As the Tampa Bay area braces for Hurricane Milton, local officials are issuing county-by-county guidance for residents who will be affected by the storm.
10 Tampa Bay is compiling this guidance and other local information into county-specific guides. We will keep you updated with the latest information as the storm develops. Here's what you need to know for Hernando County:
FORECAST
Timing: 8 p.m. Wednesday through 8 a.m. Thursday. See the latest forecasts for the area here.
Impact:
- Winds: 60-80 mph
- Rain: 6 to 10 inches
- Surge: 5 to 10 feet
EVACUATIONS
Mandatory evacuations have been issued for all areas west of US 19, which includes zones A, B and C. All residents living in coastal and low-lying areas, as well as manufactured homes county-wide, are included. You can find your evacuation zone here.
The evacuation order took effect starting at 8 a.m. Tuesday.
SHELTERS
You can the latest information on shelters and their status here.
"Special needs" locations are for "residents whose medical condition may require the use of electrical equipment, oxygen, dialysis, or individuals with physical, cognitive, or medical conditions that may require assistance from medical professionals." These locations do not provide continuous bedside nursing.
The following locations are being used as shelters and are all pet friendly.
- Challenger K-8 13400 Elgin Blvd., Spring Hill, FL 34609 ** Special needs location**
- West Hernando Middle School 14325 Ken Austin Pkwy., Brooksville, FL 34614
- Enrichment Center 800 John Gary Grubbs Blvd., Brooksville, FL 34601
POWER
Withlacoochee River Electric: You can find the latest power outages on the website here.
Duke Energy: You can find the latest power outages on the website here.
INTERNET
Spectrum is offering free, unlimited access to Wi-Fi hotspots in Florida from now until October 13. A map of locations is available on their website.
CLOSINGS
Schools
You can find the latest school closings on the Florida Department of Education's website here.
Trash collection
Garbage collection through Republic Services will not operate on Wednesday, October 9 and Thursday, October 10.
The Convenience Centers and Main Landfill will close today, Wednesday, October 9, at noon. Trailers are permitted at all locations. All storm debris-related tipping fees are waived until further notice. The facilities closing at noon include:
- Northwest Solid Waste Facility (Main Landfill): 14450 Landfill Rd.
- West Hernando Convenience Center: 2525 Osowaw Blvd.
- East Hernando Convenience Center: 33070 Cortez Blvd.
County parks, offices, recreation centers
The City of Brooksville is closing its government facilities starting Tuesday through Wednesday including city government offices and parks.
All non-essential county government operations will be closed through Friday.
Sandbag Sites
All sandbag distribution locations will close at 10 a.m. today, Wednesday. A limited supply of sand and sandbags will be available at the following self-serve sites, which will remain open until weather conditions begin to deteriorate. Residents are reminded to bring their own shovels.
Locations include:
- Linda Pedersen Park
6300 Shoal Line Blvd., Spring Hill, FL 34609 - Anderson Snow Park
1360 Anderson Snow Rd., Spring Hill, FL 34609
(Enter through the service road between the park and the gymnastics center; sand is located at the end.) - Ridge Manor Community Center
34240 Cortez Blvd., Ridge Manor, FL 33523 - Spring Lake Methodist Church
4191 Spring Lake Hwy., Brooksville, FL 34601
