Two women fill up sandbags at the city of Lakeland’s self-serve lot at 315 Eastside Drive. It is first-come, first-served until the 5,000 bags have been distributed. | Kimberly C. Moore, LkldNow

With Hurricane Milton strengthened rapidly on Monday, Lakeland Fire Chief Doug Riley urged people to prepare now, while there is still time, and then avoid going out after the storm.

“Get what you need and (get) ready now,” Riley said at Monday’s City Commission meeting. “But during and after the storm, unless you’re mission-critical or essential, stay home. … After the storm may be the most dangerous time because you’re going to have potential flooding, downed power lines, downed trees, debris.”

Milton became a dangerous Category 5 storm Monday with maximum sustained winds of 180 miles per hour at the National Hurricane Center’s 5 p.m. update. 

The NHC expects it to weaken slightly before making landfall in the Tampa Bay area on Wednesday, but says it will likely remain a hurricane as it crosses the state to the Atlantic Ocean.

Just after 5 p.m. Monday, the cellphones of everyone in Central Florida screeched with an emergency alert, saying a hurricane warning is effect for our area. The current track shows Lakeland directly in the Milton’s path, although a wobble could still change its trajectory.

“What does that mean for Polk County?” Paul Womble, Polk County’s Emergency Management Director, said in an afternoon news conference.

He said Polk County residents should expect sustained winds of 75 to 95 miles per hour, with gusts up to 100 miles per hour. “Those type of winds certainly will knock down trees. Those trees falling can damage buildings, damage your roof. They’ll certainly knock down power lines, so expect power outages,” Womble said.

The Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale is a rating system used to measure the strength of hurricanes and estimate the damage they may cause:

  • Category 1: Winds of 74–95 mph, causing minimal damage
  • Category 2: Winds of 96–110 mph, causing moderate damage
  • Category 3: Winds of 111–129 mph, causing extensive damage
  • Category 4: Winds of 130–156 mph, causing devastating damage
  • Category 5: Winds of 157+ mph, causing catastrophic damage

Lakeland Electric’s Scott Bishop, assistant general manager for energy delivery, reminded the City Commission that during Hurricane Irma in 2017, about 80,000 of the utility’s 140,000 customers lost power. He’s expecting similar outages from Milton, but said the utility expects to have everyone back online within seven days.

“If you’ve got wires down in your yard, please stay away from that,” Bishop said.  “Use less water and stay away from downed power lines and let’s get through this together.”

RELATED

Track the storm and get alerts

  • The National Hurricane Center is issuing updates at least every six hours — at 5 a.m., 11 a.m., 5 p.m. and 11 p.m. For the latest storm track and projections, visit the center’s page about Milton.
  • Alert Polk: To receive emergency notifications including tornado warnings, boil water notices, gas leaks and mandatory evacuations, sign up here.
  • Polk County Emergency Management will hold daily news updates at 10 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. until further notice. They will be streamed on Facebook, YouTube and the county’s cablecast site. 
  • Power outages: Lakeland Electric has an interactive map where customers can monitor outages and see expected restoration times.  If you have an outage that is not shown on the map, call 863-834-4248. 

Prepare your home

  • Sandbags: Lakeland has set up a self-serve sandbag station at 315 Eastside Drive. Residents are limited to 10 bags per household on a first-come, first-served basis. The city is providing 5,000 bags. The station is open from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. Monday and Tuesday.

    Polk County sandbag sites stopped accepting new vehicles at 4:45 p.m. Monday, but they will be open from 8 a.m. until noon on Tuesday. Lakeland locations include 500 W. Carter Road and 8970 N. Campbell Road.
  • Solid Waste and Recycling: Lakeland trash and recycling will be collected as normal today and Tuesday, but the city is asking residents not to put yard waste curbside unless they are already on the list for special bulk pickup. There will be no yard waste collection until after Hurricane Milton passes.

    City Manager Shawn Sherrouse said if residents’ yard waste is not picked up by Tuesday afternoon, they should relocate it to a safe location where it will not become airborne.

    “Do not trim or cut down trees. Now is not the time,” the department said in a Facebook post. 

School closures

Polk County Public Schools are open today, but after-school activities are canceled. There will be no school Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. Friday is to be determined. For the latest information, check here.

The Schools of McKeel Academy are also closed Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. Check here for more information.

Higher Education: All Lakeland colleges and universities have adjusted their schedules this week. 

  • Florida Polytechnic University will close Monday at 5 p.m. and remain closed Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. Friday is to be determined. Updates will be available here.
  • Polk State College campuses will be closed Tuesday–Thursday, but some classes may be held remotely on Tuesday. Students are encouraged to check their Canvas and my.polk.edu email accounts for messages. Updates will be available here. 
  • Southeastern University — Classes and student activities are canceled all week beginning Monday to give students time to travel, if needed. Students who plan to remain on campus can do so at a secure “ride-out” location, but they must register beforehand. Classes, campus activities, and office spaces are expected to reopen on Monday, Oct. 14. Updates will be available here.
  • Florida Southern College — Classes will be held remotely on Monday and Tuesday, but they are canceled Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. Residences halls will be closed at 1 p.m. Tuesday. Only students approved for emergency shelter may remain in campus housing. Information is available here.

