Gabrielle Russon
Orlando is not in the direct path of Hurricane Helene, but Central Florida officials are still concerned about high winds and the possibility of tornadoes — a threat that lasts until 2 a.m. Friday.
“What we’re saying to our residents is: You’ve got to stay vigilant,” Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings said at a press conference to discuss the storm and emergency preparations. “While we are fortunate that we’re not having any direct impacts from Hurricane Helene, we do have some secondary potential impacts.”
The National Weather Service is forecasting sustained winds reaching 25 to 35 mph, Demings said. The maximum of that estimate — 35 mph — is when first responders decide whether it’s safe to travel.
“So up until about 2 a.m. tonight, that remains a critical period of time for all of us in our response mode,” Demings said.
Officials urged residents to stay off the roads and monitor local news for the latest update.
In the next 12 hours, Orange County could get 1 to 2 inches of rain after an already wet Summer where some neighborhoods — including in downtown Orlando — suffered bad flooding.
Orange County provided more than 32,000 free sandbags Wednesday as part of a two-day effort to help residents prepare.
Public shelters — including one for people with special needs — are open if residents need some place to ride out the storm.
Meanwhile, authorities are sending help to the places that will get hit the hardest by Hurricane Helene.
Demings said the county is sending 25 Orange County Fire personnel to Big Bend, where the storm is expected to bring catastrophic storm surge and powerful Category 4 winds.
The Orlando Utilities Commission also plans to send line technicians to the Panhandle and Big Bend area after the storm passes through Central Florida, officials said.
Orlando’s theme parks, its School District, court and regular government services should be back to normal Friday.
