September 27, 2022

Hurricane Ian: Lake & Sumter County Update

4.2 min read| Published On: September 27th, 2022|

By Kyle Coppola

Hurricane Ian: Lake & Sumter County Update

4.2 min read| Published On: September 27th, 2022|

The latest 4pm track of Hurricane Ian has taken the eye of the storm slightly south of Lake and Sumter County. However based upon the results of the latest NOAA information made available to us the Eye is within a 20 mile corridor of Clermont, Minneola, Mount Dora, Tavares, Umatilla and Eustis. Residents in these areas of Lake & Sumter County should take every precaution necessary at this time. The Hurricane is expected to make landfall in Venice and Sarasota at around 8pm Wednesday. The outer bands would have already begun dumping water on the region. Winds will increase during the night time and Ian will be pounding our area Thursday morning through the afternoon. 

People who live in Mobile homes need to seek out an open available shelter in your area. Limbs and trees will likely see damage during this storm. Homes around trees could be impacted. If you do plan on riding the storm out at home please seek shelter in an interior room. Tornados are a danger during hurricanes along with Micro Bursts which can cause significant damage. 

Rainfall Totals 

We have the possibility for over a foot of rain in some areas. Many lakes and rivers will have the potential to flood. We are keeping a watchful eye on the NOAA Rainfall total chart. If you do live in an area of flooding be sure to seek shelter potentially at one of the sites listed down below. 

What You Need Now 

We do not know the scope of what will happen but if Hurricane Irma is any indication we will likely lose power in the area. Those with mobile homes may want to seek out local shelters. We will list them down below. 

  1. Flashlight – Have a working flashlight 
  2. Water – Please have water on hand and if you don’t already most areas are already out. We will update with any areas we know that have water but if you are unable to get any, we recommend filling your bathtub with water and using a Brita filter to allow proper filtration of the bath water. 
  3. First Aid Kit – Make sure you have a first aid kit on hand. There is no telling what can happen during any given storm. Make sure you and your family know where it is located. 
  4. Batteries – Make sure you have batteries in case of a prolonged power outage. Some people in Lake & Sumter Counties were without power for an entire week before power was restored during Hurricane Irma in 2017. 
  5. Generator – A generator can be good especially for elderly. Without power homes will heat up and become warm. Generators allow for A/C and basic functions of a home including a working shower and bathrooms to function. Electric Generators are safest but if you are using a gas generator please DO NOT put the gas generator anywhere near an open door, inside or a garage or inside the house where toxic fumes can potentially be lethal. 
  6. Medical Documents, Wills, Passports, ID – Make sure you keep track of all of this during the storm. There is the potential for severe flooding in our area. Make sure any documents are up off the floor and have at least 3 or 4 feet of clearance from the ground level. 
  7. A Fire Extinguisher – Make sure to keep a fire extinguisher handy just in case of a fire. Local fire brigades and police will be busy and the response time will be certainly impacted. 
  8. Full Gas Tank – Fill your car’s gas tank with fuel immediately. Do not wait, there is no telling when tankers will be back in our area as the damage from the storm could be severe. 

Lake & Sumter county shelters open at 4pm Tuesday

Primary Shelters 

  • East Ridge High School – 13322 Excalibur Road, Clermont 
  • East Ridge Middle School – 13201 Excalibur Road, Clermont 
  • Eustis High School – 1300 E. Washington Ave, Eustis 
  • Leesburg High School – 1401 Yellow Jacket Way, Leesburg 
  • Mount Dora High School – 700 N. Highland St. Mount Dora 
  • Tavares High School – 603 N. New Hampshire Ave, Tavares 

Pet Friendly Shelters 

  • Mascotte Elementary School – 460 Midway Ave, Mascotte 
  • Round Lake Elementary School – 31333 Round Lake Road, Clermont 
  • Spring Creek Elementary School – 44440 Spring Creek Road, Paisley 
  • Treadway Elementary School – 10619 Treadway School Road, Leesburg 
  • Astatula Elementary School – 13925 Florida Ave, Astatula 
  • Leesburg Elementary School – 2229 South St, Leesburg 
  • Lost Lake Elementary School – 1901 Johns Lake Road, Clermont 
  • Umatilla Elementary School – 401 Lake St, Umatilla 
  • Villages Elementary School – 695 Rolling Acres Road, Lady Lake 

Special Needs Shelters 

  • Astatula Elementary School – 13925 Florida Ave, Astatula
  • Leesburg Elementary School – 2229 South St, Leesburg
  • Lost Lake Elementary School – 1901 Johns Lake Road, Clermont
  • Umatilla Elementary School – 401 Lake St, Umatilla
  • Villages Elementary School – 695 Rolling Acres Road, Lady Lake

Sandbag Locations available from 8am – 5pm daily 

  • Residents must bring own shovels and are limited to 10 bags 

Astor Area (Fire Station #10) 

  • 23023 State Road 40, Astor, FL 32102 

East Lake Sports and Community Complex 

  • 24809 Wallick Rd, Sorrento, FL 32776 

P.E.A.R Park 

  • 26701 US Hwy 27, Leesburg, FL 34748 (Use Front Entrance) 

North Lake Regional Park 

  • 40730 Roger Giles Rd, Umatilla, FL 32784 

Minneola Athletic Complex 

  • 1300 Fosgate Road (13930 Education Ave) Minneola, FL 

The City of Clermont – West Park Ballfields 

  • 658 12th Street, Clermont 

The City Of Eustis – Eustis Fire Station 22 

  • 100 W Norton Ave, Eustis, FL 32726 

If You Have Pets 

  • Have extra water and food on hand to last one week or more. We recommend having a plan to toilet your pets inside the house during the worst of the storm if necessary. High winds and debris will be potentially dangerous if not lethal to pets so have this plan in place.  
  • Have a plan in case a pet is injured. There are local urgent care centers in the area which you should inform yourself on. 
  • Hand powered can opener – In case the power is out for a prolonged period many pet foods are opened by an electronic can opener. Make sure to have a manual one on hand just in case. 
  • Toys and Treats – To reduce stress make sure to have toys and treats on hand. 
  • Medical Records – Make sure to have medical records on hand in case, including photos of your pets. 
  • Microchip – A good rule of thumb is to always have your pets microchipped in order to find them if they get lost. 

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About the Author: Kyle Coppola

Kyle Coppola was born in Newton, Massachusetts and received his Bachelor of Fine Arts in Communications from Curry College in 2016. After traveling to Florida on a family vacation, he decided he could not get enough of the warm weather and made the move from snowy Massachusetts to central Florida 8 years ago.

For the last decade Kyle has gained valuable experience in social media content creation, marketing and sales, writing, video production, sports announcing and even broadcasting for local radio stations, such as FM 102.9 in The Villages and FM 91.5 in Massachusetts. Every year he volunteers at The Villages Charter High School as a play-by-play sports announcer for the football games as well as a public address announcer for the basketball games, including the annual Battle at The Villages Tournament.

Outside the office Kyle is a husband and father to two beautiful girls along with their cat. In his spare time he likes to spend time with his family, travel, play golf and swim. He is also a huge sports junkie and even bigger motorsports fan and loves to attend racing events when he can.

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