Update: Traffic lights are out on Northwest 39th Avenue between 83rd Street and 98th Street, according to a City of Gainesville post on X.
If there are no signal lights at an intersection, the post recommends treating it like a four-way stop. Red flashing lights should be treated as a stop sign. Under yellow flashing lights, drivers should proceed with caution only when traffic permits.
Power has been restored to the outage near Saint Francis Catholic Academy, according to GRU’s outage map.
UPDATE: There is a major outage near Saint Francis Catholic Academy, with over 760 Gainesville Regional Utilities customers reporting losses of power in the neighborhoods close to Santa Fe College.
UPDATE: Hurricane Milton made landfall around 8:30 p.m. as a Category 3 storm near Siesta Key with sustained winds at 120 mph. It brought a rash of minor power outages to some Gainesville neighborhoods.
About 60 Gainesville Regional Utilities customers have reported losing power, according to the outage map, as of 9:30 p.m. Power lines are reportedly down near the intersection of SW First St. and US-441 and near 251 NW Second Ave., according to GPD’s police scanner. The Ridgewood neighborhood has the most concentrated reports of outages. UF campus still has full power, according to GRU.
The numbers are small compared to Hurricane Helene — about 27,000 were without power during landfall. Gainesville is likely to receive tropical storm force winds during the night, according to the National Hurricane Center, though current winds are predicted to remain below 30 mph, with gusts up to 50 mph. A tropical storm warning for Alachua County remains in effect.
Meanwhile, more than a million are without power in the Tampa Bay area. Several tornadoes in St. Lucie County have caused casualties. Gov. Ron DeSantis said there were 116 tornado warnings and nine touchdowns statewide in an update Wednesday night as Milton made landfall.
UPDATE: Hurricane Milton has downgraded again to a Category 4 storm, with sustained winds at 145 mph. It’s scheduled to make landfall in the Tampa Bay area this evening. Gainesville leaders updated citizens at a city hall press conference Wednesday morning.
Mayor Harvey Ward said there will be no curfew for citizens as Milton makes landfall.
The city was considering a citywide curfew due to more than 170 traffic lights without power during Hurricane Helene, causing over 10 car crashes, Ward said.
“Regardless of what we think might happen, stay home,” Ward said. “We’re going to take the gamble that folks in our community will make good choices.”
Ward also noted increased countywide traffic is due to mass evacuations from cities in the current path of the storm.
Lifted fees on city services
The Gainesville Regional Transit System will provide free fares Wednesday if citizens may need to travel for last minute supplies, Ward said.
Parking restrictions and fees are lifted in all city parking zones on Wednesday and Thursday, he said.
Ward noted residents can report downed power lines or trees in the MyGNV app or online portal.
Public Works Director Brian Singleton said 21,000 sandbags were handed out over Monday and Tuesday. Sand is still available at Citizens Field, located at 1400 NE 8th Ave, but is self-service. Singleton advised residents to bring their own bags and shovels.
Trash pickup service on Wednesday is scheduled for Friday and service on Thursday is scheduled for Saturday, but may change depending on storm damage, Singleton said.
Shelter update
As of 10 a.m. Wednesday, the MLK Center shelter is full, according to the City of Gainesville Facebook page.
However, space is available at the general population and pet-friendly shelter located at the Easton-Newberry Sports Complex, as well as the special needs shelter located at the Alachua County Senior Recreation Center.
Grace Marketplace opened its emergency shelter at 7 p.m. Tuesday for unhoused citizens.
The University of Florida Southwest Recreation Center will open as a shelter at 1 p.m. Wednesday. It will house UF students, faculty, staff and their families.
UPDATE: Hurricane Milton once again intensified to a Category 5 Tuesday evening after spending most of the day at Category 4 status, according to the National Hurricane Center.
The following was published Tuesday afternoon (Oct. 7). The storm's category status has been updated in the next section, but the rest of the text remains in its original state. The most current information can be found in the updates above.
When and where will Hurricane Milton make landfall?
Hurricane Milton is set to make landfall Wednesday on the West Coast of Florida. Current projections have Milton headed for the Tampa Bay area, which would make it the first storm to make landfall there in around a century. As of Tuesday morning, Milton is 560 miles southwest of Tampa, according to Gov. Ron DeSantis.
Milton intensified from tropical storm status Saturday to hurricane status by Sunday afternoon. Its category status has wavered over the past 48 hours, currently standing at a Category 4 storm as of Wednesday morning. By Monday afternoon, it had rapidly intensified to a Category 5 storm, but dropped back to Category 4 Tuesday morning. It then reached Category 5 again Tuesday evening.
Mass evacuations are underway in Southwest Florida, with heavy traffic on Interstate 75 headed north.
“As of this morning, Hurricane Milton is still a major Category 4 hurricane. While some weakening is possible before landfall, we expect Milton to be a strong and extremely dangerous storm,” DeSantis said in a post on X.
How hard will Gainesville get hit?
The county declared a local state of emergency Oct. 6. The county is also currently under a tropical storm warning. It is anticipated north Gainesville will receive winds between 58 to 73 mph, and south Gainesville to receive winds between 39 to 57 mph.
Jen Grice, emergency management director for Alachua County, said residents can expect between 4 to 8 inches of rain. The county also expects major flooding in Gainesville.
Am I in an evacuation zone? A flood zone?
Alachua County advises to avoid I-75 due to traffic from evacuations out of Central and South Florida. As of Tuesday at 9 a.m., Gainesville is under a flash flood watch.
Emergency Shoulder Use is activated for evacuation, and highway tolls are suspended in Central and West Florida.
