CENTRAL FLORIDA — As Hurricane Milton approaches Florida, counties throughout Central Florida are opening emergency shelters for residents who have special needs, are unsure about the safety of their homes and who live in low-lying or flood-prone areas.
Uber is offering free rides to Florida residents who are evacuating to shelters ahead of Hurricane Milton's landfall. Residents living in an area with an active evacuation order are eligible for a free ride to and from a shelter.
These are the steps:
- Open the Uber app.
- Tap account on the bottom right and tap wallet.
- Add promo code MILTONRELIEF.
BREVARD COUNTY
Brevard County activated a fourth shelter from its standby list at the Port St. John Community Center at 6650 Corto Road in Cocoa late Wednesday. This location is open for general population and families wishing to bring pets.
The county had opened three shelters at 9 a.m. Wednesday, Oct. 9, for residents who live in manufactured or mobile homes, flood-prone or low-lying areas, or those needing safe harbor from potentially dangerous wind and rain conditions anticipated from Hurricane Milton. Those shelters remain open.
The following shelters will be available for general population and families wishing to bring their pets.
- South Mainland Community Center, 3700 Allen Ave., Micco, FL 32976
- Walter Butler Community Center, 4201 N Cocoa Blvd, Cocoa, FL 32927
- Wickham Park Community Center, 2815 Leisure Way, Melbourne, FL 32935
Space Coast Area Transit will provide transportation to the shelters for registered special needs clients.
To request transportation to a special needs shelter call 2-1-1.
Residents going to shelters will need to take their own supplies, including bedding, folding chairs, or sleeping bags; any needed medications; multiple changes of clothing and and sturdy shoes; personal hygiene items; and entertainment items, like games, cards, books or magazines.
For more information about this and other Hurricane Milton questions, call the Community Information Hotline at 2-1-1.
Flagler COUNTY
"After the Evacuation Orders are issued, at 8 a.m. Wednesday, residents seeking public sheltering will be able to go to Rymfire Elementary School, located at 1425 Rymfire Drive, Palm Coast. This pet-friendly shelter will serve as both a general population and special medical needs shelter," stated Flagler County officials.
ORANGE COUNTY
Orange County is currently under a local and federal state of emergency as Hurricane Milton approaches Florida. The county is also under a Hurricane Watch. Impacts from the storm are expected to begin mid-day Wednesday. The county has opened several shelters for residents in flood-prone areas or mobile homes, or for those who don't have a safe place to stay during the storm.
General Population Shelters
Open Tuesday evening, Oct. 8, by 6 p.m.
- Apopka High School*:
- 555 Martin St., Apopka, FL, 32712
- Carver Middle School*:
- 4500 W. Columbia St., Orlando, FL, 32811-4052
- Colonial High School*:
- 6100 Oleander Drive, Orlando, FL, 32807
- Lake Buena Vista High School:
- 11305 Daryl Carter Parkway, Orlando, FL, 32836
- Lake Nona High School*:
- 12500 Narcoossee Rd., Orlando, FL, 32832
- Oak Ridge High School:
- 700 W. Oak Ridge Rd., Orlando, FL, 32809
- Ocoee High School:
- 1925 Ocoee Crown Point Parkway, Ocoee, FL, 34761
- Odyssey Middle School:
- 9290 Lee Vista Blvd., Orlando, FL, 32829
- Timber Springs Middle School:
- 16001 Timber Park Lane, Orlando, FL, 32828
- Union Park Middle School*:
- 1844 Westfall Drive, Orlando, FL, 32817
- Wedgefield K-8:
- 3835 Bancroft Blvd., Orlando, FL, 32833
* Denotes Pet-Friendly Shelter
Persons with Special Needs (PSN) Shelters
Open Tuesday morning, Oct. 8, by 10 a.m.
- Goldenrod Rec.:
- 4863 N. Goldenrod Rd., Winter Park, FL, 32792
- Silver Star Rec.:
- 2801 N. Apopka-Vineland Rd., Orlando, FL, 32818
- South Econ Park:
- 3850 S. Econlockhatchee Trail, Orlando, FL, 32829
Orange County residents requiring a PSN Shelter please dial 3-1-1 or 407-836-3111. LYNX will provide free service to shelter locations. For important information on what to bring to a shelter, visit ocfl.net/shelters.
