(This story was updated to accurately reflect the most current information.)
Check out updates for Tuesday, Oct. 8 here.
Hurricane Milton continues to strengthen in the Gulf of Mexico and is expected to be a major hurricane when it hits Florida's west coast on Wednesday. Lake County officials have urged residents to prepare themselves for the storm, which is expected to cut across the Florida peninsula. Stay tuned here for the latest updates.
Lake and Sumter counties are under a hurricane warning
The other Florida counties under a hurricane warning are Charlotte, Citrus, DeSoto, Hardee, Hernando, Highlands, Hillsborough, Lee, Levy, Manatee, Marion, Orange, Osceola, Pasco, Pinellas, Polk, Sarasota and Seminole.
— Jim Ross
Lake County emergency shelters
Lake County will open 15 shelters for those who need accommodations during the storm. The shelters will open at noon on Tuesday, Oct. 8. Residents are encouraged to bring necessary supplies such as medication, bedding and a pet carrier or crate. For more information, call the Citizens Information Line at 352-253-9999.
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., Mount 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, Mount 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 Road, Clermont
• Astatula Elementary - 13925 Florida Ave., Astatula
• Umatilla Elementary - 401 Lake St., Umatilla
• Villages Elementary - 695 Rolling Acres Road, Lady Lake
Free Lake Xpress rides to shelters
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.
Free rides will continue to be given until conditions become unsafe. Riders must tell the driver they are going to a shelter to use the free ride.
Citizen Information Line updates
The Lake County Citizens Information Line, 352-253-9999, will have extended hours today, through 10 p.m.
TheSumter County Citizens Information Centeris open 24/7 and can be reached at 352-689-4400.
What to do inside your home before Milton's arrival
Meteorologist Denis Philips offers a helpful list of tips to make life more comfortable in the event of an extended power outage.
Here are some of his suggestions:
- Charge any device that provides light. Laptops, tablets, cameras, video cameras, and old phones. Old cell phones can still used for dialing 911. Charge external battery backups. (Glow sticks also provide light for a few hours. Stand them upright in a glass or jar to make a lantern.)
- Wash all trash cans, big and small, and fill them with water for flushing toilets. Line outdoor trash cans with trash bags, fill them with water and store them in the garage. Add bleach to sterilize.
- Fill every tub and sink with water. Cover sinks with Saran Wrap to keep it from collecting dust. Fill the washing machine and leave the lid up to store water.
- Fill old empty water bottles and other containers with water and keep them near sinks for washing hands.
- Fill every Tupperware with water and store it in the freezer. These will help keep food cold longer and serve as a backup water supply.
- Fill drinking cups with water and cover with Saran Wrap. Store as many as possible in the fridge. You can store the rest on the counter and use it before opening any water bottles. Ice is impossible to find after the storm.
- Cook any meats in advance and other perishable foods. You can freeze cooked food. Hard boil eggs for snacks for the first day without power.
For the full list, click here.
What to do outside your home before Milton's arrival
The National Weather Service offers tips on how to prevent flying debris during high winds.
Remove debris from your yard
- Bring in outdoor furniture.
- Lawn chairs, trampolines, pool supplies, etc can be turned into flying debris.
Cover windows
- This is necessary in order to guard against flying debris.
- Plywood or professionally installed shutters are best.
- Taping windows DOES NOTHING to protect your home from wind!
Reinforce garage doors
- This will prevent wind from entering and causing dangerous/expensive damage.
Proper Maintenance
- Ensure that roofing materials, fencing, etc. are properly maintained and in good condition.
- This will allow them to be more resistant to wind damage.
Clear clogged rain gutters and downspouts
- This will help with the flow of water during heavy rainfall.
—Julie Garisto
Lake Co. landfill facilities open on Tuesday, Oct. 8
The Central, Astor, Lady Lake, and Log House facilities will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. to accept drop-off residential waste, recycling, and yard debris drop off.
