Scott Powers
Orange County Mayor Teresa Jacobs has ordered a countywide curfew starting tonight and running through Saturday morning, and Sheriff Jerry Demings said his patrols will be making sure only essential emergency drivers are on the roads.
The curfew will run from 10 p.m. Thursday through 7 a.m. Saturday.
Earlier, Seminole County declared a curfew running from 5 a.m. Friday through 7 a.m. Saturday.
Jacobs said Hurricane Matthew will produce hurricane winds from 5 a.m. to 11 a.m. Friday in Orange County and winds of 100 mph can be expected. She said tropical storm-force winds are likely to last for 23 hours Friday.
“This curfew is intended to protect the life and safety of our citizens and we’re asking everyone to take it very seriously,” Jacobs said.
Anyone still needing to get to shelters should do so immediately, she said.
She said the county’s Bithlo Park shelter is at capacity, but the other five still have room at Odyssey Middle School, Apopka High School, Corners Lake Middle School, Timber Creek High School, and Barnett Park.
Jackie Schutz, Gov. Rick Scott‘s spokeswoman, late Thursday said that St. Johns and Duval counties also had instituted curfews.
5 comments
Kathy kelley
October 6, 2016 at 10:36 pm
Good
Kathy
October 7, 2016 at 11:29 am
Could have given altternative like the Mayor of Tampa did. They, open the parks & Rec centers for the whole families to go and have some fun in a safe environment.
Fabio arbelaez
October 7, 2016 at 1:05 pm
Thanks
Steve
October 7, 2016 at 1:32 pm
Obviously, Orange County was hit with half the intensity they warned us about. There is nothing out there anymore than our weekly thunderstorm, are we going to put curfews up after every thunderstorm? I know it makes your life easier at the expense of peoples freedoms.
TKC
October 7, 2016 at 1:35 pm
Curfews are good for counties with beaches. This inland curfews tells those with homes at the beaches to stay home or to go to Tampa instead as Orange Co. or Seminole Co. are not safe for them either.
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