Schools open as shelters Wednesday at 8 a.m.
9:15 A.M. UPDATE — The storm, per Hurricane Hunters, is now already a Category 4 storm packing 150 mph maximum sustained winds and a central pressure of 940 mb.
The Osceola County School District announced schools will be closed Wednesday AND Thursday. They will be open on Tuesday, but all after-school activities (except for elementary school extended day care) are canceled as some will open as shelters at 5 p.m. (see below). Superintendent Mark Shanoff said any info past Thursday will come from any damage reports, information will be shared through its phone messaging and social media channels and website www.osceolaschools.net.
Gov. Ron DeSantis said tolls will be suspended at 10:30 a.m. Monday.
SunRail has said it will suspend operations Tuesday through Thursday.
With impacts expected in Osceola County, city and county leaders urge the public to remain prepared and alert for severe weather conditions, likely to begin early Wednesday and lasting through the day.
Sunday morning, the Osceola Emergency Operations Center activated to the elevated Level 2 status. , with a plan to go to full Level 1 responding status beginning Tuesday, October 8, at 7 a.m. The Citizen Information Center hotline (407-742-0000) will be open Monday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. and 24 hours a day beginning Tuesday at 8 a.m. for citizens that have specific questions or need to speak with an Osceola County representative.
More sandbags: After distributing more than 77,000 sandbags Sunday, they will again be available at Osceola Heritage Park on Shakerag Road from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday, and a second location will open Monday at 6 a.m. The Celebration Athletic & Recreation Complex (305 Campus St.) will offer sandbags for those in the western part of the county until supply of 4,000 bags run out.
Bags and sand will be provided. Residents are allowed 25 sandbags per household and will need to bring their own shovel or filling tool. If you still have sandbags from the threat of Hurricane Helene two weeks ago, you are strongly encouraged to use those if they have not been contaminated by water.
Shelters: As of Monday morning there are 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 8 a.m. Wednesday, October 9 (disregard any graphic that shows a Tuesday opening), after schools close, for residents who need a safer place to ride out the storm.
- Liberty High School (Pet-Friendly) - 4250 Pleasant Hill Rd., Kissimmee, FL 34746
- Gateway High School (Pet-Friendly) - 93 Panther Paws Trail, Kissimmee, FL 34744
- Harmony High School (Pet-Friendly) - 3601 Arthur J. Gallagher Blvd., St. Cloud, FL 34771
- Kissimmee Middle School (Pet-Friendly) - 2410 Dyer Blvd., Kissimmee, FL 34741
- Holopaw Community Center - 8801 Community Center Rd., St. Cloud, FL 34773
- Kenansville Community Center - 1178 S Canoe Creek Rd., Kenansville, FL 34739
- Celebration High School - 1809 Celebration Blvd., Kissimmee, FL 34747
In addition, the Barney E. Veal Center at the Osceola Council on Aging is the county's special needs shelter and will open on Tuesday Oct. 8 at 3 p.m. Those seeking accommodation must come prepare with their required medications and essential supplies, including oxygen or other electrical medical devices. (This is where you go if you are dependent on electrical support items.)
Like the schools, Osceola County, City of Kissimmee, and City of St. Cloud government offices will be closed Wednesday and Thursday due to Hurricane Milton.
Stormwater: With 6-8 inches of rain expected — an impressive number but less than the 17 inches the area received in 2022's Hurricane Ian, officials say there is sufficient capacity in the stormwater system to handle this expected rain from Milton.
The County has requested gates on the lakes on the Kissimmee River system southward be opened to allow for maximum discharge ahead of the storm. Currently, all lakes in the Upper Kissimmee Chain of Lakes are below regulation schedule and in good condition to handle heavy rain.
The City of Kissimmee has capacity in West Lake and Shingle Creek to handle rain from Milton. St. Cloud reports East Lake Toho is currently at 57 feet, four feet below the flood elevation of 61 feet. Pumps are deployed at the lakefront and at Blackberry Creek with the request to allow the city to reduce water levels in lakefront ponds in preparation for the storm. City of St. Cloud crews recently cleared drainage ditches along Michigan Avenue and Clay Drive.
