Hurricane Ian Updates for the Town of Oakland
9/27/22 1 p.m. Update
NWS: Ian has emerged off the northern coast of Cuba, moving north & eventually northeast toward FL. Hurricane Watches are now in effect for all inland east central FL counties. Residents should finalize preparations today! Be prepared for hurricane force winds for areas north of Melbourne/Kissimmee and tropical storm force winds for areas south. Heavy rainfall will lead to flooding across most of the area, overflowing ditches and the potential for flooding to enter structures. Beginning tonight, tornadoes in outer rainbands will move onshore, continuing through Wednesday and Thursday.
Town Operations
The Town of Oakland will officially close its business offices on Wednesday, Sept. 28 and Thursday, Sept. 29, to allow our employees to remain in their homes. Oakland Police will remain on duty but may be limited in response capabilities during the worst part of the weather event. Normal trash pickup on Wednesday and Thursday will be suspended. Residents are encouraged to remain vigilant and to follow weather reports and alerts. We expect to return to normal operations on Friday, Sept. 30.
Sign up to receive emergency alerts and severe weather warnings that could directly impact you and your family. The Town of Oakland is able to send you emergency alerts via text message, email, pager, or voice mail (in extreme cases), based on your preferences. Click on Civic Ready > Sign Up > Selects All Severe Weather Alerts.
Oakland Sandbag Pickup and Fill Information
In preparation for Hurricane Ian, sandbags will be available inside Town Hall, 230 N. Tubb Street, beginning at noon on Monday, September 26, and will continue to be available as necessary and as supplies last. A maximum of 10 bags will be available for each Town address during normal business hours of 8:00 am – 5:00 pm. The sandbags will be empty. The bag fill site at the intersection of Sadler and Cross will open at 8:00 am on Tuesday, September 27, for those residents who do not have fill material. The fill site will be unmanned. Please bring your own shovel or trowel to fill your sandbags.
Oakland Closures and Cancellations
- Town Hall will be closed Wednesday, Sept. 28 and Thursday, Sept. 29.
- OACS will be closed Wednesday, Sept. 28 and Thursday, Sept. 29.
- The Healthy West Orange Arts and Heritage Center will be closed Wednesday, Sept. 28 and Thursday, Sept. 29.
- The Oakland Nature Preserve is closed until further notice.
- Take Over the Trails, which was scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 1, has been cancelled and will be rescheduled at a later date.
Orange County
- Orange County Hurricane Safety Guide
- 9/26/22: Orange County Office of Emergency Management continues to monitor the shifting track of Hurricane Ian and its impact to Orange County. As of 11 a.m. this morning, a Tropical Storm Watch is in effect for Orange County. Heavy rainfall and winds estimated at 39-73 mph are expected for later this week. For more information visit the National Weather Services. To prepare for storm conditions, Orange County Public Works has been working to mitigate the potential for flooding throughout the community by lowering the water levels in lake and other water bodies. By Tuesday evening, residents are asked to make sure homes are prepared and loose items are clear from outside homes. Additionally, residents should have essential supplies and an emergency preparedness plan for their family and pets. For more preparedness information, visit ocfl.net/storm or ready.gov. Residents who require a Special Needs/Medical Shelter are urged to contact Orange County by dialing 3-1-1 or 407-836-3111 to ensure that they have the necessary access to resources and transportation before a storm arrives. Individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing can start a chat online by visiting ocfl.net/311.
- MatthewsHopeMinistries.org will remain open and provide Safe Shelter through the weather caused by Hurricane Ian to the homeless.
School Closures
- Oakland Avenue Charter School will follow OCPS decision to cancel school on Wednesday 9/28 and Thursday 9/29. At this time, we do not know if we will be required to make up these days. We will provide update next week sometime if we are required to make up days.
- Orange County Public Schools: Due to the forecasted potential impact on Orange County, all after school extracurricular activities are canceled Tuesday except for extended day which will be open until 6 p.m. On Wednesday, all schools and facilities will be closed and extracurricular activities canceled through Thursday. County emergency management personnel will be hosting special needs and general population shelters in select schools. To see the list of shelters please visit ocfl.net/storm for more information. We will continue to update you throughout the storm. The district will send messages by phone, email and text (type Yes to 68453). OC Schools will provide information about make-up days at a later time. To see the list of bad weather make-up days click on the school calendar on ocps.net.
Oakland Trash Collection
WM is closely monitoring Hurricane Ian. Based on the current trajectory and intensity, WM may not be able to perform normal operations starting Friday or Saturday. Please do not set trash at the curb on Wednesday nor during hurricane conditions. Conditions permitting, WM will resume collection operations on Friday or Saturday this week. WM will not operate when sustained wind speeds exceed 35 mph. Resuming “post storm” operations will depend on storm damage safety assessments and open disposal facilities. At this time, residents/customers should refrain from placing additional yard waste or other bulky items at curbside. WM has created the attached website in order to keep our municipal customers informed and updated on impending Florida storms/hurricanes: www.wmfloridastorm.com.
Storm Debris Collection
Household trash and recycling must be kept separate from storm debris. Per FEMA directions, please separate storm debris into the categories below and place at the curb away from your regular household trash and recycling. Waste Management will pick up CONTAINERIZED trash, recycling and yard waste. Other contractors will remove storm debris. Learn more by visiting WM.
Generator Safety
Follow the directions supplied with the generator. To avoid electrocution, keep the generator dry and do not use in rain or wet conditions. Operate it on a dry surface under an open canopy-like structure, such as under a tarp held up on poles. Do not touch the generator with wet hands. Be sure to turn the generator off and let it cool down before refueling. Gasoline spilled on hot engine parts could ignite. Store fuel for the generator in an approved safety can. Use the type of fuel recommended in the instructions or on the label on the generator. For more information, visit the Red Cross website.
State of Florida
- Florida Division of Emergency Management
- Executive Orders
- Governor Ron DeSantis and the Florida Department of Transportation have suspended tolls on several facilities statewide effective at 12:00 EST 9/26/22. Drivers on these roads will not be charged. Please follow FL511 for traffic updates and travel safely.
- Attorney General Ashley Moody activated Florida’s Price Gouging Hotline. If anyone suspects price gouging, report it to by calling 1(866) 9NO-SCAM, file online at MyFloridaLegal.com or using the No Scam reporting app.
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