Central County: 13130 County Landfill Road, Tavares
Astor: 54711 Astor Transfer Station Road, Astor
Clermont: 10435 Log House Rd. Clermont
Lady Lake: 1200 Jackson St., Lady Lake
—Julie Garisto
Sandbag location announced for Sumter County
Sandbags should be used to restrict floodwaters from entering houses via doorways, garagesand entryways. Sandbags are not to be used to provide a barricade around homes or property.
Sumter County will have self-service sand and sandbags available at the Lake Panasoffkee Regional Recreation Park, 1589 County Road 459, Lake Panasoffkee on Tuesday, Oct. 8, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sandbag operations will be available during this time according to weather conditions.
Residents can also view a helpful sandbag operations video on YouTube.Residents will need to provide proof of residence within Sumter County and should bring a shovel if they have one to fill sandbags. Residents pick up sandbags, fill them, and place them in their vehicles. There is a 10-sandbag limit per vehicle.
Lake & Sumter public schools closure details
Lake County public schools will be open on Tuesday, Oct. 8 with early closures, and closed the rest of the week for students.
Schools will close on Tuesday, Oct. 7; Wednesday, Oct. 9, and Thursday, Oct. 10, in anticipation of Hurricane Milton’s arrival in Sumter County.
In Lake County, Tuesday is an early release day with schools closed Wednesday and Thursday, and no classes will be on Friday.
Friday, Oct. 11, is a pre-scheduled student day off and a teacher planning day. Teachers may work from home or at their school site on Friday if it’s safe for them to do so.
All after-school activities for Tuesday are canceled except for Extended Learning Centers (ELC), which will remain open until normal closing hours.
Select schools will open as shelters on Tuesday. Timing and locations will be determined by Lake County Emergency Management.
Sumter County public schools will be closed Wednesday and Thursday. Friday status will depend on weather conditions and community status.
More at lake.k12.fl.us for Lake County. For Sumter, call 352-793-2315.
—Julie Garisto
Hurricane Milton live updates:Florida evacuations ordered as storm now 175-mph Category 5
Where to report price gouging
Too often during emergencies, some businesses will try to capitalize on their customers' panic and desperation by arbitrarily raising prices on their goods and services.
"Violators of the price gouging statute are subject to civil penalties of $1,000 per violation and up to a total of $25,000 for multiple violations committed in a single 24-hour period," Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody said in a press release.
If you encounter an unusual increase in pricing during the lead-up to Hurricane Milton, you can report it at the state attorney general's website. Click here for more information.
—Julie Garisto
Lake-Sumter State College to close Tuesday at 4 p.m.-Thursday
In anticipation of Hurricane Milton, Lake-Sumter State College will close all campus locations and cancel all classes and activities beginning at 4 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 8, and remain closed on Wednesday, Oct. 9, and Thursday, Oct. 10.
Any classes scheduled to begin at 4 p.m. or later on Tuesday, Oct. 8 are canceled. Forthcoming updates will be sent through the LSSC Alert system, email and social media, and available at lssc.edu/storm.
—Julie Garisto
Milton now a Hurricane Category 5
Hurricane Miltonhas strengthened to a Category 5 storm, according to the National Hurricane Center, driving sustained winds of 175 mph.
A subtle wind shear might bring the intensity down. Where the storm will make landfall on the Florida west coast, after leaving the area of the Yucatan peninsula in Mexico, is still unknown.
Power outages are likely.
A list of shelters opening in Lake and Sumter counties will be coming soon.
—Julie Garisto
Hurricane watch issued for Lake County
A hurricane watch means hurricane-force winds are possible somewhere in the Lake County area within the next 48 hours
What to expect: Potential strong tropical storm-force wind with peak winds at 45-60 mph and gusts around 80 mph; can range anywhere from 74 to 110 mph.
Tornadoes are quite possible.
"Efforts to protect life and property should now be rigorously underway," Lake County Emergency Management says.
—Julie Garisto
Manufactured home preparation and evacuation urged
"Prepare for considerable wind damage," the county says, adding we should plan for "considerable roof damage to sturdy buildings, with some having window, door, and garage door failures leading to structural damage. Mobile homes may be severely damaged, with some destroyed."
