Central Florida counties open shelters ahead of Hurricane Ian.
See a list of available shelters county by county below. This story will be updated as new information is announced.
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Orange County
Orange County will open emergency shelters on Wednesday. See the list of locations below:
- Apopka High School opens Wednesday at 8 a.m. and will be open to the general population and accepts pets.
- Ocoee High School opens Wednesday at 9 a.m. and will be open to the general population, no pets.
- Dr. Phillips High School opens Wednesday at 9 a.m. and will be open to the general population, no pets.
- Oak Ridge High School opens Wednesday at 9 a.m. and will welcome the general population and accept pets.
- Timber Creek High School opens Wednesday at 9 a.m. and will be open to the general population and accepts pets.
For Orange County residents requiring a special needs/medical shelter, please call 311.
Please click here for important information on what to bring with you to a shelter and for the latest information on other shelter openings in Orange County if needed.
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Lake County
Lake County will open eight emergency shelters for residents at 4 p.m. Tuesday. All pitches accept pets. Special needs shelters are marked with two asterisks (**). The shelter locations are:
** Villages Elementary School — 695 Rolling Acres Road, Lady Lake
** Leesburg Elementary School — 2229 South Street, Leesburg
** Umatilla Elementary School — 401 Lake Street, Umatilla
** Lost Lake Elementary School — 1901 Johns Lake Road, Clermont
**Astatula Elementary School – 13925 Florida Avenue, Astatula
Treadway Elementary – 10619 Treadway School Rd, Leesburg
Spring Creek Charter – 44440 Spring Creek Rd, Paisley
Mascot Charter – 460 Midway Avenue, Mascot
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Brevard County
Brevard County will open three shelters Wednesday at 10 a.m. for residents who live in flood-prone or low-lying areas and need safe shelter from potentially hazardous wind and water conditions predicted by the Hurricane Ian.
The following shelters accept pets and are available for our special needs and the general population:
- Max K. Rodes Community Center, 3410 Flanagan Ave West Melbourne, FL 32904
- Walter Butler Community Center, 4201 N Cocoa Blvd, Cocoa, FL 32927
- Wickham Park Community Centre, 2815 Leisure Way, Melbourne, FL 32935
Space Coast Area Transit will provide transportation to shelters for registered special needs customers.
Although shelters provide food, residents visiting shelters will need to bring their own supplies, including bedding, folding chairs, or sleeping bags; all necessary medications; several changes of clothes and sturdy shoes; personal hygiene articles; and entertainment items, such as games, cards, books or magazines.
For more information about this and other questions about Hurricane Ian, call the Community Information Hotline at 2-1-1.
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Marion County
Marion County will open multiple shelters housed at local public schools at noon Wednesday.
Shelters for the general population include:
Dunnellon High – 10055 SW 180th Avenue Rd, Dunnellon, FL 34432
Belleview Middle — 10500 SE 36th Avenue, Belleview, FL 34420
Fort McCoy School – 16160 NE County Road 315, Fort McCoy, FL 32134
Hammett Bowen Jr. Elementary – 4397 SW 95th Street, Ocala, FL 34476
North Marion Middle — 2085 W County Road 329, Citra, FL 32113
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Shelter accepting animals:
Vanguard High – 7 NW 28th Street, Ocala, FL 34475
Emergency management officials are encouraging citizens to bring supplies to shelters to last 24 to 48 hours, such as clothing, bedding, medicine, food, water, etc. If you are bringing your pet(s) to the shelter, they must be crated and you will need to provide recent vaccination documents. Please bring all necessary supplies for your pets to be self-sufficient, and please pick up after them as well.
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Osceola County
The Osceola County Special Needs Shelter will open at 2 p.m. Tuesday at the Council on Aging, located at 700 Generation Point, Kissimmee. Remember that people staying at the Special Needs Shelter should bring medications and other life-saving supplies, including oxygen or other electrical medical devices. For more information, please call the Osceola County Special Needs Helpline at 407-742-9001
The three general population shelters in Osceola County will open at 2 p.m. Tuesday. These shelters for the general population are:
Celebration High School – 1809 Celebration Boulevard, Celebration, FL 34747
Kissimmee Middle School (Pet Friendly) – 210 Dyer Boulevard, Kissimmee, FL 34741
Harmony High School – 3601 Arthur J Gallagher Boulevard, St Cloud, FL 34771
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Sumter County
Information about shelters can be found online here or by calling the Citizen Information Center at 352-689-4400. Shelters don’t have cribs, blankets, or other supplies, so bring your own. Locations may change, so stay tuned.
