On Monday, the National Weather Service warned that officials should not wait until the last minute to prepare for the hurricane or issue evacuation notices. However, officials decided to keep schools open on Tuesday when families should have been at home preparing and getting ready for the possibility of a mandatory evacuation.
On Tuesday, the Citrus County Board of County Commissioners issued a ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ for Zone A.
This zone includes all low-lying areas west of U.S. Highway 19 and some areas additional areas east of U.S. Highway 19.
All other areas are advised to voluntary evacuate, especially those citizens living in mobile homes, manufactured homes, and recreational vehicles throughout the county.
Citizens may view our countyโs evacuation zones here to determine if they are in this mandatory evacuation: https://cms5.revize.com/…/burea…/EM/evacuation-zones.pdf
๐๐ก๐๐ฅ๐ญ๐๐ซ๐ฌ ๐ฐ๐ข๐ฅ๐ฅ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ญ๐จ๐๐๐ฒ ๐๐ญ ๐ ๐ฉ.๐ฆ., at the following locations (PLEASE NOTE THAT NOT ALL LOCATIONS ARE OPEN, ONLY THOSE LISTED BELOW):
โข Forest Ridge Elementary School (Special Needs) – 2927 North Forest Ridge Blvd., Hernando, FL 34442
โข Lecanto Primary (Pet Friendly) – 3790 W Educational Path, Lecanto, FL 34461
โข Central Ridge Elementary School (General Population) – 185 West Citrus Springs Blvd., Citrus Springs, FL 34434
โข Citrus High School (General Population) – 600 West Highland Blvd., Inverness, FL 34452
Public shelters should be an option of last resort. Citizens should make all preparations to shelter with family or friends and exhaust all other options before utilizing a public shelter.
Sexual Offenders must report to the Citrus County Detention Facility to seek shelter if needed. The facility is located at 2604 W Woodland Ridge Dr., Lecanto, FL 34461.
๐๐ก๐๐ญ ๐ญ๐จ ๐๐ซ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ญ๐จ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ฌ๐ก๐๐ฅ๐ญ๐๐ซ:
– A 72-hour supply of all required medications
– All medical equipment and supplies (oxygen tanks, etc.) required for those with special needs
– Personal information (Identification with photo)
– Any special dietary needs or food (must be non-perishable)
-Extra batteries or an external power supply for electronic devices
The Citrus County Sheriffโs Office Emergency Operations Center is currently at a partial activation and will be moving to a full activation tomorrow morning at 6 a.m. The possible impacts of Hurricane Ian on our county are significant. At the moment, the goal of the Citrus County Sheriff’s Office Emergency Management team is to preserve life and mitigate any sort of vulnerability our county may experience from disasters like Hurricane Ian.
Please continue to take this weather event seriously and take the time now to get last-minute essential supplies.
๐
๐ฎ๐ฅ๐ฅ ๐ฌ๐๐ซ๐ฏ๐ข๐๐ ๐ฌ๐๐ง๐๐๐๐ ๐ฅ๐จ๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง๐ฌ ๐ซ๐๐ฆ๐๐ข๐ง ๐จ๐ฉ๐๐ง ๐ญ๐จ๐๐๐ฒ ๐๐ซ๐จ๐ฆ ๐ ๐.๐ฆ. ๐ญ๐จ ๐ ๐ฉ.๐ฆ., ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ฒ ๐๐ซ๐ ๐๐ฌ ๐๐จ๐ฅ๐ฅ๐จ๐ฐ๐ฌ:
โข 4508 S. Grandmarch Ave. in Homosassa, near Grover Cleveland Boulevard
โข 7490 W Gulf to Lake Hwy, in Crystal River, on the opposite side of the road from Danโs Clam Stand
๐๐ง ๐๐๐๐ข๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง, ๐ญ๐ฐ๐จ ๐ฌ๐๐ฅ๐-๐ฌ๐๐ซ๐ฏ๐ ๐ฌ๐๐ง๐๐๐๐ ๐ฌ ๐ฌ๐ข๐ญ๐๐ฌ ๐๐ซ๐ ๐จ๐ฉ๐๐ง ๐๐ญ:
โข Bicentennial Park, 501 N Baseball Point, Crystal River
โข Floral Park, 9530 S Parkside Ave, Floral City
For more information on sandbag sites, please call 352-527-7610.
Ianโs track remains unchanged, per the National Weather Servicesโ briefing. We can expect the earliest possible arrival of winds early Wednesday morning. Ian is currently forecasted to become a category four hurricane and Citrus should see tropical storm sustained winds and the possibility of an intense storm surge.
๐๐ฎ๐ซ ๐๐ข๐ญ๐ข๐ณ๐๐ง ๐๐ง๐๐จ๐ซ๐ฆ๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐๐ข๐ง๐๐ฌ (๐๐๐) ๐๐ซ๐ ๐จ๐ฉ๐๐ง ๐๐ซ๐จ๐ฆ ๐ ๐.๐ฆ. โ ๐:๐๐ ๐ฉ.๐ฆ. ๐ญ๐จ๐๐๐ฒ.
Citizens can call (352)249-2775 for information regarding Hurricane Ian and what they can do to prepare.
๐๐ข๐ญ๐ซ๐ฎ๐ฌ ๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ง๐ญ๐ฒ ๐๐๐ก๐จ๐จ๐ฅ๐ฌ ๐ก๐๐ฏ๐ ๐๐ฑ๐ญ๐๐ง๐๐๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ข๐ซ ๐๐ฅ๐จ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ซ๐ and will be closed Wednesday, September 28th, through Friday, September 30th. After-school programs and extra-curricular activities are canceled during this time as well.
๐๐ญ ๐ญ๐ก๐ข๐ฌ ๐ญ๐ข๐ฆ๐, ๐๐ฅ๐ฅ ๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ง๐ญ๐ฒ ๐ ๐จ๐ฏ๐๐ซ๐ง๐ฆ๐๐ง๐ญ ๐๐ฎ๐ข๐ฅ๐๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ฌ ๐ฐ๐ข๐ฅ๐ฅ ๐๐ ๐๐ฅ๐จ๐ฌ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ง๐๐ฌ๐๐๐ฒ, ๐๐๐ฉ๐ญ๐๐ฆ๐๐๐ซ ๐๐๐ญ๐ก, ๐ญ๐ก๐ซ๐จ๐ฎ๐ ๐ก ๐๐ก๐ฎ๐ซ๐ฌ๐๐๐ฒ, ๐๐๐ฉ๐ญ๐๐ฆ๐๐๐ซ ๐๐๐ญ๐ก. This includes the Citrus County Sheriffโs Office main operations building in Inverness, and substations in Crystal River, and Beverly Hills.
The Tax Collectors’ Office and the Department of Health will be closed (Wed. & Thurs.).
Additional info.: Hospitals for those in medical need; hospitals are not a shelter.
Citizens who anticipate having to evacuate should call the county information line to identify which shelter near them will be open and where the special needs shelter(s) will be located. Those requiring oxygen should contact their suppliers to obtain extra cylinders as needed ahead of time. The hospital must focus on its inpatients. Anyone who takes medications should obtain a sufficient supply from their local pharmacy ahead of time. The hospital will be unable to assist with medications except for patients.
Please ONLY use 9-1-1 in the event of an emergency.
You can view the evacuation map by clicking here.