Transformation Village in Bithlo has opened as an emergency shelter for those in the community that need a safe place to stay during the storm.
MARION COUNTY
Emergency shelters will start opening Tuesday night. Citizens must bring food, water, and snacks and those with special needs should bring a supply of food with them for the duration of their stay.
General population shelters: All open at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 8
- Fort McCoy School
- 16160 NE County Rd. 315 in Fort McCoy
- Belleview Middle School
- 10500 SE 36th Ave., Belleview
- Forest High School
- 5000 SE Maricamp Rd., Oc
- ala
- Horizon Academy at Marion Oaks
- 365 Marion Oaks Drive, Ocala
- Liberty Middle School
- 4773 SW 95th St., Ocala
- Madison Street Academy
- 401 NW Martin Luther King Jr. Ave., Ocala
- North Marion Middle School
- 2085 W Highway 329, Citra
Special Needs Shelter:
- A special-needs shelter at West Port High School,
- 3733 SW 80th Avenue in Ocala
- Open at 5 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 8, 2024.
- Pets are also allowed into the shelter with proper documentation.
Pet-friendly shelters: All open at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 8
- Vanguard High School
- 7 NW 28th Street in Ocala
- Lake Weir High School
- 10351 SE Maricamp Road, Ocala
OSCEOLA COUNTY
UPDATE: Kissimmee Middle School, Gateway High School, and Liberty High School shelters are at max capacity. People in low-lying areas, flood-prone areas or homes with potential structural issues are urged to seek shelter.
Shelters are available to all residents who need them, but should be considered a last resort. People arriving at shelters are asked to bring items that will help make their stay comfortable, such as blankets, sleeping bags, pillows, books, quiet games, and battery-powered radios. Those on prescription medication should bring bring adequate supplies with them.
The following shelters will open at 8 a.m. EDT. Wednesday:,
- Celebration High School
- 1809 Celebration Blvd. in Kissimmee
- Gateway High School
- 93 Panther Paws Trail in Kissimmee (pet friendly)
- Harmony High School
- 3601 Arthur J. Gallagher Blvd. in St. Cloud (pet friendly),
- Holopaw Community Center
- 8801 Community Center Road in St. Cloud
- Kenansville Community Center
- 1178 S. Canoe Creek Road in Kenansville
- Kissimmee Middle School
- 2410 Dyer Blvd. in Kissimmee (pet friendly)
- Liberty High School
- 4250 Pleasant Hill Rd. in Kissimmee (pet friendly)
A shelter for those with special medical needs will open at 3 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 8, at the Osceola Council on Aging, 700 Generation Point in Kissimmee.
Another shelter for residents of Good Samaritan Village, Jade Isle Movile Home Community, and Sherwood Forest RV Resort will be open starting Tuesday at 5 p.m. at Central Avenue Elementary School, 500 W. Columbia Ave., Kissimmee, FL 34741
VOLUSIA COUNTY
UPDATE: The emergency shelter at Mainland High School has reached capacity.
In preparation for Hurricane Milton, Volusia County is partnering with Volusia County schools to utilize multiple schools as emergency shelters. The following list of shelters will open at 9 a.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 9.
General population shelters:
- Creekside Middle School
- 6801 Airport Rd., Port Orange
- DeLand High School
- 800 N. Hill Ave., Deland
- University High School
- 1000 W. Rhode Island Ave., Orange City
- Mainland High School
- 1255 W. International Speedway Blvd., Daytona Beach
- Volusia County Fairgrounds
- 3150 E. New York Ave., Deland
General population shelters are stocked with necessities, including food, water, and a place to sleep. Shelters are not homes or hotels. These accommodations are for survival and are oftentimes crowded and provide little privacy or comfort.
Special needs shelters:
- Galaxy Middle School
- 2400 Eustace Ave., Deltona
- David C Hinson Sr Middle School
- 1860 N., Clyde Morris Blvd. Daytona Beach
Special needs shelters, which will be staffed by health care professionals, will also be available. Evacuees should be accompanied by only one caregiver. These shelters are not for isolated patients or people who need 24-hour dedicated care, a hospital bed, a ventilator, or other complex care. These individuals should discuss other shelter arrangements with their primary care physician, home health service provider, or caregiver.
