Idalia expected to make landfall in Floirda as a hurricane
With Idalia expected to make landfall in Florida as a hurricane later this week, many locations in Central Florida are closing down in preparation of the massive storm.
Idalia is expected to strengthen to a Category 3 hurricane as it rides along the west coast of Florida by Tuesday afternoon.
The storm will likely make landfall anywhere from Tampa Bay to the Big Bend of Florida late Tuesday into early Wednesday.
In the meantime, the following Central Florida counties are expected to have closures ahead of Idalia’s arrival. This list will continue to be updated as additional closures are announced.
BREVARD COUNTY
On Monday, county officials announced that Mathers Bridge could be closed to boating traffic as soon as Tuesday, Aug. 29 at 3 p.m. A final decision is expected to be made by Tuesday morning.
If a decision is made to secure the bridge, then it will not be reopened until the storm conditions abate and the bridge can be assessed for damage. However, the bridge will remain open to motor vehicle traffic.
The county remains under a tropical storm watch.
FLAGLER COUNTY
As of Monday evening, no information has been provided on closures by the county, though county leaders said that evacuations could be required starting as early as Tuesday afternoon for those in mobile homes and RVs.
The county remains under a tropical storm watch.
HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY
Tampa International Airport is set to close at 12:01 a.m. on Tuesday due to Idalia. Airport officials said that they expect to reopen Thursday morning, with damage assessments set to take place after the storm passes. Passengers are urged to check directly with their airline for flight updates.
LAKE COUNTY
As of Monday evening, no information has been provided on closures by the county.
The county remains under a tropical storm warning.
For a list of school closures, click here.
MARION COUNTY
The sheriff’s office and local government agencies have announced the following closures related to Idalia:
Marion County Sheriff’s Office Central Operations building and district officesCloses at noon on Tuesday, Aug. 29, will remain closed on Wednesday, Aug. 30
Marion County Animal ServicesClosed Monday, Aug. 28, will remain closed until further notice
Florida Department of Health in Marion CountyClosed Tuesday, Aug. 29 and Wednesday, Aug. 30
Fifth Circuit Courts in Marion CountyClosed Tuesday, Aug. 29 and Wednesday, Aug. 30
City of Dunnellon business officesCloses at noon on Tuesday, Aug. 29, will remain closed on Wednesday, Aug. 30
Federal CourthouseCloses at 1 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 29, will remain closed on Wednesday, Aug. 30
Marion County Property AppraiserCloses at 3 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 29, will remain closed on Wednesday, Aug. 30
Marion County Clerk of CourtClosed Wednesday, Aug. 30
All Marion County offices and facilitiesClosed Wednesday, Aug. 30
Ocala Police Department headquarters lobbyClosed Wednesday, Aug. 30
City of Ocala business offices and public facilitiesClosed Wednesday, Aug. 30
Marion Senior Services, including Marion Transit and dining sitesClosed Wednesday, Aug. 30
SunTran bus routesSuspended starting at 8 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 29, will remain closed on Wednesday, Aug. 30
City of Ocala residential and commercial sanitation routesSuspended on Wednesday, Aug. 30, will experience a one-day delay
City of Ocala Downtown Parking GarageParking restrictions will be lifted until Tuesday, Sept. 5, which includes allowing visitors to park in the garage overnight.
Additionally, county officials announced that all Marion County recycling centers and the Baseline Transfer Station will be open on Tuesday, Aug. 29. However, they are scheduled to close on Wednesday and eventually reopen on Thursday.
For a list of school closures, click here.
ORANGE COUNTY
LYNX bus operations will continue through Monday, though LYNX will be monitoring the weather to determine whether operations will continue on Tuesday and Wednesday, county leaders said.
Additionally, the courts will continue operations on Monday and Tuesday, though weather activity could cause operations to be suspended on Wednesday.
The county remains under a tropical storm warning.
For a list of school closures, click here.
OSCEOLA COUNTY
County officials said that SunRail is suspending service through Thursday, though it is expected to resume by Friday morning.
Meanwhile, LYNX services will be provided until further notice, though if sustained winds reach 35 mph, the transit system will be shut down temporarily for safety reasons.
The county remains under a tropical storm warning.
For a list of school closures, click here.
POLK COUNTY
As of Monday evening, no information has been provided on closures by the county.
The county remains under a tropical storm warning.
For a list of school closures, click here.
SEMINOLE COUNTY
According to the county, SunRail service will be suspended on Tuesday, Aug. 29 through Friday, Sept. 1.
At this time, the Central Transfer Station and Landfill are still experiencing normal operating hours.
Residents may sign up for text alerts to stay up-to-date on sandbag operations, closures and other storm preparations by texting “Storm2023″ to 888-777.
The county remains under a tropical storm warning.
SUMTER COUNTY
As of Monday evening, no information has been provided on closures by the county.
The county remains under a hurricane warning.
For more information, visit the county’s website here.
VOLUSIA COUNTY
Volusia beaches will close to vehicle traffic on Tuesday afternoon. County officials said that these will be rolling closures, so as toll booths are removed, entry to the beaches will be prohibited at those locations.
The beach access ramps will remain closed throughout Wednesday and are expected to reopen after county staff assess any damage from the storm.
Meanwhile, all coastal parks will close by the end of Tuesday.
According to county officials, SunRail will suspend service on Monday night until further notice.
The county remains under a tropical storm watch.
For more information, visit the county’s website here.
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