St. Lucie County Hurricane Milton Update No. 1
Published on October 07, 2024
ST. LUCIE COUNTY – Hurricane Milton is intensifying and is now a major hurricane expected to make landfall on Florida’s west coast sometime Wednesday, Oct. 9. St. Lucie County is monitoring this system and the anticipated impacts to our area along with our local and state partner agencies and the National Weather Service.
St. Lucie County offices, libraries and attractions will be closed Wednesday, Oct. 9 and Thursday, Oct. 10. All events and programs, including outside events hosted at county facilities, have been canceled for these days. Additionally, the Trunk or Treat / Tunnel of Terror Halloween event at the Fenn Center, scheduled for Friday, Oct. 11 and Saturday, Oct. 12, has been postponed.
St. Lucie County’s Emergency Operations Center is at a level 2 activation and is expected to go to a full level 1 activation starting Wednesday, Oct. 9 at 7 a.m. The public information lines will be activated starting Tuesday, Oct. 8 at 8 a.m. Residents with questions about the storm should call the county’s public information lines at 772-460-HELP (4357) from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 8 and 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. starting Wednesday, Oct. 9 until necessary.
St. Lucie Public Schools will be closed Tuesday, Oct. 8 through Thursday, Oct. 10. In partnership with the Florida Department of Health and St. Lucie Public Schools, St. Lucie County will be opening the following shelters on Tuesday, Oct. 8 at 2 p.m.:
- Fort Pierce Westwood Academy (General Population/Pet Friendly Shelter): 1801 Panther Lane in Fort Pierce
- Treasure Coast High School (General Population/Pet Friendly Shelter): 1000 SW Darwin Blvd. in Port St. Lucie
- Havert L. Fenn Center (Medical Special Needs Shelter): 2000 Virginia Ave. in Fort Pierce
Residents with special medical needs or pets who may need to seek temporary shelter should pre-register at https://www.stlucieco.gov/departments-and-services/public-safety/shelter-evacuation-info.
Indian River State College (IRSC) is closing campuses on Oct. 7 at 5 p.m. in preparation. The college will remain closed through Thursday, Oct. 10 and is expected to reopen on Friday, Oct. 11 at 8 a.m.
Information about additional governmental closings in St. Lucie County will be posted on the county’s website as those decisions are announced.
St. Lucie County staff is making the necessary preparations to prevent hazards and is prepared to respond to the event and facilitate recovery actions. Officials encourage residents to remain calm, review their emergency plan with their family and friends and check/replenish their supplies.
The latest forecasts project that St. Lucie County could experience tropical storm force winds with potential gusts reaching Category 1 hurricane strength. Up to six inches of rainfall is also possible with isolated areas of flooding. Please prepare any supplies needed to keep your loved ones and neighbors safe and healthy before and after the storm.
St. Lucie County’s Planning and Development Services staff urges all contractors to secure their job sites immediately. All debris, trash, equipment and construction materials should be removed from construction sites until the storm passes. Residents with construction site concerns should report construction sites to Code Compliance. Please note that new state laws make it so that code complaints are no longer anonymous and your report will be part of the public record. https://www.stlucieco.gov/departments-and-services/planning-and-development-services/code-compliance/report-a-code-violation. Political, business and other yard signs should also be removed prior to the storm making landfall.
ART (Area Regional Transit) will continue to operate its normal schedule and services until further notice. For additional information, visit www.slcart.org or call 772-462-1778.
Residents are also reminded to not trim trees and/or stack vegetative debris out once a hurricane watch has been issued, as garbage haulers may not be able to pick up debris before the storm arrives. This debris can block drains and cause neighborhood flooding. There are three different garbage haulers operating for the municipalities within St. Lucie County. Please check with your provider/municipality regarding the service schedule. As of now, garbage haulers plan to continue normal operations until the sustained winds exceed 40 mph.
For information about storm preparations and any protective actions issued to the public, please visit St. Lucie County’s Emergency Management portal - www.readystlucie.org.