Bartow, Fla. (970 WFLA) - Polk County has opened shelters for people fleeing Hurricane Irma, it said in a news release Saturday morning. Residents requiring assistance for transportation to special needs shelters have begun moving into their shelters. Polk County’s Emergency Management division says now is the time to decide whether you should move to a shelter, or shelter in place.
Polk County residents who live in manufactured and mobile homes, or in areas of the county that historically are prone to flooding following heavy rains, should evacuate and take advantage of open shelters during Hurricane Irma. This mandatory evacuation includes people who live in manufactured and mobile homes, and areas of the county that are most vulnerable including:
Itchepackesassa Creek, bordered by Deeson Road, the County Line, Ariana Street and Chestnut Street; Gator Creek, in extreme northwest Polk bordered by the County Line on the north and west, Marcum Road on the south and Highway 33 on the east; Lake Lowery’s northwest side of the lake; Saddlebag Lake, and River Ranch.
You should only decide to shelter in place if you live in a secure structure that is not a mobile or manufactured home. When sheltering in place, you should:
Bring your pets indoors Secure outdoor objects such as lawn furniture, garden decorations and anything else that could become a flying projectile Be sure you and your family have a safe room in which to ride out the storm. This should be a room that is in the interior part of your home with no windows. Get your survival kit out and ready. Be sure to pull out your weather radio so you can keep up with current weather conditions.
Public shelters now open are:
Auburndale High School
Bartow High School
Davenport School of the Arts
Horizons Elementary
Lake Region High School
Haines City High School
Spook Hill Elementary
George Jenkins High School
Phillip O’Brien Elementary
R. Bruce Wagner Elementary
Sleepy Hill Elementary
Tenoroc High School
Mulberry Middle School
Lake Marion Creek Middle
Donald Bronson Community Center
Chain of Lakes Elementary
Lake Region High School in Eagle Lake and Phillip O’Brien Elementary in Lakeland are pet-friendly facilities.
“Special Needs” Shelters are open for those residents with special medical needs. Polk County Emergency Management Special Needs Program is designed to provide shelter and/or transportation for residents with medical or physical conditions and/or dependent on medical electrical equipment who require assistance during an emergency. The “Special Needs” Shelters are located at:
Polk Co. Health Department in Bartow
Ridge Community H. S. in Davenport
McKeel Academy in Lakeland