SEMINOLE COUNTY, Fla. – Weeks after Hurricane Ian, Seminole County’s Emergency Director believes now is not the time for hurricane fatigue.
“If it moves a little bit more to the north, that means it is going to come here a little bit faster,” said Seminole County Emergency Director Alan Harris. “It is potentially going to be a hurricane when it hits the coast, and [when that happens], it probably won’t lose much strength by the time it gets to east Seminole County. We are only 30 miles from the coast.”
Seminole County has already handed out 6,000 sandbags ahead of Tropical Storm Nicole.
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“When you lose power, and many will, remember to point generators away from your home,” Chief Matt Kinley with Seminole County Fire Rescue told residents on Tuesday.
Kinley went over other safety reminders like, “turn around, don’t drown.”
Seminole County Public Schools will close Wednesday through the rest of the week.
Tipping fees at the landfill have been waived for folks who have construction or yard debris, and the ability to bring them to the dump
So far, only 60% of debris has been picked up since Hurricane Ian.
Shelter locations have not yet been announced but the county plans to offer transportation to residents who may need it, as long as they call the Emergency Operations Center in advance to schedule.
“No forecast shows as much rain as Hurricane Ian, but we are going to see 7 to 8 inches of rain, so there is the potential for localized flooding,” Harris said. “Not into a major flood stage, but there is some potential for getting into the moderate flood stage. It all depends on where the rain comes down.
During Hurricane Ian, harder hit areas included Winter Springs, where officials say Gee Creek turned into a river.
The following information is provided by Seminole County’s Public Works Division:
County locations:
County sites are open from 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 8. On Wednesday, Nov. 9 they will close at 12:00p.m.
There is a limit of up to 15 bags per household. County sandbag locations are unstaffed, assistance is not available. Filling and loading bags is easier with two or more people.
- Old Geneva Volunteer Fire Station, 217 2nd St., Geneva
- Lake Monroe Wayside Park, 4150 Highway 17, Sanford
- BOOMBAH Sports Complex, 3450 E. Lake Mary Blvd., Sanford
City locations
- City of Altamonte Springs
- Merrill Park, 985 Merrill Park Dr., Altamonte Springs
- Open 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
- SunRail Station, 2741 Ronald Reagan Blvd., Altamonte Springs
- Open 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
- City of Lake Mary
- Lake Mary Sports Complex, 550 Rantoul Lane, Lake Mary
- Up to 10 bags per household
- Open 8:00a.m.-5:00p.m.
- City of Longwood
- Candyland Park, 599 Longdale Ave., Longwood
- Up to 10 bags per household
- Open 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
- City of Oviedo
- Public Works Complex, 1725 Evans St., Oviedo
- Open 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
- City of Sanford, Public Works Complex
- 800 W Fulton St., Sanford
- Open 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
- City of Winter Springs
- Central Winds Park, 1000 Central Winds Dr., Winter Springs
- Up to 10 sandbags per household
- Open through Friday, November 11, 9:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m., while supplies last
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