Public Notice: City of Lakeland Hurricane Milton Update - October 9, 2024

Public Notice: City of Lakeland Hurricane Milton Update - October 9, 2024

The City of Lakeland's Emergency Operation Center (EOC) has been activated. The EOC is where essential staff monitors and tracks potential damage, power outages, down trees, flooding and emergency situations so hurricane restoration efforts can be mobilized efficiently once winds fall below 40 mph.

Important Numbers:

Lakeland Police Department non-emergency: 863-834-6900

Lakeland Electric Downed Power Lines: 863-834-4248

Polk County EOC: 863-298-7500

Public Works EOC: 863-834-5977

Hurricane forecast models are starting to get a better understanding of where the storm will make landfall and the approximate time that various regions in the Tampa Bay area will start feeling the impacts of the storm. It is going to be a rainy, windy day and as the storm gets closer to Lakeland, we can expect power outages. As the day progresses, conditions will worsen.

The National Hurricane Center has forecasted Polk County and Lakeland will experience hurricane force winds, and heavy rainfall. This will cause power outages, downed trees and localized flooding. The extent of the impact is unknown until the storm hits but the forecast has Milton rolling through Polk County as a hurricane during the night into the early morning hours.

Lakeland Electric's smart meter system lets us know the moment a home or business is out of power without you needing to call. You can view the outage map by visiting: www.lakelandelectric.com/outagemap. There are 240 mutual aid workers here to assist boots on the ground restoration efforts. Once winds fall below 40 mph, our assessment teams will be out reviewing damage and starting restoration efforts.

The City of Lakeland solid waste crews have been steadily working on getting any yard debris before the landfill closed operations. All City of Lakeland residential, commercial, and recycling services will be suspended on Thursday, October 10, and Friday, October 11, to maximize hurricane recovery efforts of clearing main roads to help reopen the City.

The Main Street (behind Harry's Seafood) public parking garage is open and available for residents to safely park cars during the storm. The Iowa Street (Lakeland Electric) garage is full. The first two floors of the Heritage (S. Kentucky Ave.) garage are available. We ask that those using the garages to store vehicles remove them as soon as the storm passes because staff will be reporting immediately once conditions allow for restoration.

While portable generators can serve as a benefit during power outages, they can also present extreme hazards if they are not used safely. The most common dangers associated with portable generators are carbon monoxide poisoning, electrical shock or electrocution, and fire hazards. To ensure you practice generator safety, please remember to:

• Operate generators and gas grills outdoors in well-ventilated areas
• Never use a generator or gas grill in an attached garage, even with the garage doors are open
• Place generators so that exhaust fumes cannot enter the home through windows, doors or other openings in the building
• Turn off generators and let them cool down before refueling and never refuel a generator while it is running
• Store fuel for the generator in a container that is intended for the purpose and place the containers outside living areas
• Do not connect a generator to your home's electrical system without a licensed electrician providing the means to connect

There is useful information available with our latest hurricane updates on lakelandgov.net/hurricane. Please be patient, help your neighbor and look out for each other. You are here for you before, during and after a storm. Be safe!

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