Public Notice: City of Lakeland Hurricane Milton Update - October 8, 2024

Public Notice: City of Lakeland Hurricane Milton Update - October 8, 2024

City offices and facilities will be closed to the public on Wednesday, October 9 and Thursday, October 10 in preparation of Hurricane Milton.

Hurricane Milton is now a Category 4 Hurricane with sustained winds over 150 mph. The Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale is a 5-category rating system used to measure the strength of a hurricane and estimate the potential damage it may cause:

• Category 1: Winds of 74-95 mph, causing minimal damage
• Category 2: Winds of 96-110 mph, causing moderate damage
• Category 3: Winds of 111-129 mph, causing extensive damage
• Category 4: Winds of 130-156 mph, causing devastating damage
• Category 5: Winds of 157+ mph, causing catastrophic damage

Hurricanes that reach Category 3 or higher are considered major hurricanes and have the potential to cause significant loss of life and damage.

Forecasters with the National Hurricane Center predict the storm will strike Florida's Gulf Coast as a major hurricane on Wednesday, October 9 into the early morning hours on Thursday, October 10, 2024. Based on the current forecast models, Lakeland and Polk County will be heavily impacted by the storm with hurricane force winds, downed trees, torrential rainfall and possibly flooding.

The Polk County landfill closes once winds get to 40 mph ceasing all collection operations. Residents, please do not put additional yard waste or junk curbside in anticipation that it will be picked up before the impacts of Hurricane Milton. All City of Lakeland residential and commercial Garbage and Recycling services will be suspended on Thursday, October 10 and Friday, October 11 to maximize hurricane recovery efforts. The City of Lakeland has already secured the large contract debris haulers that will be here to assist during restoration efforts once the storm has passed.

The Iowa Street (Lakeland Electric) and Main Street (behind Harry's Seafood) public parking garages will be open and available for residents starting Tuesday evening after 5 p.m. Please park on level two or higher so employees working through the storm have access to lower levels.

Polk County Public Schools has announced that schools will remain closed through Friday, October 11, 2024.

Lakeland Electric's smart meter system lets us know the moment a home or business is out of power without you needing to call. This helps us efficiently respond to problems and get your power back on as quickly and safely as possible. You can view the outage map by visiting: www.lakelandelectric.com/outagemap. To report a downed power line, please call Lakeland Electric's dedicated system at 863-834-4248.

Lakeland Electric customers are automatically enrolled to receive outage and restoration notifications. You can receive alerts by phone, text, or email.Customers can view or change their registration by logging into their Lakeland Electric account or by calling customer service at 863-834-9535. Do this before the storm hits!

Lakeland Electric crews are well trained, well stocked and prepared to restore power following Hurricane Milton. Crews will begin restoration once sustained winds fall below 40 mph. Lakeland Electric has 240 mutual aid field workers prepared to assist with power restoration following the storm. They include Lafayette Utilities System (LA), Denton Utilities (TX), Kerrville Public Utility Board (TX), City of Tallahassee (FL), City of Skiatook (OK), City of Edmund (OK), and Claremore (OK).

Please be vigilant, look out for your neighbor and help those in need. The City of Lakeland is here for you before, during and after a storm. Once the storm passes, please be patient as the City works diligently to restore services. Together we will weather Hurricane Milton.

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