65.9 F
Ocala
Thursday, March 28, 2024

Area residents warned to monitor Hurricane Michael closely

Marion County officials are gearing up to deal with Hurricane Michael if need be.

The county’s Emergency Management team met Monday morning with elected officials, department heads and representatives from the cities of Belleview, Dunnellon and Ocala to talk about potential scenarios, depending on the path the current Category 1 hurricane – with sustained winds at of at least 74 mph – becomes a concern.

Hurricane Michael is predicted to hit the Florida Panhandle area sometime Wednesday.

Weather officials are stressing to Florida residents to stay alert because Michael is a rapidly changing storm. Current Hurricane Center predictions have it strengthening rapidly before hitting the northeastern Gulf coast of the Sunshine State sometime Wednesday.

Marion County officials say they aren’t taking the storm lightly and are encouraging residents to stay tuned to the latest updates on the Marion County Sheriff’s Office’s Facebook page and through weather alerts provided by the free Alertmarion.com.

Current projections show that western portions of Marion County may be subjected to increased rain and potential winds ranging in speeds of 30–40 mph, with potential gusts up to 50 mph. This has the potential to cause downed trees and tree limbs.

Hurricane Michael is currently a Category 1 storm, meaning it has sustained winds of at least 74 mph.

Residents living in low-lying areas of western Marion County that are prone to flooding may want to temporarily relocate, as rainfall predictions are showing that 3 inches of rain is possible.

So far, Marion County hasn’t opened any shelters. And there are no scheduled closings of public schools, a release from the sheriff’s office states.

Two sandbag locations have been designated for those living in western portions of Marion County and will be operational by Tuesday morning. Those are:

  • Dunnellon City Complex at 11924 Bostick St, in Dunnellon; and
  • Wrigley Field at 405 East County Road 316, in Citra.

Area residents should expect an increase in traffic in the coming days, as some of those living in the Florida Panhandle area may be traveling through the tri-county area and purchasing gas locally. So residents are encouraged to fill up their gas tanks as soon as possible in case there are shortages in the local area after the storm passes.