Orange County government held a news briefing on Monday, November 7, to update the public on the approaching Subtropical Storm Nicole and the county’s response to it.
State of Emergency
Orange County remains under a local state of emergency and is one of 34 counties in a Florida State of Emergency for Subtropical Storm Nicole.
The National Weather Service issued a tropical storm watch for Orange County at 11 a.m. today. A hurricane watch is in effect for the coastal Central Florida counties including Volusia and Brevard.
Sandbags
Orange County residents are urged to prepare now for this storm. The county will have four self-serve sandbag locations open tomorrow, Tuesday, November 8, from 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. These locations are:
• Downey Park – 10107 Flowers Avenue, Orlando
• Fort Christmas Historical Park – 1300 Fort Christmas Road, Christmas
• Clarcona Horse Park/Clarcona Outpost – 3535 Damon Road, Apopka
• Multicultural Center – 7149 W. Colonial Drive, Orlando
Residents will need to bring their own shovels and will be provided up to 10 bags to fill. Residents must also provide a valid photo ID with an Orange County address.
Debris
Orange County Utilities and Public Works have been working around the clock since Hurricane Ian to remove yard waste and storm debris from residents’ yards. To date, more than 150,000 cubic yards of debris has been picked up in the county.
There is more debris still needing to be collected. Residents are asked if they still have debris in their yards to try and keep it from washing down the storm drains. Please get debris off the streets and onto the front yards, away from the street.
Schools
Orange County Public Schools are closely monitoring the storm with the National Weather Service and the Orange County Office of Emergency Management. At this time, no decision has been made to cancel school or extracurricular activities.
Election Day
Tomorrow, Tuesday, November 8, is Election Day. Orange County Elections Supervisor Bill Cowles is preparing all the voting sites. The impending storm will not impact voters’ decision to exercise their right to vote.
Watch the November 7 conference on the YouTube Video Stream or on Vimeo. For emergency updates, visit ocfl.net/nicole.
