Gainesville area avoids Hurricane Milton devastation

The Martin Luther King Jr. Multipurpose Center in Gainesville was filled Wednesday with people seeking shelter from Hurricane Milton.
The Martin Luther King Jr. Multipurpose Center in Gainesville was filled Wednesday with people seeking shelter from Hurricane Milton.
Photo by Glory Reitz

The Gainesville area survived Hurricane Milton with little to no damage on Wednesday and early Thursday morning compared to Central Florida.

As of Thursday morning, more than 3.3 million people in Florida are without power as the storm, which hit landfall around 8:30 p.m. Wednesday as a Category 3 hurricane at Siesta Key next to Sarasota about 70 miles south of Tampa, according to the National Weather Service (NWS).

The numbers are smaller around Gainesville with Alachua County having the most reported outages at 5,727, followed by Levy County (4,322), Bradford County (731) and Gilchrist County (312), according to poweroutage.us.

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The Gainesville Regional Airport reported 2 inches of rain on Wednesday.

Multiple tornadoes touched down in South Central and Southeastern Florida on Wednesday, killing four people in a retirement community in St. Lucie County’s Spanish Lakes Country Club Village in Fort Pierce.

Milton pulled away from Florida on Thursday morning around 8 a.m. but is still affecting the East Coast with rainfall and winds with a tropical storm warning in effect, according to a National Hurricane Center (NHC) update at 11 a.m. Ongoing river flooding in Central Florida continues in the aftermath of the storm.

The city of Gainesville sent the following post-storm update on Thursday morning:

This morning, our emergency response teams continue assessing the area for damage from Hurricane Milton. A wind advisory has been issued for our area as the final wind bands from the storm continue throughout the day. Expect breezy and rainy conditions.

In addition to our roadways and stormwater infrastructure, city staff has begun inspecting municipal buildings, recreation and community centers, parks and nature trails for damage.

We are reminding all neighbors to provide clearance for all emergency vehicles and to drive cautiously as evacuees make plans to leave the area as many are unfamiliar with our streets.

Remember there also may be limbs and other debris on roadways so please drive carefully.  

Refuse collection

  • Please do not place residential trash and recycling containers or other items curbside today, Oct. 10. Today’s pick up has been suspended until Saturday.
  • Our disaster debris contractor has already collected 4,300 cubic yards of yard waste left by Hurricane Helene, the equivalent of more than 200 standard truckloads. They plan to resume operations tomorrow, Oct. 11. We appreciate your patience as these operations resume.

Regional Transit System (RTS)

  • Bus fares are suspended today as bus service continues on reduced service.
  • Regular service resumes tomorrow. Visit the RTS website for additional information. 

Facilities

  • City offices and facilities remain closed today. City offices and municipal pools are scheduled to reopen tomorrow, Oct. 11.
  • Please keep out of parks today as crews assess damage and inspect trees for weakened limbs that could still fall. 

Parking

  • Free parking at the SW Parking Garage, 105 SW 3rd Street, continues today, Oct. 10.
  • Parking restrictions remain lifted today for all parking zones.

Flood reporting

  • If you encounter floodwaters, do not drive, swim or walk through them as they may contain raw sewage, debris, chemicals or other pollutants.
  • If you encounter any flooding in your area, submit your photos on the Flood Reporter application. Stay safe and do not endanger your safety when taking photographs.
  • During a storm, the status of storm-related Public Works service requests and work orders can be viewed online. Visit the emergency planning maps webpage and select the Public Works Service tile to view the online app. Neighbors can view open service requests and work orders by entering an address using the search bar.
  • To report flooding, blocked streets and other issues that require prompt attention, please call 352-334-5070 use the myGNV app or visitmyGNV.org.

Additional resources

  • To receive City of Gainesville alerts, sign up at www.alertgnv.org.
  • Visit www.safeGNV.org for all emergency management updates and additional preparedness tips.

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