LAKE COUNTY – Governer Rick Scott declared a state of emergency in preparation for Hurricane Matthew which is expected to reach the Florida coastline sometime Thursday night.
According to the latest projection shown by Accuweather.com, Hurricane Matthew, which is currently a category 4 hurricane, is expected to travel along the East coastline of Florida. Although Matthew is expected to be about 150 miles from shore, heavy rains, winds, and possible flooding are expected throughout Central Florida.
The Lake County Emergency Management team is tracking Hurricane Matthew and has been communicating with the National Weather Service according to a statement released by the County Board of Commissioners.
“Lake County Emergency Management has been communicating and coordinating with local and state stakeholders to prepare for the possibility of impact to Lake County,” said Tommy Carpenter, Manager of Lake County Emergency Management. “All residents are strongly encouraged to continue personal and business preparedness planning, including having a disaster go-kit, stocking up on supplies, ensuring they have a working NOAA weather radio and monitoring reliable media sources for the latest information.”
Lake County officials are encouraging residents to prepare for the hurricane by developing a communication plan, deciding on a meeting place in the case of an emergency, and preparing a disaster “go-kit”, including important personal, medical, and legal papers stored in a safe place. You can see more of what is recommended to go in the kit by visiting www.ready.gov
In expectation of flooding, Lake County is offering families free sandbags at four Lake County Fire Stations. Families can visit any of the four stations listed below and bring their own shovel to get up to 20 sandbags per household. Pickup hours are from 8:00 am to 8:00 pm.
[su_row][su_column size=”1/4″]Fire Station 10
23023 SR 40
Astor[/su_column] [su_column size=”1/4″]Fire Station 14
42700 SR 19
Altoona[/su_column] [su_column size=”1/4″]Fire Station 53
2505 Spring Lake Road
Fruitland Park[/su_column] [su_column size=”1/4″]Fire Station 110
6234 County Road 561
Clermont[/su_column][/su_row]
To be fully prepared, be sure to stock up on flashlights, batteries, non-perishable foods, water, first aid kit, and toiletries.
To stay updated with the latest on Hurricane Matthew, you can sign up for emergency notifications by visiting www.alertlake.com.
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