COUNTY-BY-COUNTY: Here’s a list of emergency shelters in Central Florida ahead of Hurricane Milton

ORLANDO, Fla. – Hurricane Milton is on a path toward Central Florida and is expected to strengthen into a major hurricane.

Counties across Central Florida have started to announce emergency shelter locations for residents to turn to in case of an evacuation.

Below is a list of counties and their shelter locations:

BREVARD COUNTY

No shelters have been announced.

FLAGLER COUNTY

No shelters have been announced.

LAKE COUNTY

No shelters have been announced.

MARION COUNTY

The following locations will open as emergency shelters in preparation for Hurricane Milton. Citizens with special dietary needs should bring a supply of food with them.  

The shelters at Vanguard High School and Fort McCoy School will open at 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 8.

• Special Needs Shelter: Westport High School, 3733 SW 80th Avenue, Ocala, will open at 5 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 8. Small pets are also allowed into the shelter with proper documentation.

• Pet-Friendly Shelter: Vanguard High School, 7 NW 28th Street, Ocala.

• General Population Shelter: Fort McCoy School, 16160 NE County Road 315, Fort McCoy.

Citizen information Line:

The Marion County Emergency Management Citizen’s Information Line will open Monday, October 7, 2024, from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. For non-emergency inquiries related to the weather event, please call 352-369-7500. For emergencies, always dial 911.

ORANGE COUNTY

No shelters have been announced.

OSCEOLA COUNTY

At this time, no evacuations are in effect for Osceola County. However, residents who live in low-lying or flood-prone areas – or in homes with potential structural issues – should have an evacuation plan ready. The following shelters will open at 5 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 8, for residents who need a safer place to ride out the storm.

• Celebration High School – 1809 Celebration Blvd., Kissimmee

• Gateway High School (Pet-Friendly) – 93 Panther Paws Trail, Kissimmee

• Harmony High School (Pet-Friendly) – 3601 Arthur J. Gallagher Blvd., St. Cloud

• Holopaw Community Center – 8801 Community Center Rd., St. Cloud

• Kenansville Community Center – 1178 S Canoe Creek Rd., Kenansville

• Kissimmee Middle School (Pet-Friendly) – 2410 Dyer Blvd., Kissimmee

• Liberty High School (Pet-Friendly) – 4250 Pleasant Hill Rd., Kissimmee

A shelter for those with special medical needs will open at noon on Tuesday, October 8, at the Osceola Council on Aging, 700 Generation Point, Kissimmee, FL 34744.

Residents who wish to evacuate are encouraged to make arrangements to ride out the storm with friends or family, or consider staying in a hotel, if possible. Shelters are available to all residents who need them but should be considered a last resort.

POLK COUNTY

Based on the current projections and estimated time of Hurricane Milton’s arrival to Polk County, the following public shelters will be open at noon on Tuesday, Oct. 8:

• Auburndale High School, 1 Bloodhound Trail, Auburndale

• Spessard Holland Elementary School, 2432 E.F. Griffin Road, Bartow

• Citrus Ridge Academy, 1775 Sand Mine Road, Davenport

• Horizons Elementary School, 1700 Forest Lake Dr., Davenport

• George Jenkins High School, 6000 Lakeland Highlands Road, Lakeland

• Highlands Grove Elementary, 4510 Lakeland Highlands Road, Lakeland

• Kathleen High School, 1100 Red Devil Way, Lakeland

• R. Bruce Wagner Elementary School, 5500 Yates Road, Lakeland

• Sleepy Hill Elementary School, 2285 Sleepy Hill Road, Lakeland

• Mulberry Middle School, 500 S.E. Martin Luther King Jr. Ave., Mulberry

• Lake Marion Creek Middle School, 3055 Lake Marion Creek Dr., Poinciana

• Chain of Lakes Elementary School, 7001 Hwy. 653, Winter Haven

• Winter Haven High School, 600 6th St. S.E., Winter Haven

Three pet friendly shelters will also be open noon on Tuesday, Oct. 8.

They are located at:

• Haines City High School, 2800 Hornet Dr., Haines City

• Lake Region High School, 1995 Thunder Road, Eagle Lake

• Tenoroc High School, 4905 Saddle Creek Road, Lakeland

Pet owners must bring shot records for their pets, an airline-approved carrying case or crate and pet food.

Special Needs shelters will also open at 7 a.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 8, for those residents with special and/or medical needs. Special needs shelters are temporary emergency facilities capable of providing care to residents whose medical condition(s) may require the use of electrical equipment, oxygen or dialysis, or individuals with physical, cognitive or medical conditions who may require assistance from medical professionals. Although special needs shelters provide more care than a general shelter, they do not provide the level of care found in a medical facility.

The Special Needs shelters are located at:

• FDOH Polk Specialty Care Unit, 1255 Brice Blvd., Bartow

• Ridge Community High School, 500 W. Orchid Dr., Davenport

• McKeel Academy, 1810 W. Parker St., Lakeland

For the most up-to-date information, please monitor your local news media or call the Citizen’s Information Line at (863) 298-7500 (locally) or toll-free 866-661-0228. Check the county website for updates at www.polk-county.net. You may also obtain further emergency information at www.facebook.com/polkcountyem and www.twitter.com/polkemergency.

SEMINOLE COUNTY

No shelters have been announced.

SUMTER COUNTY

No shelters have been announced.

VOLUSIA COUNTY

No shelters have been announced.

For a list of school closures across Central Florida, click here.

For a list of sandbag locations across Central Florida, click here.