at:
- Lake Region High School, 1995 Thunder Road, Eagle Lake
- 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:
- FDOH Polk Specialty Care Unit, 1255 Brice Blvd., Bartow
- Ridge Community High School, 500 W. Orchid Dr., Davenport
- 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
The Seminole County Office of Emergency Management opened shelters Wednesday.
Pet-friendly shelters are noted below. Not all shelters accept animals. Please ensure the shelter you use is Pet-Friendly before bringing along animals. All animals need to be in carriers and we ask that you please provide your own crate/carrier.
GENERAL POPULATION:
- Lyman High School - 865 S Ronald Reagan Blvd, Longwood *Pet-Friendly*
- Crystal Lake Elementary School - 231 Rinehart Rd, Lake Mary,
- Lawton Chiles Middle School - 1240 Sanctuary Dr, Oviedo
- Midway Elementary School - 2368 Brisson Ave, Sanford
- Winter Springs High School - 130 Tuskawilla Rd, Winter Springs
Shelters should be used as a last resort alternative to evacuation or sheltering with friends or family. Cots are not provided at General Population Shelters.
Special needs shelters are open to those who need electricity for medical devices or medication or have other qualifying specific medical needs. To register yourself or a loved one for the special needs shelter program, visit PrepareSeminole.org or call 407-665-0000.
SPECIAL NEEDS:
- Bentley Elementary School - 2190 S Oregon Ave, Sanford *Pet-Friendly*
- Highlands Elementary School - 1600 Shepard Rd, Winter Springs
- Layer Elementary School - 4201 FL-419, Winter Springs
SUMTER COUNTY
The following shelters are currently open:
- Sumter County Fairgrounds, 7620 State Route 471, Bushnell
- Special Needs Shelter at the Wildwood Community Center, 6500 Powell Rd, Wildwood. (Open for those needing assistance or medical assistance. It will be operated by the Sumter County Health Department.)
Stay informed by checking our website at www.sumtercountyfl.gov or calling 352-689-4400 for updates. All shelters are pet-friendly, so DO NOT leave your pets behind.
Residents of The Villages® development can take comfort in knowing that homes in this community were built above the 100-year floodplain and constructed to withstand predicted wind speeds. As a result, sheltering in place is recommended for these residents. For more information on sheltering in place, visit www.sumterprepares.com.
VOLUSIA COUNTY
The following Volusia County shelters are still open:
General population shelters:
- Creekside Middle School, 6801 Airport Road, Port Orange
- DeLand High School, 800 N. Hill Ave., Deland (pet-friendly)
- University High School, 1000 W. Rhode Island Ave., Orange City
- Mainland High School, 1255 W. International Speedway Blvd., Daytona Beach (FULL CAPACITY)
- Volusia County Fairgrounds, 3150 E. New York Ave., Deland (pet-friendly)
Special needs shelters:
- Galaxy Middle School, 2400 Eustace Ave., Deltona
- 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.