Some Marion residents opt to stay at a shelter

An evacuee heads into the pet friendly public shelter at Lake Weir High School on Wednesday morning, Oct. 9, as Hurricane Milton approached Florida. According to a Marion County Sheriff’s Office official, by 2 p.m. 931 people were housed in seven general population, one special needs facility and two pet friendly facilities. [Photo by Andy Fillmore]

A number of Marion County residents headed for local public shelters Wednesday morning as concern about the local impact of Hurricane Milton continued.

Gail Powell was one of the evacuees who came to the Lake Weir High School shelter. She brought along her cat, Greyson.

“This is the first time I’ve evacuated,” said Powell, who had lived in the area since 1985, currently in an RV in the Ocala National Forest area.

Nelson Rivera lives in a block home in the Silver Shores area and this was his first time at a shelter in his 25 years as a local resident. Rivera, 67, said he was concerned about the impact of the winds of Hurricane Milton.

A woman who gave her name only as “Marie” said she lives in a wooden frame home and was concerned about the effect of continued rain making soggy ground around large trees near her home. She found the shelter to be “very nice” and the people friendly.

Ivy Perez headed into the shelter accompanied by her daughters, Jenny and Kali, while two other evacuees could be seen heading to the shelter check-in area with a small dog and a pet in a carrier.

Ken McAteer, overseeing the shelter, said the operation was “smooth” so far.

“The (school) district has gotten good at this,” he said.

McAteer said the Lake Weir HS shelter operation team included law enforcement and Marion County Animal Services.

At the pet friendly shelter, pets are housed and kenneled in a separate area, where owners can visit up until 10 p.m., according to a shelter staff member.

A number of MCSO vehicles were parked at the entrance to the facility.

Marion County Sheriff’s Office Public Information Officer Zach Moore stated that 931 people were housed in the public shelters as of around 2 p.m. Wednesday.

An earlier count of pets, about 8 a.m. Wednesday, indicated 63 were also housed.

Moore stated a few ambulance strike teams were “housed at shelters for the storm.”

“They will deploy where needed when the storm has passed,” he stated.

Marion County Public School facilities were serving as shelters, including seven for general population, one for special needs individuals and two as pet friendly shelters.

The sheriff’s office also made arrangements to provide a shelter for sexual offenders and predators, according to a press release.

U.S. National Weather Service alerts posted on many local sites, including the MCSO, advised that people “hunker down and remain sheltered by midday today.”

The Ocala Gazette has numerous other articles related to Hurricane Milton on our website and social media pages.