Stay storm informed

Hurricane Ian information in Lakeland

It’s important to stay informed during and after a storm. | Photo via Pixabay

Weathering a storm can be unpredictable, which is why staying informed is a top priority during a hurricane. So, we’ve compiled a list of resources to help you stay in the know.

🗺️ Storm tracking

Track the storm’s progress through the National Hurricane Center, which provides top news of the day, hurricane position updates, and satellite imagery.

USA Today also has a storm tracker with an interactive map.

Download the FEMA app to get real-time weather alerts, send notifications to friends + family, and locate emergency shelters.

🍊 Polk County updates

The Polk County website has decision-making and emergency resources, including:

Alert Polk sign up
How to find a shelter and an interactive shelter map
Flood zones
Polk County Public Schools closures

🦢 City of Lakeland updates

The City of Lakeland’s Emergency Planning and Response website has resources on:

🔌 Outages

Lakeland Electric has an outage map that updates every 15 minutes. You can also report an outage.

The Ledger also has a live-updating map reporting outages throughout the state.

☎️ Emergency phone numbers and radio stations

Stay connected with these lines and stations:

American Red Cross: 863-294-5941
Citizens Information Line: 863-401-2234 or 866-661-0228
United Way Information: 211 or 888-370-7188
Bilingual Emotional Support Helpline: 833-848-1764
Report price gouging: 1-866-966-7226
Animal services: (863) 499-2600
NOAA Radio Broadcast Channels: 162.500 and 162.550 MHz

Weather

83º | Sunny | 10% chance of rain

Civic

Questions about hurricane debris? Polk County Emergency Management advises residents to call the Hurricane Ian Debris Hotline at (800) 375-0844. Pro tip: This hotline is for debris only. ☎️

Number

45,000. The amount of Lakeland Electric customers who reported outages as of the afternoon of Thurs., Sept. 29. For reference, the company has a total of 137,000 customers. Check for outages or make a report here.
35. The number of Waffle House closures across Florida by the morning of Thurs., Sept. 29. Keep an eye on the Waffle House locator to see if the location at 3244 US Hwy. 98 N. is slinging smothered hash browns. 🧇 (USA Today)

Traffic

Drivers beware. Many traffic lights may be out while Lakeland Electric restores power to the area. The Lakeland Police Department advises drivers to avoid roadways and treat all nonfunctional traffic lights as four way stops. 🚗

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THE WRAP

Today’s issue was written by Jessalin.

Multi-city editor Jessalin here. 👋 I’m pleased to report that our city editors in Lakeland are safe and sound. (Though Connor’s cat briefly went into hiding.) We hope our readers are doing well, too.

Missed yesterday’s newsletter? Check out our guide on how to help those affected by the hurricane here.

Connect with us.

Editorial: Rilee Delgado, Connor Keith, Jessalin Heins-Nagamoto, Kaylee Holland, Ashlea Hearn, Emily Shea | Send us a scoop, question, or feedback.

Sales: Kailey Burke | Advertise with us.

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