Other closures

Transportation

  • Citrus Connection’s fixed-route services, including The Squeeze, are suspended from Tuesday until further notice so it can transport people to shelters. Updates will be available here. 
  • Tolls are suspended on roads in West Florida, Central Florida and Alligator Alley for the hurricane, Gov. Ron DeSantis announced in Tallahassee Monday morning.
  • Highways: Construction projects and lane closures on evacuation routes have been paused, and the state has opened paved highway shoulders on portions of Interstate 4 and Interstate 75 to increase traffic capacity.
  • Gasoline: GasBuddy has activated a fuel tracker that gives updated reports on which stations do and do not have gasoline. Check Lakeland stations.
  • Tampa International Airport will suspend operations beginning at 9 a.m. Tuesday and stay closed “until it can assess any damage after the storm,” airport officials said.

Local shelters

General shelters: Polk County’s general emergency shelters will open Tuesday at noon. Adults should bring a driver’s license or other government-issued photo identification. Residents seeking shelter should bring medications, snacks and comfort items like bedding. Meals are provided but cots are not. Alcohol is not allowed. Lakeland sites are:

Pet-friendly shelter: For those sheltering with pets, Tenoroc High School, 4905 Saddle Creek Road, Lakeland will open Tuesday at noon. Only dogs, cats and birds are allowed. Pet owners must bring animals’ shot records, an airline-approved carrying case or crate and pet food. All animals’ vaccinations must be up-to-date. 

Special needs shelter: McKeel Academy, 1810 W. Parker St., Lakeland will open at Tuesday at 7 a.m. for people with physical, cognitive or medical conditions who may need help from medical professionals. Special needs shelters provide more care than general shelters, but they do not provide the level of care found in medical facilities. To arrange transportation, call the Polk County Emergency Management Special Needs Program at (863) 298-7027.

City and county preparations

Staging area: Lakeland officials said mutual aid line crews will be arriving and staging at Tigertown in preparation for power restoration efforts. The city has also notified the large private debris haulers that are on contract to assist during restoration efforts once the storm has passed.

Shelf-stable meals: Polk County has begun receiving emergency food and water supplies from the state. “We’ve already brought in several semi-loads of state-provided water and shelf-stable meals, pre-packaged meals, that we’ll be able to quickly get out into the community once it’s safe, that we can go out and do assessments,” Womble said.

Lakes: The city has been lowering the water levels of area lakes in advance of the hurricane to help prevent as much flooding as possible. 

Sandbags on storm drains: Workers have placed sandbags to block drains going into lakes, particularly on the north shore of Lake Morton. Laurie Smith, the city’s manager of lakes and stormwater, explained to city commissioners that while it seems counterintuitive to block the stormwater drain when it rains heavily, the bags keep sediment from going into the drains, blocking water flow and damaging water quality in the lake. 

Swans: City Communications Director Kevin Cook said Lakeland’s iconic swans remain free during hurricanes. “They are wild animals and they have weathered many a storm,” he said. 

Flushing during power outages: Water department officials urged people to use their water systems sparingly during and after the storm, especially if power is out.  They said it could inundate the system if people continued to flush toilets as always.

Business and consumer help

  • Price gouging is illegal. Call (866) 966-7226 to report anyone taking advantage of the emergency to overcharge for essential goods or services.
  • Disaster plans for businesses: The Lakeland Chamber of Commerce is urging businesses to register with the Florida Department of Commerce and use its Disaster Planning Toolkit. After registering and completing the questionnaire, a disaster plan template will be created based on the provided answers.

Commissioners urge caution

At Monday’s City Commission meeting, officials cautioned residents to stay safe.

Mayor Bill Mutz cautioned people to stay clear of leaning trees. “Trees fall after storms,” he said. “What looks like it’s leaning could become crushing.” 

“Please be prepared — don’t take this storm lightly,” Commissioner Guy LaLonde said.

Editor’s note: This story is being updated as new closures are announced. Check back for the latest information.

SEND CORRECTIONS, questions, feedback or news tips: newstips@lkldnow.com

Something went wrong. Please refresh the page and/or try again.

Kimberly C. Moore, who grew up in Lakeland, has been a print, broadcast and multimedia journalist for more than 30 years. Before coming to LkldNow in the spring of 2022, she was a reporter for four years with The Ledger, first covering Lakeland City Hall and then Polk County schools. She is the author of “Star Crossed: The Story of Astronaut Lisa Nowak," published by University Press of Florida. Reach her at kimberly@lkldnow.com or 863-272-9250.

Cindy's reporting for LkldNow focuses on Lakeland city government. Previously, she was a crime reporter, City Hall reporter and chief political writer for newspapers including the Albuquerque Journal and South Florida Sun-Sentinel. She spent a year as a community engagement coordinator for the City of Lakeland before joining LkldNow in 2023. Reach her at cindy@lkldnow.com or 561-212-3429.

Leave a comment

Your thoughts on this? (Comments are moderated; first and last name are required.)