- November 23, 2024
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Flagler County has expended its evacuation order to include neighborhoods on the northwest side of the county in the Flagler Estates area.
As of a 2 p.m. Oct. 9 update from the National Hurricane Center, Hurricane Milton is a Category 4 storm with sustained winds of 130 mph, and is around 130 miles west of Fort Myers, Florida. It is moving north-northeast at 16 mph.
Despite decreasing from a Category 5 to a Category 4 storm, the NHC public advisory said that Milton is “growing in size as it moves closer to the west coast of Florida” and warns of “life-threatening storm surge, damaging winds and flooding rains.”
Flagler County is currently under a hurricane warning, a storm surge warning, a flood watch and a flash flood warning, Flagler County Emergency Management Director Jonathan Lord said in a virtual, mid-day storm update on Oct. 9.
At 8 a.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 9, a mandatory evacuation order went into effect for Flagler County.
Lord said the order was expended Wednesday morning due to the high levels of rain the county is expecting.
“We expect flooding in those neighborhoods that may cut those neighborhoods off from being able to leave,” Lord said.
Residents in the following areas are asked to evacuate:
Flagler County has opened up an emergency shelter at Rymfire Elementary School, 1425 Rymfire Drive, that is pet friendly and available for both general population and those with special medical needs.
If staying at the shelter, Lord said, residents are asked to bring the following items:
A 7 p.m. curfew is in effect for the county, Lord said, and residents are asked to have evacuated to either the shelter, friends or family’s homes or a hotel by that time.
Hurricane Milton is expected to be a Category 1 storm by the time is passes close to Flagler County, Lord said, and the current track for the storm shows is passing south of Flagler County.
But just because Flagler is outside the cone of the track now does not mean it will stay that way, Lord said.
“As easily as we went out of the cone, we can be back in the cone,” he said. “Also, even if we stay out of the cone, it does not mean we won't see impacts.”
Between 11 p.m. Wednesday and 4 a.m. Thursday, Oct. 10, Lord said the county is likely to begin seeing sustained tropical storm force winds up to 73 mph, with the possibility hurricane-force gusts, and the possibility of tornados.
Damage-wise, he said, Flagler County can expect to see “tree damage and trees collapsing, power outages, some building damages and loose objects being thrown around.”
“So please, if you have not already done so on your properties, please make sure you have secured all outdoor loose objects, including lawn furniture and any lawn ornaments or decorations you have in your properties,” Lord said.
Flagler County has already received 6 inches of rain since Oct. 5 but is looking at an additional incoming 10-15 inches. That means the county is expecting to see localized flooding, including street flooding, he said.
Please do not call 911 for street flooding, Lord said.
“That is normal. That's going to happen,” he said. “We expect to see that county wide, to have our streets flooded during the storm passing through.”
