Hurricane Milton updates, evacuation/shelter info for Marion County
Update for Tuesday at 1 p.m.
[National Hurricane Center]
Marion County residents should prepare for hurricane-force winds and rain as Hurricane Milton approaches the Gulf Coast of Florida and is expected to make landfall Wednesday night, according to the National Hurricane Service.
Marion County remains under a hurricane warning, according to the National Weather Service.
Plan for life-threatening wind of equivalent Category 1 or 2 hurricane force.
Efforts to protect life and property should now be rigorously underway. Prepare for considerable wind damage. Act now to complete preparations before the wind becomes hazardous, according to the National Hurricane Center.
At 6 p.m. Tuesday, a mandatory evacuation order from the Marion County Sheriff’s Office will go into effect for those living in mobile homes, RVs, modular-type homes, and any structure in which the resident feels unsafe.
The sheriff’s office corrected its order after a previous message recommended that anyone living in a site-built home constructed before 1994 should evacuate. The state of Florida strengthened its building codes in 1994 after the impact of Hurricane Andrew.
The order was expanded to direct any resident who feels unsafe to evacuate the area.
“Those living in these homes should know that if they remain in these locations, emergency personnel will not respond to their location until it is deemed safe to do so. Residents are encouraged to first seek shelter with family or friends,” according to MCSO.
Under the original evacuation order from MCSO for mobile homes, RVs and homes built before 1994:
The “Gazette” obtained counts of the residential structures described in the initial evacuation order, including homes built before 1994, from the Marion County Property Appraiser:
Assessed Mobile Homes/RVs: 32,050
Tagged Mobile Homes: 934
Mobile Homes in Mobile Home Parks: 9,964
RVs in RV parks: 5,398
Residential sites built before 1994:
Single Family: 55,091
Duplexes: 848
Triplexes: 84
Quadraplexes: 547
Apartments: 262 (Units 2,721)
Marion County Public Schools announced it would extend school closures from Wednesday through Friday, with all after-school activities canceled, except for Marion Afterschool Programs.
Ten Marion County Schools are being utilized as shelters, opening at 6 p.m. Tuesday, with a capacity of about 8,000. The locations are as follows:
General Population Shelters:
Belleview Middle School, 10500 SE 36th Avenue, Belleview
Forest High School, 5000 SE Maricamp Road, Ocala
Fort McCoy School, 16160 NE Highway 315, Fort McCoy
Horizon Academy at Marion Oaks, 365 Marion Oaks Drive, Ocala
Liberty Middle School, 4773 SW 95th Street, Ocala
Madison Street Academy, 401 NW Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue, Ocala
North Marion Middle School, 2085 W Highway 329, Citra
Special Needs Shelter:
West Port High School, 3733 SW 80th Avenue, Ocala (pets of special needs residents allowed)
Pet-Friendly Shelters:
Lake Weir High School, 10351 SE Maricamp Road, Ocala
Vanguard High School, 7 NW 28th Street, Ocala
Sexual Offender and Predator Shelter:
The MCSO Sexual Offender and Predator Unit will close to the public for registration activities on Tuesday, October 8, 2024, at 4:00 p.m. and will open as an emergency shelter for Registered Sexual Offenders and Predators at 6:00 p.m. that day. Please contact the unit by phone during normal business hours to request early acceptance. Emergency acceptances will be handled as needed after the shelter opens.
MCSO Sexual Offender and Predator Unit, 3300 NW 10th Street, Ocala
Government closures:
Marion County Sheriff’s Office – Closing at noon on Tuesday, October 8, 2024, will remain closed on Wednesday, October 9, 2024.
Marion County Offices – Closed on Wednesday, October 9, 2024, and Thursday, October 10, 2024.
City of Ocala Offices – Closing at noon on Wednesday, October 9, 2024, and will remain closed on Thursday, October 10, 2024, and Friday, October 11, 2024.
City of Belleview Offices – Closing at 3:00 p.m. on Tuesday, October 8, 2024, and will remain closed on Wednesday, October 9, 2024, and Thursday, October 10, 2024.
Fifth Judicial Circuit State Attorney’s Office – Closing at 3:00 p.m. on Tuesday, October 8, 2024, will remain closed on Wednesday, October 9, 2024, and Thursday, October 10, 2024.
Marion County Courthouse – Closing at 3:00 p.m. on Tuesday, October 8, 2024, will remain closed on Wednesday, October 9, 2024, and Thursday, October 10, 2024.
Marion County Clerk of Court and Comptroller – Closing at 3:00 p.m. on Tuesday, October 8, 2024, will remain closed on Wednesday, October 9, 2024, and Thursday, October 10, 2024.
Marion County Tax Collector’s Office – Closing at 2:00 p.m. on Tuesday, October 8, 2024, will remain closed on Wednesday, October 9, 2024, and Thursday, October 10, 2024.
Marion County Property Appraiser’s Office – Closing at 2:00 p.m. on Tuesday, October 8, 2024, will remain closed on Wednesday, October 9, 2024, and Thursday, October 10, 2024.
City of Ocala Operations Updates:
Sanitation:
- Trash collection will proceed as scheduled on Wednesday, Oct. 9.
- There will be no trash collection on Thursday, Oct. 10.
- To make up for Thursday’s cancellation, sanitation services will operate on Friday, Oct. 11.
Parking:
- Overnight parking restrictions at the Downtown Parking Garage have been temporarily lifted until Sunday, Oct. 13.
Transportation:
- SunTran services will be suspended starting Wednesday, Oct. 9, at 3 p.m.
- Services are expected to resume on Friday, Oct. 11, pending a safety assessment of travel conditions.
Sandbag information:
Locations are self-serve, bags are provided, and a limited number of shovels will be available at the sites. Limit of 10 bags per vehicle.
Tuscawilla Park (Reilly Arts Center): 800 NE Sanchez Ave, Ocala
ED Croskey Recreation Center: 1510 NW Fourth St, Ocala
Jervey Gantt Park: 2200 SE 36th Ave, Ocala
Dunnellon Public Works: 11924 Bostick St., Dunnellon
Wrigley Field: 405 County Rd East 316, Citra
John Van Fleet Sports Complex: 14445 NE 14th Street Road, Ocala
Belleview Sports Complex: 6501 SE 107th St, Belleview
Martel Recycling Center: 296 SW 67th Ave Rd, Ocala
Marion Oaks: 294 Marion Oaks Lane, Ocala, (Behind the Community Center)
Call the Marion County Emergency Management Citizen’s Information Line please at (352)369-7500 for non-emergency inquiries. In case of emergency, call 911.
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