By Kyle Coppola
Noon Update from Lake and Sumter Style Weather Center
Ian barrels toward Florida as it continues to rage as a Category 4 Hurricane.
Our last update indicated that Hurricane Ian had grown to its strongest form since its formation. Wednesday morning sustained winds were gusting up to 140mph. 11 Million people on Cuba are currently without power as the powerful storm barrels toward Florida. As of 10am Ian had strengthened to a dangerous CAT 4 Hurricane. This is 2 mph short of Category 5 status. The storm is expected to cause life-threatening storm surge, catastrophic winds and flooding in Florida.
The Storm’s eye has not changed much but it is now closing in on Venice and North Port Florida and is scheduled to slam into Florida this afternoon. The exact time of Landfall remains late this afternoon and The Center of Ian is forecast to move over Central Florida Wednesday Night and Thursday Morning emerging over The Western Atlantic by late Thursday.
The latest advisory places Ian 50 miles wast of Naples, Florida and 55 Miles southwest of Punta Gorda. The Hurricane has had maximum sustained winds of 155mph in the last hour which is getting very close to Category 5 status. We do have many mobile home communities in Lake & Sumter Counties. If you are in a mobile home community we advise you to seek shelter at one of the designated locations until at least Thursday Evening. We have the areas listed below. If you plan on riding this storm out in a mobile home please have an emergency plan in place.
Rainfall Amounts
The rainfall amounts for our area have actually dissipated just slightly. Many areas are looking at around 1 foot or 1.5 feet of rainfall. Some areas may still see 2 feet in some areas. Be advised that this is an ever changing storm and the rainfall amounts can vary especially due to the Shear the storm is now undergoing. Just 48 hours ago we though this storm may end up in the panhandle and now its coming right across our bow.
The Hurricane Eye has again shifted south by a few miles but the impacts to Lake and Sumter Counties will still potentially be very dangerous. Recent info our weather center has received from an Air Force Reserve Hurricane Hunter Aircraft indicated that the maximum sustained winds have increased to 140mph with higher gusts around 155mph. We are expecting some fluctuations in intensity before the storm reaches land due to Wind Shear. The storm is being pulled to the right and will change its path rapidly as it approaches Naples. The resulting shear will turn the storm on a direct heading for Florida. Our hope is that once on land the shear will disorganize the storm enough so that inland damage is not as bad.
Flooding
The National Weather Service has issued A Flood Watch which remains in effect for Lake and Sumter Counties until Friday at 2am. Flooding caused by excess rainfall is expected. Impacts include extensive street flooding and flooding of creeks and rivers are possible. We do have many creeks and rivers along with lakes running high already so if your are in these areas be prepared with a plan.
Hurricane Warning Remains in Effect for Lake & Sumter Counties
We have been told by The National Weather Center that Equivalent Tropical Storm Force Winds will gust in our area from 40-50mph with peak winds at 75mph. The window for Tropical Storm force winds include early this afternoon until Thursday evening. Considerable damage to mobile homes is possible as well as roofs under trees. Some roads will be impassible including dirt roads and heavily wooded places, bridges causeways and access routes.
Tornado Watch
Our area remains under a Tornado Watch. The tornado threat has remained nearly steady since the last assessment. This threat will continue until tomorrow afternoon. Please listen to local radio and download the Weather Channel app for the most up to date information. We will also be posting every few hours updating Hurricane Ian and its path.
Lake & Sumter county shelters open
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.
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.
