Scott Powers
With Hurricane Dorian just coming out of its stall and appearing to track a bit away from Florida, Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings and other county officials said Tuesday that the impacts for Orange County are expected between 7 p.m. Tuesday and 9 a.m. Wednesday, and wind damage and power outages still may be likely.
Demings, speaking from the Orange County Emergency Management Operations Center in eastern Orange County, said all non-storm government operations will remain closed through Wednesday and further closures will be considered after the storm passes.
One exception: the Orange County landfill will be open until 5 p.m. Tuesday to accept yard waste debris that residents and others might want to yet clear away. Fees are being waived.
“If there is any good news, the most recent news is that the storm has been downgraded to a Category 2, which still means its a very massive storm which still can cause significant damage,” Demings said.
“If the storm keeps its present track, we will be looking at experiencing winds likely under 50 mph starting this evening here in Orange County,” he added.
Demings said more than 400 people have checked into the county’s 11 shelters, up from 150 on Monday.
Orange County remains under a tropical storm warning, Orange County Acting Emergency Management Director Keith Kotch said. Tropical storm-force winds are expected to appear at 7 p.m. Tuesday and the worst is expected to peak at 1 a.m. Wednesday. Such winds should exit the county by 9 a.m. Wednesday, he said.
Tropical storm force winds could bring down large limbs and trees, and take out power lines causing power outages, he said. There also could be debris across roadways.
“Water damage, we’re looking at two to four inches of rainfall, so not a huge water threat, but enough to cover roadways with dangerous ponding,” he said.
Kotch said there is a “very, very low risk of tornadoes at this point.”
