Milton shifts south ahead of potential early Thursday morning landfall

[National Hurricane Center]

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Posted October 8, 2024 |

Hurricane Milton has regained Category 5 strength as it shifts slightly south, expected to make landfall on the Gulf Coast of late Wednesday night to early Thursday morning.

Milton is currently located about 550 miles southwest of Ocala at 22.7 degrees north and 87.5 degrees west. Maximum wind speeds are maintained at 165 mph, and the storm is moving east-northeast at 9 mph, as of 5 p.m. on Tuesday.

A hurricane warning remains in effect for the entirety of Marion County.

Shelters are now open across Marion County, as of 6 p.m. on Tuesday.

The mandatory evacuation order from the Marion County Sheriff’s Office is now in effect for mobile homes, RVs, and modular-type homes. Additionally, any residents who feel unsafe in their homes are encouraged to evacuate, according to MCSO.

In partnership with The Florida Division of Emergency Management, Uber is providing FREE rides to and from shelters for those evacuating in Marion County.

To get a free ride, open the Uber app, tap “Account” on the bottom right, tap “Wallet” and enter the promo code: MILTONRELIEF.

For those evacuating, Emergency Shoulder Use (ESU) plans are actively being put in place for Eastbound I-4 and portions of Northbound I-75. Law enforcement and signage will alert motorists on when to enter and exit the shoulder.

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.