Earlier today, Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings signed an Executive Order to put Orange County into a State of Emergency with Hurricane Idalia looming in the Gulf of Mexico with a projected path through Florida on Wednesday.
The Orange County Newsroom released the following details:
Orange County has fully activated its Emergency Operations Center to monitor Hurricane Idalia and relay vital safety information to our residents. As of today, Orange County has also been added to the Governor’s State of Emergency Executive Order.
Orange County is currently under a Tropical Storm Warning. Possible hazards to East Central Florida, during late Tuesday through early Wednesday, include:
Local leaders urge residents to be prepared for all storm events.
Sandbags
In preparation for rain, the county opened its free, self-service sandbag program at select parks. Residents will receive 10 unfilled sandbags per household and will need to bring their own shovel or filling tool. All self-serve sandbag sites will operate today, Tuesday, Aug. 29, until operations are shut down at 7 p.m., pending severe weather. Yesterday, a total of 5,000 sandbags were filled by residents to protect their homes.
For questions or information for residents with special needs, please dial 3-1-1 or 407-836-3111.
Shelters
Shelters in Orange County are now open for individuals needing to evacuate or seek shelter from Hurricane Idalia. ID cards are not required to enter shelters.
General Population Shelters (Pet Friendly)
Shelters for Individuals with Special/Medical Needs (Pet Friendly)
(Orange County residents requiring a Special Needs/Medical Shelter please dial 3-1-1 or 407-836-3111)
Visit ocfl.net/shelters for important information on what to bring with you to a shelter.
Shelters and Transportation for People Experiencing Unsheltered Homelessness
ALL current homeless shelters will extend capacity to people in need:
Homeless shelters are expected to open between 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. on Tuesday, August 29. No pets, alcohol, illicit drugs or weapons allowed. People unwilling or unable to seek shelter are strongly encouraged to evacuate low-lying, flood-prone areas and find barriers to avoid flying debris.
Lynx will provide free service along regularly scheduled routes, currently expected to run until 11 p.m. Tuesday. Tell the driver you want to go to the nearest emergency weather shelter. Please seek safe shelter as soon as possible Tuesday afternoon, as LYNX bus service will not operate in winds exceeding 35 mph.
County Preparation
Orange County Fire Rescue: Crews have visited some 6,000 mobile homes, handing out flyers in both English and Spanish, urging residents to temporarily relocate to a safer place to ride out the storm, like a friend or relative’s home or a nearby shelter. Canvassing for nursing homes and assisted living facilities took place yesterday to ensure the safety of this vulnerable population.
Orange County Public Works: Pumps, drain lines, generators for traffic signals, as well as areas prone to flooding have been assessed for potential storm activity. On average, 900 sandbags were distributed at each sandbag distribution site yesterday.
Orange County Utilities: Due to expected strong winds curbside garbage, recycling, large item, and yard waste collections in unincorporated Orange County have been cancelled for tomorrow, Wednesday, August 30. The regular curbside collection schedule will resume on Thursday, August 31. Residents with Wednesday collections will be serviced the following Wednesday, September 6. Residents should remove empty roll carts and any materials remaining at the curb and bring them back into the house or a secure location this evening.
The Orange County Landfill and transfer stations are scheduled to be closed on Wednesday, August 30.
Orange County Parks & Recreation: All Parks and Recreation facilities operated by Orange County will close tonight, Tuesday, August 29, at 8 p.m., including campgrounds, boat ramps, programs and rentals. Individual sites and facilities will re-open sometime on Thursday, August 31, after each location is assessed for storm damage and deemed safe for the public.
Orange County Government: Orange County Administrative offices will close on Wednesday and normal County operations will be suspended. Offices will reopen and resume normal business operations on Thursday, August 31.
External Partners
Orange County Public Schools: Orange County Public Schools will be closed on Wednesday including all after school activities. Orange County Public Schools plans to resume classes on Thursday, Aug. 31. (ocps.net)
LYNX: Regular bus operations will end at 11:00 P.M. tonight. Teams will monitor weather activity and announce a timeline to safely resume regularly scheduled services, perhaps as early as Wednesday afternoon. (golynx.com)
Courts: The courts will be closed on Wednesday, August 30. Regular business operations will resume on Thursday, August 31. (ninthcircuit.org) (myorangeclerk.com)