Pet friendly shelters:
Pets will be accepted at Deland High School, Mainland High School, and Volusia County Fairground shelters. However, owners must bring a few days' worth of pet food and prescription pet meds, food bowls and water bowls, leashes and collars for each pet, Pet ID tags filled out with contact information, drinking water, potty pads or cat litter, crates, and copies of pet medical records.
Transportation to shelters:
Votran and Volusia County Schools will provide free transportation to public shelters. All Votran bus stops are evacuation assembly points during an evacuation order. Bus space is limited. Evacuees should take only essential items, such as personal identification, food, bedding, clothing, and medications. Carry-on items are limited to a pillow, blanket, and one carry-on bag (not larger than 22” x 16” x 8”). Residents can also bring a folding chair (i.e. lounge chair to sit or sleep on).
LAKE COUNTY
Lake County will open 15 shelters for those who need accommodations during the storm. The shelters will open Tuesday, Oct. 07, at 12 p.m. Residents are encouraged to bring necessary supplies such as medication, bedding, and a pet carrier or crate. For more information, please call the Citizens Information Line at 352-253-9999.
General Population Shelters:
- East Ridge High
- 13322 Excalibur Rd., Clermont
- East Ridge Middle
- 13201 Excalibur Rd., Clermont
- Eustis High
- 1300 E. Washington Ave., Eu
- stis
- Leesburg High
- 1401 Yellow Jacket Way, Leesburg
- Mount Dora High
- 700 N. Highland St., Mt. Dora
- Tavares High
- 603 N. New Hampshire Ave., Tavares
Pet-Friendly Shelters:
- Mascotte Elementary
- 460 Midway Ave., Masco
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- Round Lake Elementary
- 31333 Round Lake Rd., Mt. Dora
- Spring Creek Elementary
- 44440 Spring Creek Rd., Paisley
- Treadway Elementary
- 10619 Treadway School Rd., Leesburg
Pet-Friendly and Special-Needs Shelters:
- Leesburg Elementary
- 2229 South St., Leesburg
- Lost Lake Elementary
- 1901 Johns Lake Rd., Clermont
- Astatula Elementary
- 13925 Florida Ave., Astatul
- a
- Umatilla Elementary
- 401 Lake St., Uma
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- Villages Elementary
- 695 Rolling Acres Rd., Lady Lake
Residents who need help getting to a shelter should call the Citizens Information Line to schedule their travel. 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.
SUMTER COUNTY
UPDATES: The Sumter County Fairgrounds shelter is full, according to officials.
Sumter County is opening two shelters on Tuesday, Oct. 8, at 2 p.m. for residents who need a safe place to stay during the storm.
- South Sumter High School
- 706 N. Main Street, Bushnell
- Webster Elementary School
- 349 S. Market Boulevard, Webster
- Wildwood Community Center
- 6500 Powell Road in Wildwood. This is a special needs shelter.
- Center Hill Community Center
- 74 S. Virginia Ave., Center Hill
SEMINOLE COUNTY
The following Seminole County shelters open Wednesday, October 9, at 8:00 a.m.
Pet friendly shelters are noted below. Not all shelters accept animals. Please ensure the shelter you use is Pet Friendly before bringing along animals. All animals need to be in carriers and we ask that you please provide your own crate/carrier.
GENERAL POPULATION
o Lyman High School - 865 S Ronald Reagan Blvd, Longwood *Pet-Friendly*
o Crystal Lake Elementary School - 231 Rinehart Rd, Lake Mary,
o Lawton Chiles Middle School - 1240 Sanctuary Dr, Oviedo
o Midway Elementary School - 2368 Brisson Ave, Sanford
o Winter Springs High School - 130 Tuskawilla Rd, Winter Springs
SPECIAL NEEDS
o Bentley Elementary School - 2190 S Oregon Ave, Sanford *Pet-Friendly*
o Highlands Elementary School - 1600 Shepard Rd, Winter Springs
o Layer Elementary School - 4201 FL-419, Winter Springs
Emergency shelters should be used as a last resort; if possible, evacuees should stay with family or friends. Shelter clients will be assigned a space of 3’ x 7’; belongings should fit in this space if staying at a shelter. Cots are not provided at General Population Shelters.