City of Gainesville & Alachua County Hurricane Notices

From The City:

Gainesville Mayor Lauren Poe and city leaders will host a one-hour telephone town hall meeting tomorrow, Sept. 27 at 6 p.m. to update neighbors about local storm preparations in advance of Hurricane Ian. 

Neighbors will be able to call in and ask questions or simply listen in by dialing 1-888-400-1932 at the time of the event; Spanish speakers are invited to call 1-888-400-9342. 

Register in advance for the town hall through this link to receive an automatic reminder call before the start of the event. Call-back registration closes three hour prior to the event. 

The town hall will be livestreamed on Facebook, and the City of Gainesville website, and will be archived online. 

From The County:

Alachua County is now under a Local State of Emergency. Some impacts from Hurricane Ian are now considered certain for Alachua County. Impacts are likely on Wednesday and Thursday. The National Weather Service is predicting a 70% chance of Tropical Storm strength force winds (39 to 73 mph), a 38% chance of Strong Tropical Storm force winds, and an 18% chance of Hurricane strength winds. We are expecting 7 to 15 inches of rainfall during this event. Tropical Storm force winds are dangerous and can cause major issues including severe power outages. It is now imperative that residents have their hurricane kits and plans in place. Residents should text ALACHUA to 888-777 to receive important storm text updates. For those who live in flood-prone areas, an evacuation plan is crucial. 

Alachua County has activated the 311 Emergency Information Line. This is for questions and rumor control. 

Alachua County will be opening emergency shelters tomorrow. Stay tuned for more information. We will have shelters for special medical needs, pet-friendly shelters, and general population shelters. 

Sandbags will be available at Wayside Park at 11855 N.W. US 441. There is a limit of 10 bags per person. This location opens at 7:30 a.m. Tuesday morning. Other locations and times will be shared soon.  

Residents wishing to pick up sandbags can access the pick-up site via CR 237 and Eastbound N.W. 126th Ave. To control traffic and expedite the pick-up process, please follow the directions below to access the pick-up site. Access to the site via westbound N.W. 120th Lane and northbound NW 59th Terrace will not be permitted.  

From Northbound US 441 (From Gainesville) -  

Turn Right onto CR 237 (at the Dollar General) 

Turn Right onto N.W. 126th AveTurn Right onto N.W. 59th Terrace to access Wayside Park (at the Sunoco Convenient Store) 

From Southbound US 441 (From Alachua) -  

Turn Left onto CR 237 (at the Dollar General) 

Turn Right onto N.W. 126th AveTurn Right onto N.W. 59th Terrace to access Wayside Park (at the Sunoco Convenient Store)