Polk County Public Schools will be open on Monday, but after-school activities are canceled and schools will be closed Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday ahead of Hurricane Milton’s arrival, district officials announced Sunday afternoon.
“County emergency officials have directed PCPS to activate some of our schools that will be serving as storm shelters for those evacuating their homes,” the PCPS statement reads.
All charter and private school parents should check with their schools concerning closures and cancellations.
Shelters opening: The closures come, in part, because schools are needed as emergency shelters. Polk County Emergency Management announced Sunday night that the following public shelters will be open at noon on Tuesday, Oct. 8:
- Auburndale High School, 1 Bloodhound Trail, Auburndale
- Spessard Holland Elementary School, 2432 E.F. Griffin Road, Bartow
- Citrus Ridge Academy, 1775 Sand Mine Road, Davenport
- Horizons Elementary School, 1700 Forest Lake Dr., Davenport
- George Jenkins High School, 6000 Lakeland Highlands Road, Lakeland
- Highlands Grove Elementary, 4510 Lakeland Highlands Rd., Lakeland
- Kathleen High School, 1100 Red Devil Way, Lakeland
- R. Bruce Wagner Elementary School, 5500 Yates Rd., Lakeland
- Sleepy Hill Elementary School, 2285 Sleepy Hill Rd., Lakeland
- Mulberry Middle School, 500 S.E. Martin Luther King Jr. Ave., Mulberry
- Lake Marion Creek Middle School, 3055 Lake Marion Creek Dr., Poinciana
- Chain of Lakes Elementary School, 7001 Highway 653, Winter Haven
- Winter Haven High School, 600 6th St. S.E., Winter Haven
Three pet-friendly shelters will also be open noon on Tuesday, Oct. 8:
- Haines City High School, 2800 Hornet Dr., Haines City
- Lake Region High School, 1995 Thunder Rd., Eagle Lake
- Tenoroc High School, 4905 Saddle Creek Rd., Lakeland
Pet owners must bring shot records for their pets, an airline-approved carrying case or crate and pet food.
Special-needs shelters: Also opening are special-needs shelters. Doors will open at 7 a.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 8, for those residents with special and/or medical needs, whose medical conditions may require the use of electrical equipment, oxygen or dialysis, or individuals with physical, cognitive or medical conditions who may require assistance from medical professionals. However, they do not provide the level of care found in a medical facility.
The Special Needs shelters are located at:
- McKeel Academy, 1810 W. Parker St., Lakeland
- FDOH Polk Specialty Care Unit, 1255 Brice Blvd., Bartow
- Ridge Community High School, 500 W. Orchid Dr., Davenport
State of emergency: Polk County remains under a state of emergency, which the governor declared on Saturday. It is one of 35 counties under the declaration, which allows government officials to stage resources ahead of the storm’s landfall.
Gov. Ron DeSantis also directed the Florida Division of Emergency Management and the Florida Department of Transportation to coordinate all available personnel and resources to help local communities as they hurry to remove debris from Hurricane Helene-impacted areas.
No decision on Friday: PCPS officials have not yet made a decision about Friday, but are working with Polk County emergency management as everyone monitors weather forecasts.
“As always, your safety is our top priority,” school officials said. “We encourage you to prepare adequately and ensure your family is ready for any weather-related challenges … Please stay safe.”
Public bus service: Citrus Connection Executive Director Thomas Phillips announced Sunday that fixed route service will be operating on a limited schedule on Tuesday, while it is still safe to do so. Find the pre-hurricane route schedule here.
“We will be focused on getting residents to the special-needs shelters,” Phillips said on his Facebook page.
County information line: Polk County’s Emergency Management Division has activated the Citizen’s Information Line to answer Hurricane Milton-related questions. Call 863-298-7500 or toll-free 866-661-0228. The line will remain open until 7 p.m. Sunday, and it will be open from 8 a.m. until 7 p.m. Monday and Tuesday. Information is also available on PGTV (Spectrum 644, Comcast 5 or Frontier 20) and at www.polk-county.net. Residents also can check Polk County’s social media pages, and they are encouraged to sign up for warnings by visiting www.alertpolk.com.
Sandbags: Sandbags are still available at various locations around the county:
- Mulberry/South Lakeland – Loyce E. Harpe Park, 500 W. Carter Road
- Lakeland – 8970 N. Campbell Road
- Fort Meade – 1061 NE 9th St.
- Frostproof – 350 County Road 630A
- Auburndale – 1701 Holt Road
- Dundee – 805 Dr. Martin Luther King St. SW
- Poinciana Park – 5109 Allegheny Road, Kissimmee
A maximum of 10 pre-filled sandbags will be provided to each household address to help prevent water intrusion into homes. Bring a driver’s license to show your local address. People living in flood-prone areas are encouraged to sandbag their homes’ doors.
Florida Southern College: Florida Southern College’s Emergency Management Team is implementing an emergency plan.
Classes will transition to remote instruction on Monday, Oct. 7 and Tuesday, Oct. 8. Classes are canceled on Wednesday, Oct. 9, Thursday, Oct. 10, and Friday, Oct. 11.
The team is encouraging students to return home, if possible. Only students approved for emergency shelter should consider remaining on campus. All students and staff must vacate all campus residential facilities by Tuesday at 1:00 p.m. and will not be allowed back in the facilities until an all-clear is communicated by FSC. The interior hallways of the Music Department will be a temporary emergency shelter for any students who are approved.
Flooding concerns: The National Weather Service shows today’s rains will continue through Tuesday, saturating the ground and causing flooding concerns.
Afternoon advisory: The National Hurricane Center’s 2 p.m. advisory shows that U.S. Air Force Reserve Hurricane Hunters have found Milton “rapidly intensifying into a hurricane,” with sustained winds of 80 miles an hour, with higher gusts.
The storm’s center is located about 300 miles west-northwest of Progreso, Mexico, and about 800 miles west-southwest of Tampa. It has increased its speed to 6 miles per hour. The barometric pressure is 29.18 inches.
According to National Hurricane Center forecast maps, tropical storm-force winds are expected to start raking Florida’s west coast at about 9 p.m. Tuesday.
“Milton is forecast to rapidly intensify during the next couple of days and become a major hurricane on Monday,” the forecast reads.
