Local governments begin issuing curfews ahead of Milton landfall

Image courtesy Fort Myers Beach.

A number of Florida governments have already called curfews ahead of Hurricane Milton’s expected Wednesday evening landfall.

On Florida’s Gulf Coast, Fort Myers Beach had a curfew go into effect already, which began at 10 p.m. on Tuesday. The curfew was initially imposed for 24 hours and prohibits any pedestrian or vehicular movement within the town limits, excluding public vehicles and authorized utility personnel.

Similarly, Sanibel had a 24-hour curfew kick in at the same time, and warned that all roads will be closed, including to emergency vehicles, if sustained winds reach 45 mph.

Naples issued a driving curfew that went into effect at 4 p.m. today. Only essential personnel are exempt and must provide proper credentials if stopped. The curfew remains in place until further notice. Marco Island also had an overnight driving curfew that went into effect at 4 p.m., according to WINK News.

All of Charlotte County will go under curfew beginning at 9 p.m. on Wednesday night. That curfew, which includes a ban on alcohol sales, runs until 6 a.m. Violations will be treated as misdemeanor offenses.

Further inland, Osceola County issued a curfew beginning at 8 p.m. on Wednesday evening. The countywide curfew encourages residents to stay off roads and safe places indoors to weather the storm. The curfew doesn’t apply to essential workers and health care workers, and those individuals should be prepared to present photo ID if stopped.

On the Atlantic Coast, Flagler County has a curfew that goes into effect at 7 p.m. on Wednesday evening and continues until 7:30 a.m. Thursday. Officials say the nightly curfew will be in place until further notice.

An hour later, Volusia County officials ordered an 8 p.m. to 8 a.m. curfew for a single night. It does not apply to law enforcement or emergency workers, regular business, industry or government employees traveling for work.