Residents need to be off the roads by 6 p.m., Orange County mayor says

ORLANDO, Fla. — There will not be any curfews set in Orange County leading up to the approach of Hurricane Matthew, but Mayor Teresa Jacobs said for their own safety, residents need to be off the roads by 6 p.m. Thursday.

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“Be prepared today to get off of the streets, if at all possible, by 6 p.m.,” she said.

Residents should expect to shelter in place through the weekend, as the storm will be over the county for 25 hours and it will take time to make roadways safe after the storm, Jacobs said.

The Orange County Sheriff’s Office will be at full strength for the duration of the storm, Sheriff Jerry Demings said.

“I want you to understand that this is an all-hands-on-deck for emergency response in Orange County,” he said.

The last Lynx buses will depart at 5 p.m. Thursday and will be off the roads by 8 p.m.

Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer asked city residents to stay off the road as much as they can leading up to Hurricane Matthew to conserve gas and leave it for people evacuating.

Orange County has officially activated at a Level 1, which means the county has staffed the emergency support functions in preparation for a potentially major event.

Six shelters were open in Orange County for people who need to get out of their homes but don’t have another place to go.

Anyone wanting to stay at one of the shelters before, during and immediately after the storm needs to provide their own sleeping accommodations and make sure they are equipped with all their necessities.

Those include towels and washcloths, medication and personal hygiene items.

The Orlando Utilities Commission said it has backup generators at its water plants and expect to be able to keep water quality at its highest level.

“I just want to assure this community that OUC is doing everything possible to make sure we respond as quickly and safely as possible,” spokeswoman Roseann Harrington said.

Hurricane Matthew is expected to hit Florida Thursday night, with the worst of the storm moving across Central Florida Friday.

Cox Media Group