Vicious Category 5 Hurricane Milton slowed on its trek toward the central west coast of Florida on Monday while Columbia County officials moved quickly to prepare, meeting in special session to plan the logistics of the arrival and aftermath.
If the current track of approaching Hurricane Milton holds, Columbia County Emergency Management Director Shayne Morgan said the region could experience winds in the 39-57 mph range and see 2-6 inches of rain fall during an approximate 24-hour impact period.
Morgan said all residents should monitor the storm closely as it is too far out to predict anything specifically yet.
“There is a lot of uncertainty,” he said.
All weather professionals are predicting a west-to-east crossing of Florida once landfall is made and this certainly will trigger effects as the storm enters and leaves the state. If the bulk of the storm makes landfall to the south of our area, North Florida may be on the “clean” side of the hurricane as the storm enters the state, but as it exits into the Atlantic Ocean, the storm’s winds will shift direction and draw bands from the northeast, which still could cause damage in Columbia County and points in North Florida.
Assistant County Manager Kevin Kirby ran the meeting in the absence of County Manager David Kraus. Columbia County officials plan to set up Points of Distributions (PODs) for residents who might need supplies in case of power outages at four locations in the county, fewer places than during Hurricane Helene.
POD locations will be established after the storm at Deep Creek, Southside Sports Complex in Lake City, Mason City and Fort White.
Kirby said it was a strategic move to make the initial request for supplies to be requested for fewer locations because the state would be stretched thin for this storm because of its severe impact on a much more populated area of Florida.
Other commissioners agreed with Kirby’s plan, except for one, District 1 Commission Ron Williams. Williams wanted a POD location set up at Winfield Community Center, also.
“My district is not going to suck hind tit,” Williams said. “We pay taxes like everyone else.”
Deep Creek is in Williams’ district and will have a POD distribution site.
Others reminded Williams asking the state to set up and supply four POD sites was the proper request at this stage of preparation.
“We’re going to have limited supplies in this storm,” Commissioner Rocky Ford said.
Commissioner Robby Hollingsworth pointed out he does not have any POD locations or shelters in his district on the west side of Lake City or the county.
Kirby and Morgan said the four PODs would be stocked with MREs, bottled water, ice and tarps, but not until after the storm passes.
Kirby said shelters would be provided for people who need to leave their homes for protection from the winds and rain. These will be located at Deep Creek, Fort White and the Lake Shore Hospital Authority Records Building on NE Davis Avenue, which is the county’s only pet friendly shelter, and a special needs shelter operated by the Columbia County Health Department located at the Richardson Community Center. Richardson will also have room for a general population shelter as well, Morgan said.
Morgan said since Gov. Ron DeSantis on Sunday urged all Floridians in central and southern areas of the state to evacuate to inland areas, this means North Florida and particularly Lake City to many of them. He said getting to a local shelter quickly might be a good idea for local residents in need, as sometimes evacuees fill up the local shelters.
“It would make sense to think this might happen again,” Morgan said. “I would suggest getting to shelter early if you think you are going to need one. They might be at capacity.”
State of Emergency locally
County Attorney Joel Foreman said Columbia County remains under its previous State of Emergency declaration from Hurricane Helene and did not need to enact a new one on Monday, but if Hurricane Milton persists, it might want to amend the declaration and add the name of the new storm to it at Tuesday’s meeting, which is set for 9 a.m. at the Emergency Operations Center.
Traffic Update
A Florida Highway Patrol spokesperson said traffic on Interstate 10 from Jacksonville west to Lake City was seeing the Emergency Lanes activated Monday morning, meaning west-bound traffic could drive on the shoulders of the roadway making the freeway a four-lane, rather than two. This would speed up the traffic movement and relieve some traffic pressure from northbound traffic evacuating Florida on Interstate 95.
In Lake City, LCPD Chief Gerald Butler said his department was ready and probably would go on high alert Tuesday morning with increased traffic patrols and was ready to help direct the traffic flow that was expected on U.S. Highway 90 from increased local residents seeking last-minute supplies to the expected increase in evacuees riding out the storm in Lake City.
Helene debris pickup
Kirby said crews are picking up an average of 3,000 cubic yards of organic matter curbside per day. He said his crews are working daylight until dark, seven days per week, but making a dent in the limbs already stacked on the ground will take some time. Helene’s tree and limb damage is by far the greatest storm damage ever for Columbia County.
Kirby said the county may be looking at 200,000 cubic yards of organic debris to collect, if not more. The previous record amount collected is 55,000 cubic yards, which was downed and collected by Hurricane Idalia.
Kirby said it might take as long as four months for county workers and contractors to pick up all the limbs and debris from Hurricane Helene.
Kirby said he was hoping to get a full day of collecting debris completed Monday before any early storm bands might hit on Tuesday.