The city of Gainesville considered a curfew during Hurricane Milton, projected to make landfall around midnight, to keep traffic at a minimum, but decided against it since the storm will not be as close as Hurricane Helene.  

According to Gainesville Mayor Harvey Ward, who held a press conference Wednesday morning, 170 – or 75% – of the city’s traffic signals went dark during Hurricane Helene on Sept. 26-27 and there were 13 reported accidents, which distracted first responders from other storm duties. Ward noted that communities further north have started using curfews.

“We are going to take the gamble that folks in our community are going to make good choices and are going to stay off the roads unless they have to be on the roads,” Ward said. “It’s a pretty extreme measure; we don’t take that lightly at all.”

Ward also said that all the area hotels are full as people in the storm’s path are seeking shelter in Gainesville. He said that could mean additional traffic on the road post-storm and in grocery stores and he encouraged citizens to show grace and hospitality as things return to normal.

On Wednesday at 2 p.m., the National Hurricane Center (NHC) reported Milton with maximum sustained winds of 130 mph, a Category 4 hurricane, with higher gusts and is projected to make landfall Wednesday night and into Thursday morning along the west-central coast where it will come ashore between Tampa and Bradenton. Milton is projected to have a 10-15 foot storm surge along the coast that will push inland. NHC provided a graphic for the potential storm surge flooding map area.

In the Gainesville area, the National Weather Service forecast released at 1:45 p.m. on Wednesday calls for winds between 20 to 30 mph with gusts up to 33 mph on Wednesday and 41 mph on Thursday. Total rainfall is projected to be between 2 to 8 inches on Wednesday and Thursday.

Schools are closed in Alachua, Dixie, Levy, Gilchrist and Bradford counties. The University of Florida and Santa Fe College in Gainesville will also be closed on Wednesday and Thursday.

Shelter locations in Alachua, Dixie, Levy and Gilchrist counties can be found here.

Alachua County announced on Wednesday morning that the Martin Luther King Jr. Center is full and is now closed.  Two of three Alachua County emergency shelters remain open and the include:

• General population/Pet-friendly: Easton-Newberry Sports Complex, 24880 NW 16th Ave., Newberry
• Special Needs Shelter: Alachua County Senior Recreation Center, 5701 NW 34^th Blvd., Gainesville

Residents with pets are encouraged to bring basic pet supplies such as collars, leashes, crates, carriers, towels, blankets, pet medications, pet food, etc. Animal Resources will have supplemental supplies on hand for those in need. We encourage citizens to bring veterinary records indicating their pets are properly vaccinated

Animals, however, without such records will be vaccinated upon intake to minimize the spread of contagious diseases. Please remember that animals must be properly restrained throughout their stay at the emergency shelter for the safety of all involved citizens and pets.

Free Uber Rides to Shelters:

Alachua County has partnered with Uber to provide free rides to and from shelters, ensuring no resident is left behind due to transportation challenges. To access this service:

1. Open the Uber app
2. Go to the account tab and tap “Wallet”
3. Add promo code: rYb19PkoIMp
(Up to $35 each way to/from Alachua County shelters and Grace Marketplace)

Alternatively, visit Uber Ride Promo to redeem your free ride.

The city of Gainesville released the following information on Wednesday morning:

GRACE Marketplace, 3055 NE 28th Dr., has opened Emergency Storm Shelter operations for houseless neighbors.

Sandbags

• 21,000 sandbags have been distributed by the City of Gainesville during the past two days.
• Self-serve sandbag operations continue at Citizens Field, 1000 NE Waldo Rd., while conditions remain safe. Neighbors must bring their own bags and shovels or trowels.

FEMA and USDA Resources

Keep the resources below handy by taking a screen shot or printing out this email today.

• Download the free FEMA App, available in English and Spanish, to receive real-time weather alerts and more.
• Disaster Distress Helpline: Multilingual, crisis support service is available 24/7 for those who are experiencing emotional distress. Call or text 1-800-985-5990.
• Farmer Mental Health – Southern Ag Exchange Network Farmer Support Hotline: 888-381-7243
• Farm Service Agency Call Center (information on USDA programs): 877-506-8364

Refuse collection

• Please do not place residential trash and recycling containers or other items curbside today. Today’s pick up has been suspended until Friday.
• Vegetative debris collection began last Friday, Oct. 4, and continued through noon yesterday. It’s scheduled to resume Friday morning, Oct. 11.

Facilities

• City offices, facilities, parks, pools and recreation centers remain closed.

Regional Transit System (RTS)

• RTS has suspended fares today (Oct. 9) as bus service is operating on reduced service. Visit the RTS website for additional information. 

Parking

• Free parking at the SW Parking Garage, 105 SW 3rd Street, is available today, Oct. 9 and tomorrow, Oct. 10, based on availability, for neighbors who need to store their vehicles.
• Parking restrictions are lifted today and tomorrow for all parking zones.

Flood reporting

An areal flood watch remains in effect for Alachua County. This means there is potential for flooding as a result of the prolonged, heavy rainfall from H. Milton.

• Never drive, swim or walk through floodwaters. They may contain raw sewage, debris, chemicals or other pollutants.
• If you encounter any flooding in your area caused by Hurricane Milton, 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 enter 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 visit myGNV.org.

Additional resources

• To receive City of Gainesville alerts, sign up at www.alertgnv.org.
• Alachua County has activated the 311 Emergency Information Line for questions and rumor control. Neighbors can dial 311 or 352-264-6557.
• Visit GRU.com/StormCentral for a list of important phone numbers in the event of service emergencies, as well as a link to the Gainesville Regional Utilities outage map with estimated time of restoration.
• Visit www.safeGNV.org for all emergency management updates and additional preparedness tips.

UF/IFAS has provided links for storm season that include:

• UF/IFAS Extension Disaster Handbook
• Diabetes hurricane prep: Smart staples to keep your blood sugar in check
• Preparing for agricultural damage and loss assessments following Hurricane Milton
• Health, home and pets
• Trees and landscaping
• Agriculture and livestock
• Natural resources and marine industries
• Disaster preparation: Where to start
• Videos: What know before a disaster
• Resources for homeowners and families