PUTNAM COUNTY, Fla. – Putnam County Emergency Management officials said rainfall totals expected from Hurricane Milton have increased with 4-6 inches forecast for South and East Putnam and 3-4 inches for West Putnam.
River flooding is still the most threatening impact of the system, and because the ground is already saturated from recent rains, the chances of trees taking out power lines increase, officials warned, telling residents to expect power outages.
Tropical storm-force winds are expected to begin sometime between Wednesday evening and early Thursday morning in the county.
Putnam County is urging some people in low-lying areas to evacuate ahead of Hurricane Milton, which has the potential to bring major flooding.
The evacuations are recommended for people in areas likely to flood, including Zones F and A.
On the map below, those are the areas in pink and red.
That includes the area along Dunns Creek, a large section of Palatka’s Northside and sections of the St Johns River.
Residents can check their evacuation zone here.
Shelters
Putnam County opened five shelters at 6 p.m. Tuesday:
- Ochwilla Elementary - 299 State Road 21 in Hawthorne (Pet-friendly location)
- Kelley Smith Elementary - 141 Kelley Smith School Road in Palatka (Special needs location)
- Jenkins Elementary - 251 County Road 315, San Mateo
- Browning Pearce Elementary - 100 Bear Boulevard, San Mateo
- Middleton Burney Elementary - 1020 Huntington Road - Crescent City
Schools
All Putnam County School District schools are closed Tuesday through Thursday.
All after-school programs/athletic activities are canceled beginning Tuesday through Thursday.
A decision for Friday will be made at a later time.
Other closures
The Putnam County Supervisor of Elections office closed at 3 p.m. Tuesday and will reopen on Friday at 8:30 a.m.
Tax Collector Offices will close at 1 p.m. Wednesday and remain closed Thursday. They plan to reopen Friday, pending safe road and weather conditions.
The business offices of the City of Palatka, the Palatka Police and Fire Departments, and the Palatka Gas Authority closed at 3 p.m. on Tuesday. Weather conditions permitting, the offices are expected to reopen for regular business on Monday.
While City offices may be closed, the City Police, Firefighters, Public Works, and City Water, Gas, and Sewer services will operate continuously during this storm to serve and protect residents.
The Palatka City Commission meeting scheduled for Thursday, Oct. 10, has been postponed.
Garbage collection
On Wednesday, City crews will collect yard debris from curbside until noon. On Thursday, all residential garbage collection will be suspended. On Friday, weather conditions permitting, residential garbage collection will resume with crews collecting from customers usually serviced on Thursday. On Saturday, city crews will collect residential garbage from customers usually serviced on Friday.
More info
If you have an emergency, call 911. For non-emergency issues such as fallen trees, flooding during the storm, or other storm-related concerns or questions, call the Citizen Information Call Center at 386-329-1904 between Oct. 7 from noon to 8 p.m. and Oct. 8 at 8:30 a.m.
Residents are advised to check the City’s website at www.palatka-fl.gov or Putnam County’s website at www.main.putnam-fl.com, and to monitor local media for more information.
Welaka warning
The Welaka Utility Department shared an important notice for residents.