Working For You, Fighting For Us

Hurricane Milton made landfall near Siesta Key, Florida, as a dangerous Category 3 storm last night and weakened to a Category 1 as it cut through the state and moved offshore, according to the National Hurricane Center. We are support response efforts here in Central Florida, and this is our Hurricane Milton Guide for Orange County.

In House District 42 and need help with debris pick up? Request assistance here.

 

This guide was last updated on October 11, 2024 at 9:00pm EST.

Local Utility Contacts to Report Outages
Specific Updates
 
  • UPDATE FROM OUC: 20,000 customers without of power, with the goal of having everyone back on by Saturday night at midnight.
  • UPDATE FROM DUKE:
    • While some customers will have their power restored earlier, the majority who can receive power are expected to be restored by the following days/times:
      • Sunday, Oct. 13 by 11:59 p.m. / Brevard, Citrus, Hernando, Highlands, Lake, Marion, Orange, Osceola, Polk, Seminole, Sumter and Volusia Counties
      • Tuesday, Oct. 15 by 11:59 p.m. / Pasco and Pinellas Counties
 

 

FEMA

The White House has confirmed they received Governor DeSantis’ request for an expedited major disaster declaration for the State of Florida as a result of Hurricane Milton. We have collectively urged President Biden to swiftly approve this request which will unlock additional assistance for our communities. 

FEMA is already working with federal, state and local partners to conduct damage assessments and evaluate recovery needs from Milton. When the disaster declaration is approved, aid will be made available. Click on this link for FEMA updates.

Economic and Food Security

Disaster Unemployment Assistance (DUA)

  • We are waiting for updates as it pertains to the state’s request for DUA.

DSNAP

  • The Florida Department of Children and Families (DCF) is submitting a federal request for DSNAP which will increase eligibility for SNAP recipients.
  • Federal and state SNAP rules provide for replacement of food lost by individual SNAP recipients due to “household misfortune.” Household misfortune includes fire, flood, loss of electricity (for 4 hours or more), equipment (refrigerator/freezer) failure or other disaster.
  • This form to make a request will be available soon.

SNAP Replacement

  • SNAP Recipients who lost food due to Hurricane Milton can apply for food replacement by completing the form below. To apply, individuals must:
    • Be a current SNAP Recipient
    • Complete the form by October 19th, 2024.
    • Households are required to provide verification of having a power outage of 4 or more hours or damage that caused food loss to their MYACCESS Account, except for households located in Charlotte, Citrus, Collier, Desoto, Flagler, Hardee, Hernando, Highlands, Hillsborough, Lake, Lee, Manatee, Pasco, Pinellas, Polk, Putnam, Sarasota, and Volusia.
    • For households in the following counties, complete the online replacement form and upload supporting verification of food loss to your MyACCESS Portal using “Other” as the document type.
      • Brevard, Clay, Duval, Glades, Hendry, Indian River, Marion, Martin, Okeechobee, Orange, Seminole, St. Johns, St. Lucie, and Sumter.
  • Click here to access the SNAP Replacement form.

Business Relief

 
 

School Schedules

We encourage you to check in with your local school district and/or higher ed institution to learn when schools will open or close in your area. Here are the landing pages for local schools in the area:

OCPS Update: Due to the number of instructional minutes in our students’ schedule we will only need to make up one of the four days missed due to Hurricane’s Helene and Milton. The make-up day for today will be Friday, Oct. 25 as published in the prioritized bad weather days.

 

Road Conditions

Stay updated on road conditions through www.FL511.com and the Florida 511 app. This information is updated in real time – it is a great resource to understand which roadways are closed and open.

 

Trash and Debris Pick Up

We will share debris pick up details as soon as possible, but please remember that in order for public employs to pick up yard debris, it must be broken down into bundles and/or bagged. Read more here and here.
 

Post Hurricane Flood Concerns

If you are worried about potential flooding and are in the City of Orlando, you can report the concern here at this link. If you are outside the City of Orlando, please dial 311 for assistance.

 

Tolls SuspendedTo Assist Hurricane Milton Evacuations

The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) and Florida’s Turnpike Enterprise (FTE) will suspend toll collection at 10:30 a.m. EST on Monday, October 7, for a seven-day period, with tolls being reinstated on Monday, October 14, at noon. The suspension may be extended as needed depending on evolving conditions.

