The National Hurricane Center warns Milton poses a "extremely serious threat" to Florida with life-threatening impacts, and Seminole County is making preparations ahead of the storms arrival in the county.
Hurricane Milton has the potential to be one of the most destructive hurricanes on record, with the National Hurricane Center warning that Milton poses a "extremely serious threat" to Florida with life-threatening impacts.
The fear is that the storm could slam into the Tampa Bay area before tearing through the I-4 corridor with the potential to bring hurricane force winds and extreme flooding rain to the heavily populated Central Florida.
In Seminole County, officials are working tirelessly to prepare for the storms arrival. with the Seminole County Office of Emergency Management (EM) team esuring that residents stay safe.
Sign up to receive storm-related updates directly to your cellphone by texting STORM2024 to 888-777. Alerts will be sent during and after the storm regarding important information.
Find hurricane preparedness tips by visiting prepareseminole.org.
Schools
All Seminole County Public Schools will be closed for the remainder of the week in preparation for Hurricane Milton.
Seminole County Public Schools - Closed Wednesday, October 9, through Monday, October 14.
University of Central Florida - Closed Tuesday, October 8, through Friday, October 11.
We will continue to share updates directly with families and staff via our SchoolMessenger system, social media channels, and our website at Home - Seminole County Public Schools (scps.k12.fl.us).
Shelters
The following Seminole County shelters open Wednesday, October 9, at 8:00 a.m.
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
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
Emergency shelters should be used as a last resort; if possible, evacuees should stay with family or friends. Shelter clients will be assigned a space of 3’ x 7’; belongings should fit in this space if staying at a shelter. Cots are not provided at General Population Shelters.
Special needs shelters do not substitute for the greater levels of care given in hospitals or assisted living facilities. Those requiring 24-hour skilled medical care should contact their medical professional to make arrangements. For more information, visit prepareseminole.org.
Sandbags
All Seminole County and City sandbag operations are now closed.
Power Outages
Residents are encouraged to keep their utility account number and outage reporting numbers on hand to expedite reporting an outage during and following a storm. Your power service providers are responding to Hurricane Helene and its impacts. Report power outages directly to your service provider.
DUKE ENERGY
Customers who experience an outage can report it by:
Phone: Text OUT to 57801 or call 800-228-8485
Online: Report Outage
Duke Energy app: Get the Duke Energy app
Visit Duke Energy’s Storm Center page for more resources.
FLORIDA POWER AND LIGHT (FPL)
Customers who experience an outage can report it by:
Phone: Call 1-800-4-OUTAGE (1-800-468-8243)
Online: Report Outage
Visit FPL’s Storm Center page for more resources.
SPECTRUM ENTERPRISE
Customers who experience an outage can report it by:
Phone: Call 1-888-812-2591
Online: Spectrum
TECO/PEOPLES GAS
If you suspect a natural gas leak, immediately move to safety – 300 feet or about the length of a football field – and call 911 then call 877-TECO-PGS (877-832-6747)
Visit the Teco/Peoples Gas Storm Safety page for more resources.
Closures
Seminole County Government
Government Offices - Closing at Noon on Tuesday, October 8; Closed Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. This includes all Parks, Libraries, UF/IFAS Extension Services, Trails, Boat Ramps, Museum.
Cities
City of Longwood - Closed Wednesday, October 9 through Thursday, October 10
City of Oviedo City Offices, Parks, and Facilities - Closed Wednesday, October 9 through Thursday, October 10
City of Sanford City Hall and Public Safety Complex - Closing at Noon on Tuesday, October 8
City of Winter Springs City Hall, Offices, and Facilities - Closing at Noon on Tuesday, October 8 through Thursday, October 10
City of Winter Springs Parks, Senior Center, and Therapy Pool - Closed Monday, October 7 through Friday, October 11
City of Casselberry - City Hall, All City Facilities, Parks and Trails will be closed Wednesday, October 9 through Friday, October 11.
For emergency alerts sign up on AlertSeminole.org, or for storm specific preparedness messaging text STORM2024 to 888-777.
In Central Florida people are continuing to prepare for a potential direct hit from Hurricane Milton, theme parks and attractions are closing, including Busch Gardens Tampa Bay, LEGOLAND Florida, The Orlando Eye, Gatorland and more.
Orlando International Airport is also closing, ceasing commercial operations at 9am on Wednesday, October 9.
Grocery stores are closing, including Publix with all Central Florida stores closing Tuesday, at 6pm, remaining closed until 6pm on Thursday.
As the situation becoming more dire, and Hurricane Milton continues to target Florida, state and local officials are warning residents that the time to prepare for the life-threatening storm is running out. Florida residents and visitors currently in the state should be finalizing preparations and action plans today,
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has already placed 51 of the state’s 67 counties under a State of Emergency, and on Monday, President Joe Biden approved the state’s pre-landfall emergency declaration request, which now authorizes the Department of Homeland Security and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to coordinate all disaster relief efforts and to provide appropriate assistance for required emergency measures.
We urge you to stay informed and stay safe as Hurricane Milton targets Florida.
Closures & Updates:
Emergency Info:
School Closure:
Shelter Locations:
Sandbag Locations:
Theme Parks & Attractions:
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