Updates and Information, Hurricane Milton preparation, Oct. 7, 2024 pm
PBS map.
Office of Governor Ron DeSantis Office
Tallahassee, Florida - As of 5:00 p.m. ET, Hurricane Milton is located about 675 miles southwest of Tampa, Florida with maximum sustained winds of 180 mph. Milton is forecast to move near or just north of the Yucatan Peninsula today and Tuesday, then cross the eastern Gulf of Mexico and approach the west coast of Florida by Wednesday.
Governor DeSantis issued Executive Order 24-215, amending EO 24-214, declaring a state of emergency for 51 counties.
Hurricane Warning:
Charlotte, Citrus, DeSoto, Hardee, Hernando, Highlands, Hillsborough, Lake, Lee, Levy, Manatee, Marion, Orange, Osceola, Pasco, Pinellas, Polk, Sarasota, Seminole and Sumter counties.
Hurricane Watches:
Brevard, Clay, Collier, Duval, Flagler, Glades, Hendry, Indian River, Nassau, Okeechobee, Putnam, St. Johns and Volusia counties.
Tropical Storm Warnings:
Coastal Franklin, Coastal Jefferson, Coastal Wakulla, Collier, Dixie, Gilchrist, Glades, Hendry, Lafayette, Monroe, Okeechobee, Suwannee, Taylor, Western Alachua and Western Columbia counties.
Tropical Storm Watches:
Baker, Bradford, Broward, Eastern Alachua, Eastern Columbia, Hamilton, Inland Jefferson, Madison, Martin, Miami-Dade, Palm Beach, St. Lucie and Union counties.
Storm Surge Warnings:
Charlotte, Citrus, Collier, Hernando, Hillsborough, Lee, Levy, Manatee, Monroe, Pasco, Pinellas and Sarasota Counties.
Storm Surge Watches:
Brevard, Clay, Duval, Flagler, Nassau, St. Johns, Putnam and Volusia Counties.
State Assistance Information Line
Now open and accepting calls 24/7 with English, Spanish and Haitian-Creole speakers available at 1-800-342-3557.
Florida Department of Emergency Management (FDEM)
Updates on Hurricane Milton
Recovery efforts for Hurricane Helene:
X (formerlyTwitter): x.com/FLSERT
Instagram: instagram.com/flsert/
Facebook: facebook.com/FDEM
Website: FloridaDisaster.org/Updates
Navigating Hurricane season
To learn more about navigating hurricane season, residents can visit FloridaDisaster.org/Guide.
County Resources
Local resources available for Citrus and Levy Counties:
CITRUS COUNTY:
sheriffcitrus.org/divisions/bureau_of_support_operations/emergency_operations.php
LEVY COUNTY:
levydisaster.com/wordpress/
A link ot emergency management department contacts for updates on county resources for all Florida counties can be found at FloridaDisaster.org/Counties
Veterans
The VISN 8 Clinical Contact Center is operational 24/7/365 for virtual care and tele-emergency care to support Florida Veterans enrolled for VA Health Care. Call 1-877-741-3400.
Evacuation Updates - Transportation
The Florida Department of Corrections (FDC) is actively preparing mitigation measures by deploying evacuation assets and identifying areas of evacuation. Updates will be made available to the public at www.fdc.myflorida.com/weather-updates.
Tolls Suspended to Aid Hurricane Milton Evacuees
Tolls have been suspended on facilities in West Florida and Central Florida as well as Alligator Alley to help facilitate traffic flow as Floridians evacuate. Specific details and facilities can be found listed here:
flgov.com/2024/10/07/governor-ron-desantis-suspends-tolls-to-assist-hurricane-milton-evacuations/
Transportation Modes:
Seaports, Airports, Rail, and Transit Agencies are preparing for storm conditions
Port Tampa Bay, Seaport Manatee, Port St. Pete are closing waterside at 8 a.m., October 8.
Port Everglades is closed waterside with restrictions.
Port Canaveral is closing waterside with restrictions at 8a.m., October 8.
Tampa International Airport is suspending flight operations at 9 a.m. Tuesday, October 8.
Punta Gorda Airport announced suspending flight operations starting mid-day Tuesday, October 8.
St. Pete-Clearwater International Airport is closing Tuesday, October 8 after the last afternoon flight departure.
Sarasota/Bradenton International Airport announced suspending operations at 4pm local time on Tuesday, October 8.
SunRail operations will be suspended starting Tuesday, October 8.
Transit agencies in the impacted area are offering evacuation transportation to shelters. Please check with your local transit provider for schedules.
Please check with your airline or transportation service provider directly about potential service impacts.
Accommodations for Evacuees and First Responders
Scenic Stays Vacation Rentals in Northwest Florida has a 35% discount with promotion code MILTON. Go to myscenicstays.com or call 850-407-2244 to book.
VISIT FLORIDA Emergency Accommodation Modules will remain available to provide real-time hotel availability and lodging resources for impacted Floridians and visitors at:
www.expedia.com/florida
www.priceline.com/partner/v2/florida-emergency-accommodations
www.booking.com/
Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort has extended special offers for Evacuees and First Responders in need of accommodations in the event of an evacuation. Please see the linked pages below for more information.
EVACUEES
Good for stays through October 31. Book by October 29:
www.sandestin.com/offers-packages/you-deserve-an-escape?_ga=2.178643042.774451121.1727048034-528553798.1721404552
FIRST RESPONDERS
Good for stays through December 31. Book by December 29:
www.sandestin.com/offers-packages/we-love-our-heroes?_ga=2.178643042.774451121.1727048034-528553798.1721404552
Schools
The Florida Department of Education (DOE) is actively monitoring Hurricane Milton and is working with school districts as they begin preparation efforts. The Department is also in close contact with districts that have been impacted by Hurricane Helene and will assist them with addressing critical needs ahead of the storm. Updates on school closures can be found at FLDOE.org/storminfo.
State Parks
DEP published a storm updates webpage to keep state park visitors updated of closures: FloridaStateParks.org/StormUpdates. Visitors with existing camping and cabin reservations at closed parks have been notified of their reservation status.
Career Centers
CareerSource Florida Career Center closures can be found on FloridaDisaster.biz.
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