Public Notice: City of Lakeland Hurricane Milton Update - October 13, 2024

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Gas is starting to be delivered from the port of Tampa, and we should see normal operations as the week progresses.

At the peak Lakeland Electric had approximately 85,000 customers without power.  As of this morning that number is down to 12,000, bringing 90% of Lakeland Electric’s customers back online since Hurricane Milton passed over Polk County. As restoration efforts progress, the outages are becoming increasingly challenging and time-consuming. Lakeland Electric is transitioning from repairing outages that restore power to thousands at a time to hundreds at a time.

Customers with damaged electrical equipment like a weather head or those in the heavily flooded areas may not get power until the floodwaters recede or damaged equipment undergoes assessment and repair by a qualified electrician.

Lakeland Electric estimates power will be restored Friday, October 18 to all customers that are able to safely receive power.  Detailed estimation times are now available on the Lakeland Electric outage map by zone. Customers can go to Lakelandelectic.com/outagemap and click zone in the navigation. 

Lakeland Electric reports that all Combee Settlement will be restored Tuesday, October 15. Please call Customer Service at 863-834-9535 to report electric emergencies and downed lines. 

Lakeland Electric has over 600 personnel helping restore power.  This includes more than 500 mutual aid personnel from Ohio, Illinois, Michigan, Alabama, Wisconsin, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Texas, and Florida. 

There are some areas around Lakeland that were hit very hard with flooding.  The Lakeland area experienced over 12 inches of rain in 24 hours taxing the City’s stormwater system.  All area lakes are flooded, and it is very difficult to alleviate flood conditions and lower lake levels. Most of the drainage lakes, tributaries and rivers have high levels and that is not helping flood situations.

The City of Lakeland asks residents, to reduce the use of water - only use toilets, laundry, and other water, as absolutely necessary.  All used water going down the drain impacts the wastewater process in moving water through the system. Be careful and when approaching standing water, do so with extreme caution because not all water is stormwater. Refrain from recreational contact in and around water bodies. Many of these systems have been adversely impacted by Hurricane Milton with high water levels, potential contamination and submerged structures. 

Hurricane Milton caused several water main breaks, and the City’s Water Department continues to work on the water system. There is a growing list of boil water notices in place.  Go to lakelandgov.net/boilwaternotices for the latest updates. 

Most of the traffic signals are back online but we have a few without power.  Please be cautious on the streets and treat signalized intersections like a four-way stop.  Verizon has reported they have recovered some of their cell towers so coverage should start getting better.

Solid Waste crews continue to concentrate on clearing debris from the main roads. There is a focus on the NW and SE areas of the City that have the most tree damage. The City’s contract debris haulers have been mobilized and the City of Lakeland is getting debris sites ready.  These are FEMA contractors so we must adhere to the FEMA rules with debris.

• Place debris in piles that are no larger than 6 ft by 4 ft by 4 ft. 
• Keep debris away from trees, poles, structures, fire hydrants, and meters. 
• Do not block the roadway with debris
• Curbside Debris needs to be separated into these categories

• Construction debris
• Vegetation debris
• Hazardous waste
• Large appliances
• Electronics

Crew are working diligently to get power restored and life back to normal. Milton made landfall as a Category Three Hurricane and was a Category Two as it travelled over Polk County.  Many in the community were impacted. The City is working with outside agencies to assist with a Lakeland point of distribution or POD so those citizens that need it can get food, ice and water.  There should be additional information early in the week as the Lakeland POD gets mobilized. Current POD locations:
 https://floridadisaster.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=c509b049f8b442bb83c0a1872771a455&extent=-9959657.8498%2C2759851.6351%2C-8649832.9331%2C3703390.3123%2C102100

One More Child is assisting with distributing food, water, diapers, wipes on Sunday, October 13 from 3-6 p.m. They are located at 1015 Sikes Blvd. Lakeland, FL 33815.

Both state and the federal government have resources available to help. it’s important to register for both.

    1.    Register for State Assistance at Activate Hope:
https://hopeflorida.com/get-help/hurricanemilton.html

    2.    Register for Federal Assistance:
https://www.disasterassistance.gov/DAC-RI/location-search

Homeowners and renters in 34 counties are now eligible to apply for Individual Assistance due to damages from Hurricane Milton.  Register at http://DisasterAssistance.gov or call 1-800-621-3362.

Residents that may need help with debris cleanup can call Crisis Cleanup: 844-965-1386. Volunteers may be able to assist with: fallen trees, drywall, flooring & appliance removal, tarps and mold mitigation

Thank you to all those helping put the community back together. Please visit lakelandgov.net/hurricane for additional information regarding restoration and notices.

Be Safe

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