Shelters for the general population in Sumter County will open Tuesday at 5 p.m. at:
- Sumter Fairgrounds – 7620 SR 471. Webster, FL 33597
- Wildwood Elementary School – 300 Huey Street, Wildwood, FL 34785
There will also be a special needs shelter at the Wildwood Community Center, 6500 Powell Road, Wildwood, FL 34785. This shelter will open at 3 p.m.
Other shelters for the general population will open as needed.
The county said all shelters are pet-friendly, so don’t leave your pet at home. If you are heading to a shelter, bring the following:
- A piece of identification such as a driver’s license.
- Bedding (cot, air mattress, blanket, pillow).
- Food and water.
- Orders.
- Extra food or formula.
- Toiletries (toothbrush and paste, body soap, etc.).
- Games or sources of entertainment.
- Please bring all necessary supplies for your pet.
Please do not bring:
- Weapons
- Illegal drugs
- Alcohol
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Volusia County
Volusia County Schools and Volusia County Government will open four shelters at 10 a.m. Wednesday.
Shelters for the general population are:
- Continental High School, 1255 W. International Speedway Blvd., Daytona Beach
- DeLand High School, 800 N. Hill Ave., DeLand
Special needs shelters are:
- Atlantic Secondary School, 1259 Reed Canal Road, Port Orange
- Galaxy College, 2400 Eustace Ave, Deltona
Items needed include:
- Special diet foods, snacks or comfort foods, water or other non-alcoholic beverages
- Bedding: pillow, blanket, etc. – general population shelters do not provide cots, so a comfortable beach chair and sleeping pad are recommended
- Earplugs
- Additional clothes
- Medicines and medical supplies
- Provide oxygen or arrange with your oxygen company to deliver to the designated special needs oxygen shelter
- Toiletries
- Flashlight and batteries
- Diapers, necessities for infants and the elderly/disabled
- Occupants of time such as books, magazines, games or cards
- Those staying at a shelter with their pets should bring necessary pet items and supplies.
Click here for more information.
Polk County
Polk County will open the following public shelters Tuesday at noon:
- Horizons Elementary School – 1700 Forest Lake Drive, Davenport
- Sleepy Hill Elementary School – 2285 Sleepy Hill Road, Lakeland
- R. Bruce Wagner Elementary School – 5500 Yates Road, Lakeland
- Chain Of Lakes Elementary School – 7001 Rte 653, Winter Haven
- Mulberry Middle School – 500 SE Martin Luther King Jr. Ave, Mulberry
- Spessard Holland Primary School – 2342 EF Griffin Rd, Bartow
- Auburndale High School – 1 Bloodhound Trail, Auburndale
- Citrus Ridge Academy – 1775 Sand Mine Rd, Davenport
- George Jenkins High School – 6000 Lakeland Highlands Road, Lakeland
- Highlands Grove Elementary School – 4510 Lakeland Road Highlands, Lakeland
- Kathleen High School – 1100 Red Devil Way, Lakeland
- Lake Marion Creek Middle School – 3055 Lake Marion Creek Dr, Poinciana
- Winter Haven High School – 600 6th St SE, Winter Haven
Special needs shelters will also open at 7 a.m. on Tuesday, for residents with special medical needs. The Polk County Emergency Management Special Needs Program is designed to provide shelter and/or transportation to residents with medical or physical conditions and/or dependent on medical electrical equipment who require assistance in case of emergency. Special needs shelters are located at:
- FDOH Polk Specialty Care Unit – 1255 Brice Blvd., Bartow
- McKeel Academy – 1810 W. Parker St., Lakeland
- Ridge Community High School – 500 Orchid Dr., Davenport
- The following pet-friendly shelters will open Tuesday at noon:
- Tenoroc High School – 4905 Saddle Creek Road, Lakeland
- Lake Area High School – 1995 Thunder Road, Eagle Lake
- Haines City High School – 2800 Hornet Drive, Haines City
Pet owners should bring shooting records for their pets, an airline-approved carrying case or crate, and pet food.
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