When emergency shoulders are operational, everyone except large trucks, buses and trailers may use the left or inside shoulder on six-lane roadways and the right or outside shoulder on four-lane roadways at designated locations where law enforcement officials and signage are posted. Drivers must slow down and drive carefully in these areas to avoid swerving into dangerous obstacles like bridges, overpasses, guardrails and barrier walls.
UF Southwest Recreation Center will open Wednesday at 1 p.m. as a shelter for students, faculty, staff and their families. The shelter will provide food but not bedding. Those staying at the shelter should bring bedding, cell phones, chargers, entertainment and prescription medications, the university wrote in an email.
Shelters are anticipated to open later today in Alachua County. There will be two general population shelters, a pet friendly shelter and a special medical needs shelter. The county is providing Uber vouchers that citizens can use for Uber rides to the shelters.
The state’s Department of Children and Families is preparing to staff emergency evacuation shelters.
Flood Zones:
Gainesville is located within flood zones A and AE, which are at high risk of inundation. The city’s low-lying areas near lakes, creeks and ponds are historically vulnerable to flooding during heavy rainfall.
The city advises not to go into floodwater. Floods can be reported with photos to the city’s flood observer form or by calling 352-334-5070.
What supplies do I need?
The City of Gainesville website recommends that residents fill all needed prescriptions and advises them to stock up on nonperishable foods, flashlights, batteries and water. Before the storm, cars should be filled with gas to ensure the ability to evacuate in an emergency.
The website also encourages residents to visit ready.gov for a list of additional supplies they should prepare. In addition to the supplies listed on the City of Gainesville website, the Ready campaign listed radios, first aid kits, whistles, dust masks, plastic sheeting, scissors, duct tape, moist towelettes, garbage bags, plastic ties, tools, manual can openers and local maps as items that should be included in a hurricane preparedness kit.
What are Gainesville and Alachua County doing to prepare?
Sandbags:
In a news release Tuesday, Alachua County announced its sandbag distribution locations:
- Memorial Park (17380 NW US HWY 441)
- The Gainesville Public Works Administration building (405 NW 39th Ave)
- Citizens Field (1000 NE Waldo Rd.)
- Micanopy Town Hall (706 NE Cholokka Blvd.)
- City of Hawthorne (3016 SE 65th Lane)
- The City of Archer Public Works building (17156 SW Archer Rd.).
Sandbags will be given out until 5 p.m. with a limit of 10 bags per vehicle.
Tarps:
The Alachua County Rural Collection Center in Archer will distribute tarps at 19401 Southwest Archer Road. The county’s Household Hazardous Waste Collection Center will also distribute tarps at 5125 NE 63 Ave.
Is school canceled?
UF
UF campus will be closed this Wednesday, Oct. 9, and Thursday, Oct. 10, due to Hurricane Milton, the university announced in a press release. All academic and student-related activities will be suspended, including online classes and exams.
This interferes with the Fall 2024 Student Government elections. Polls remain open Tuesday from 8:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. However, the second day of elections has been rescheduled to Oct. 14.
Florida Fresh Dining announced Gator Corner and The Eatery at Broward Hall will have altered hours due to Milton. On Wednesday, these halls will be open from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Thursday hours will be 12 p.m. to 8 p.m. The Graham and Rawlings markets will also be open Wednesday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. and Thursday from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. The Reitz Union market, Starbucks and Panda Express will be open Thursday from 3 p.m. to 9 p.m. UF plans to return to normal hours on Friday.
At this time, UF has not announced plans to evacuate on-campus residents and recommends that those who live in residence halls should plan to shelter in place. Those who live off campus should follow local and state guidance for preparing for a tropical storm or hurricane, UF said in a press release.
UF Health hospitals and clinical practices are continuing normal operations, according to the press release. More information on UF Health closures can be found here.
Sante Fe College
Santa Fe College is closed Wednesday and Thursday because of Hurricane Milton, according to a statement from Santa Fe President Paul Broadie II.
All official updates from the college will be posted on the SF Alerts website.
“I strongly encourage you to make preparations in advance of the storm,” Broadie wrote. “Our area will receive strong tropical storm winds and torrential downpours with 4-8 inches of rain or more falling within a 24-hour period.”
He wrote that people should follow all official updates from the National Hurricane Center, have a supply of non-perishable food and water available and top off their vehicle’s gas tank.
Santa Fe’s next update on the hurricane will be Tuesday at 5 p.m.
ACPS
Alachua County Public Schools, district offices and extracurricular activities will be closed on Wednesday and Thursday, ACPS Spokesperson Jackie Johnson wrote in an email.
Schools will remain open on Tuesday, including the Extended Day Enrichment Program and extracurricular activities.
ACPS plans to reopen on Friday, but it’s dependent on school conditions following Milton’s damage, Johnson wrote.
ACPS also plans to use three flex days available on the district calendar to make up for lost instructional time. Those dates will be Dec. 20, Jan. 6, and Feb. 14.
Families with special needs children or other family members who may need shelter or transportation can register with Alachua County’s special needs registry.
Are buses still running?
Gainesville’s Regional Transit System will run on a reduced schedule with free service Wednesday, according to a Facebook post.
RTS bus services will automatically suspend and cancel services in Gainesville if wind speeds reach above 35 mph.
With the hurricane hurtling toward Florida’s gulf coast, Eastern Alachua County is predicted to see gusts of up to 40 mph late Wednesday night, according to the National Weather Service.
For the most up-to-date information on RTS services, residents can go to GNVriderts.app, riderts.app, RTS’ website or Facebook for any updates on suspension of services.
This is an Alligator Staff Report.
