Hurricane Ian Updates for the Town of Oakland

9/29/22 9:30 a.m. Update

Please remain indoors today and stay off the roads as tropical storm conditions persist. Oakland Public Works staff are assessing conditions throughout town. At this time, streets are littered with storm debris. The first pass to collect debris from major arteries will occur early Friday. When it is safe to do so, follow the Town's instructions for proper debris separation and disposal. Please report any electrical hazards, such as downed power lines, to Duke Energy. 

Sign up for Town of Oakland Alerts and Notifications

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 > Select "All Severe Weather Alerts."

Oakland Sandbag Pickup and Fill Information (NEW)

Sandbags will be available at the Oakland Police Department, 540 Oakland Ave. The sandbags will be empty. The bag fill site is located at the intersection of Sadler and Cross and is 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, Thursday, Sept. 29 and Friday, Sept. 30.
• 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. 

School Closures

• Oakland Avenue Charter School will be closed Wednesday, Sept. 28, Thursday, Sept. 29 and Friday, Sept. 30. OACS will provide information about make-up days at a later time. 
• Orange County Public Schools and extracurricular activities are canceled Wednesday, September 28 through Friday, September 30. Athletic events will be rescheduled. This will allow district maintenance crews the time to clear any debris in the aftermath of the storm as well as allow employees and families to do the same. 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.

• Flashing Red: If the traffic signal is flashing red, treat it as a stop sign and come to a complete stop at the intersection. Look carefully in all directions before proceeding. Other directions may have a different type of signal indication.
• Flashing Yellow: If the traffic signal is flashing yellow, proceed cautiously through the intersection. You should also slow down and observe cross streets to determine if it is safe to proceed.
• Inoperable (No Lights): If the traffic signal is completely inoperable, treat it as a 4-Way STOP. Remember that other drivers may not know how to react when a traffic signal is inoperable. Always stay alert and proceed cautiously through an intersection. No matter the condition of a traffic signal, you should always observe cross streets and other drivers to make sure you can proceed safely.
  
  

Turn Around, Don't Drown
Each year, more deaths occur due to flooding than from any other thunderstorm related hazard. The CDC reports that over half of all flood-related drownings occur when a vehicle is driven into hazardous flood water. The next highest percentage is due to walking into flood waters. People underestimate the force and power of water. Many of the deaths occur in cars swept downstream. Never drive around the barriers blocking a flooded road. The road may have collapsed under that water.  A mere 6 inches of fast-moving flood water can knock over an adult. It takes just 12 inches of rushing water to carry away most cars and just 2 feet of rushing water can carry away SUVs and trucks. It is NEVER safe to drive or walk into flood waters.

Oakland Trash Collection

Please do not set trash at the curb on Wednesday nor during hurricane conditions. WM will resume collection operations on Friday or Saturday. WM will not operate when sustained wind speeds exceed 35 mph. At this time, residents/customers should refrain from placing additional yard waste or other bulky items at curbside. WM has created a website in order to keep 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.

Food Safety
Refrigerated or frozen foods may not be safe to eat after the loss of power. Find out what you can do to keep food safe during a power outage, and when you need to throw away food that could make you sick. 

Shelters

• Orange County Hurricane Safety Guide
• Orange County, Florida Government announces Hurricane Ian shelter locations. The following shelters in Orange County will open Wednesday, Sept. 28 for residents needing to evacuate or seek shelter from Hurricane Ian. ID cards are not required to enter shelters. 
  • Timber Springs Middle School
  • Memorial Middle School
  • Southwest Middle School
  • Apopka High School (pet friendly)
  • Dr. Phillips High School 
  • Oak Ridge High School (pet friendly)
  • Ocoee High School
  • Timber Creek High School (pet friendly)
  Visit ocfl.net/shelters for important information on what to bring with you to a shelter. For Orange County residents requiring a Special Needs/Medical Shelter please dial 3-1-1 or 407-836-3111.

  
  
• MatthewsHopeMinistries.org will remain open and provide Safe Shelter through the weather caused by Hurricane Ian to the homeless.

Orange County
State of Local Emergency, Emergency Executive Order 2022-01

• Apps and alerts

State of Florida 
Florida Division of Emergency Management

• Executive Orders
  • #2022-219 amends Executive Order 22-218 re: Emergency Management – Tropical Depression Nine.
  • #2022-218 declares a State of Emergency in 24 Counties re: Tropical Depression Nine.
• 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.
• The state activated the Florida Disaster Fund to support Florida’s communities impacted by Hurricane Ian. The Florida Disaster Fund is the State of Florida's official private fund established to provide financial assistance to our communities as they respond to and recover from times of emergency or disaster. In partnership with public, private, and other non-governmental organizations, the Florida Disaster Fund supports response and recovery activities. To contribute, please visit www.FloridaDisasterFund.org or text DISASTER to 20222.

Power 

• Duke Energy outage map
• Report outages:
  • By calling the outage reporting number at (800) 228-8485.
  • Visiting duke-energy.com on a desktop computer or mobile device.
  • Texting OUT to 57801 (standard text and data charges may apply).
  • Using the Duke Energy mobile app – Download the Duke Energy App from a smartphone via Apple Store or Google Play.

Weather Resources

• NASA Hurricane Resource Page
• National Weather Service (Melbourne)
• National Hurricane Center

Emergency Management

• Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)
• Federal Emergency Preparedness Association (FEPA)
• Florida Division of Emergency Management (DEM)