Damage from airborne projectiles is possible. Some locations may be uninhabitable for weeks.
—Julie Garisto
Anticipated impacts across central Florida
Many large trees snapped or uprooted along with fences and roadway signs may blow over.
Some roads will be impassable from large debris, and more within urban or heavily wooded places. Several bridges, causeways and access routes may also be impassable.
Large areas with power and communications outages are anticipated. Major flooding rain with peak rainfall expected to pool 4 to 8 inches or higher.
Emergency plans should include the potential for major flooding from heavy rain. Evacuations and rescues arelikely.
Rivers and tributaries may rapidly overflow their banks in multiple places, especially in Astor near St. Johns River. Small streams, creeks, canals, and ditches may become dangerous rivers. In higher-elevation areas, destructive runoff may cause problems.
—Julie Garisto
Where can I get sandbags in Lake County?
The following sandbag sites will be open daily from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. or until weather conditions become unsafe.
Though there are some shovels on-site, it's recommended that residents bring shovels.
- East Lake Sports and Community Complex: 24809 Wallick Road, Sorrento
- North Lake Regional Park (second entrance): 40730 Roger Giles Road, Umatilla
- Astor Fire Station 10: 23023 State Road 40, Astor
- Minneola Athletic Complex: 1300 Fosgate Road (13930 Education Ave.), Minneola
- PEAR Gateway Park (front entrance): 26701 U.S. 27, Leesburg
- Four Corners Fire Station 112: 16240 CR 474, Clermont
- Hickory Point Recreation Complex: 27315 SR 19, Tavares
- Frank Brown Sports Complex, 1245 E. Pine Ave., Mount Dora. There is a limit of 10 bags per day per household. Sand and bags will be available on-site.
Also, Lady Lake Parks and Recreation announced that it will provide sand and bags from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. at West Hermosa Street and Gibson Street.
Note: No official sandbag location from Lake County or any of our municipal partners will ever ask you to pay to fill up sandbags. If you witness this, call your city government's non-emergency phone number.
Boat ramps closing Monday
Several boat ramps will be closed as of Oct. 7 at 5 a.m. The following boat ramps will remain closed until water levels recede and it is safe to launch and retrieve watercraft.
- Lake George Boat Ramp (58300 Lake George Road, Astor)
- Pearl Street Boat Ramp (25140 E. Pearl Street, Astor)
- Butler Street Boat Ramp (55400 Butler Street, Astor)
A notice will be posted once the ramps are scheduled to reopen. In the meantime, please utilize other entries to the St. Johns River and Lake George. For more information, call Parks and Water Resources at 352-253-4950.
—Julie Garisto
Solid Waste
To ensure yard debris is picked up across the County before conditions deteriorate, residential waste (household garbage) collection will be suspended on Tuesday, Oct. 8. Yard debris will continue to be picked up on Tuesday and Wednesday or until conditions become unsafe.
Residents can report set-out yard waste by emailinggarbagecollection@lakecountyfl.gov.
Utilities to contact if your power goes out
City of Leesburg Electric, 2010 Griffin Road, Leesburg; customer service:352-728-9800; report outages:833-223-1313; website: leesburgflorida.gov/electric
City of Mount Dora Electric, 510 N Baker St, Mount Dora; customer service:352-735-7151; report outages:352-612-5739.
Clay Electric Co-op, 24950 E County Road 316, Salt Springs, local:352-685-2111; customer service:800-224-4917; report outages:888-434-9844
Duke Energy: customer service:800-700-8744; report outages:800-228-8485
Sumter Electric Cooperative: report outages:800-732-6141; real-time outage reporting:SECOStormCenter.com
- Eustis Office, 50 W Ardice Ave, Eustis; 352-357-5600
- Groveland Office, 850 Howey Road, Groveland; 352-429-2195
- Sumterville Office, 330 S U.S. 301, Sumterville; 352-793-3801
—Julie Garisto
(This story was updated to add new information)
(This story was updated to change or add a photo or video)
