Evacuees will be present in Lake City and Columbia County in record numbers the next few days whether passing through or weathering the presence of Hurricane Milton and these people are doing the best they can during the most difficult circumstances, law enforcement leaders said Tuesday morning.
Lake City Police Department Chief Gerald Butler said his department would go on what it calls its “Alpha Bravo” status, which is an all-call for everyone in the department mobilizing and working street patrols while on shift. All personnel work on 12-hour rotations, as well.
“We’re all Floridians and we’re all in the same boat, so we need to think about this,” Butler said. “We may have to all evacuate one day and we would want the same respect and courtesy shown to us if we were in a difficult situation, so I would ask our citizens to do the same toward the people stranded here.”
Florida residents from Bradenton, Sarasota, the Tampa Bay and Orlando metro areas, as well as points in between, were making their way north during the day Monday and into Tuesday, following orders and strong suggestions to flee the area ahead of major Hurricane Milton that churned across the Gulf of Mexico toward Tampa Bay from the northern tip of Yucatan. The first effects of the powerful storm are expected sometime Wednesday evening.
LCPD, Columbia County Sheriff’s Office, Florida Highway Patrol representatives, Lake City Fire Department and Columbia County Fire Rescue all said they were familiar with reports of people parked in parking lots and in semi-safe places on roadsides wherever they could find places Monday night to sleep, after many hours in bumper-to-bumper traffic leaving Central, West Central and Southwest Florida.
Butler said his officers would be very mindful of watching parking lots and keeping the local business community safe in the downtown area, as well as other areas of the city where parking lots were an invitation for an exhausted motorist to park and rest.
He also said the same protection would be given to the motorists themselves who needed shelter from the storm and break from driving.
“We will have our extra patrols out there working,” Butler said. “We will be watching everything as best we can, protecting everyone.”
Butler asked all motorists, especially on the main thoroughfares such as U.S. Highway 90 through Lake City to use extra caution as they move about because more people are in town this week and many do not know their way around and are experiencing extra stress after leaving their homes and possessions behind.
Columbia County Sheriff Mark Hunter agreed with Butler that every consideration would be given to motorists who used common sense and parked in safe locations that did not block exit ramps, rights-of-way or driveways needed at placed like convenience stores needing to refill gasoline tanks.
“We’ve got extra patrols out and everybody is briefed and ready,” Sheriff Mark Hunter said.
Hunter said his department will be on high alert the same as all other law enforcement agencies in the region. Patience will be the key for residents and public servants alike until the storm passes, evacuees return to their home areas and locals can assess any new damage and return to the chore of cleaning up the remainder of Hurricane Helene’s aftermath from two weeks ago.
“All public safety will be taxed,” Hunter said. “People will be stranded here.”
County officials said they were opening shelters at 6 p.m. Tuesday with the thought of more evacuees than locals possibly taking up space inside during this storm.