Facilities included within the suspension order include:

Collier and Broward Counties
  • Alligator Alley
Citrus, Hernando, Hillsborough, Pinellas and Pasco Counties
  • Suncoast Parkway
  • I-4 Connector
  • Selmon Expressway
  • Veterans Expressway
  • Gateway Expressway
  • 275 Express
  • Pinellas Bayway
  • Sunshine Skyway Bridge
Osceola, Orange, Lake, Seminole, Sumter and Polk Counties
  • Turnpike Mainline between I-75 (MP 309) and Canoe Creek Service Plaza (MP 229)
  • S.R. 453
  • S.R. 451
  • Wekiva Parkway
  • Apopka Expressway
  • Beachline Expressway
  • Central Florida Greeneway
  • East-West Expressway
  • I-4 Express
  • Western Beltway
  • Osceola Parkway
  • Poinciana Parkway
  • Southern Connector Extension
  • Seminole ExpresswayPolk Parkway

Toll facilities for FDOT, FTE, Central Florida Expressway Authority, and Tampa Hillsborough Expressway Authority are included with this suspension. FDOT is actively implementing Emergency Shoulder Use along Interstate 4 (I-4) and portions of Interstate 75 (I-75) to help facilitate the flow of traffic for travelers evacuating the storm’s potential impact area..

 

 

Orlando International Airport

The Orlando International Airport is open and operational for all commercial flights. Please check with your airline directly for any specific updates prior to your travels.

Court System

Ninth Judicial Circuit Court of Florida:Courthouses will reopen on Monday. 

Need to File a Hurricane Claim?

The Florida Division of Consumer Services has made available this website available to help with filing insurance claims.

Florida’s Insurance Consumer Advocate is a resource to help Floridans in filing their insurance claims. Click here to learn more, and be weary of fraud when seeking help with filing an insurance claim.

You can also contact your State House Representative or State Senator, as Florida’s property insurance system is broken and your local electeds should hear from you. Click here to identify you local representatives.

There are three key actions Floridians in the projected path of the storm can take to be more financially prepared:

  1. Gather copies of insurance policies. Floridians should make sure they have copies of their insurance policies (home, flood, and auto) in a safe, dry, and accessible location.
  2. Save their insurer’s contact info. Floridians should save their insurer’s toll-free claims number to their cell phone’s contacts. APCIA has a list of insurer’s toll-free claims numbers here.
  3. Make a home inventory. Floridians should make a home inventory by using their smartphone to take photos or videos of their belongings, such as furniture, appliances, clothes, lawn equipment, art, jewelry, and anything else of significant value. The home inventory should be saved to a place where it can easily be retrieved, like the cloud. Many insurers also offer an app that can help with creating a home inventory.

How to Avoid Fraud

Sadly, we know all too well that fraudsters take advantage of significant events like this storm to prey upon the vulnerable.  Please take a look at this pamphlet titled “Avoiding Fraud with Disaster Repairs” for guidance on scams to be on the lookout for following a hurricane andplease share this information far and wide.

If needed, FDACS has opened up the consumer hotline to receive complaints from impacted consumers.

You can file a complaint by calling 1-800-HELP-FLA or visiting fdacs.gov.FloridaCommerce — formerly DEO — has activated the private sector hotline at 850-815-4925 from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Inquiries may also be emailed to .

Important Hurricane Terms to Know

Here are some important terms you may hear:

  • Tropical Storm Watch: Tropical storm conditions are possible in the area.
  • Hurricane Watch: Hurricane conditions are possible in the area.
    Watches are issued 48 hours in advance of the anticipated onset of tropical storm force winds.
  • Tropical Storm Warning: Tropical storm conditions are expected in the area.
  • Hurricane Warning: Hurricane conditions are expected in the area.
    Warnings are issued 36 hours in advance of tropical storm force winds.
  • Eye: Clear, sometimes well-defined center of the storm with calmer conditions.
  • Eye Wall: Surrounding the eye, contains some of the most severe weather of the storm with the highest wind speed and largest precipitation.
  • Rain Bands: Bands coming off the cyclone that produce severe weather conditions such as heavy rain, wind and tornadoes.
  • Storm Surge: An often underestimated and deadly result of ocean water swelling as a result of a landfalling storm, and quickly flooding coastal and sometimes areas further inland.
  • Tornado Watch: Be Prepared! Tornadoes are possible in and near the watch area. Be ready to act quickly if a warning is issued or if you suspect a tornado is approaching.
  • Tornado Warning: Take Action! A tornado has been sighted or indicated by weather radar. Move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a sturdy building. Avoid windows. If in a mobile home, a vehicle, or outdoors, move to the closest substantial shelter and protect yourself from flying debris.
  • Tornado Emergency: Seek Shelter Immediately! There is a severe threat to human life and property, with catastrophic damage confirmed. Immediately seek refuge in the safest location possible.