As Hurricane Idalia swept across the state after making landfall in the Big Bend area on Wednesday, Gainesville authorities reported some damage.
A large down in the area of 3800 NW 16th Avenue blocked all eastbound lanes, according to a 10 a.m. post from the Gainesville Police Department.
Police reminded drivers that if a traffic signal is not working to treat it as a four-way stop.
“We’ve had a lot of downed power lines this morning,” Alachua Fire Chief Harold Theus. “A lot of trees on the roadways. So we have crews out there, our public works department, law enforcement and fire rescue who are all working together to clear those roadways.”
Outer bands from Idalia will continue to move through Alachua County through the morning and early afternoon. Residents are urged to stay inside even during calm periods as new bands may move into the area, bringing new tropical storm-force winds.
The total cumulative rainfall is expected to be in the 4 to 6-inch range.
Residents should stay safe and not leave their homes so that public safety and public works personnel can react to damage. Downed powerlines and trees are creating dangerous hazards. Residents staying in shelters or have otherwise evacuated their homes are urged to remain in place until the storm has completely passed.
Stay away from power lines.
Watch out for fallen power lines that may be hanging overhead.Stay clear of fallen power lines. Call the electric company to report them.
Learn more about staying safe after the storm.
If you feel you have a life-threatening or dangerous situation, call 911. For non-emergencies, call 352-955-1818.
Find your provider to report power outages and view outage maps online.
It is important to be safe after the storm.
You can find all the latest information for Alachua County by going to alachuacountyready.com, Facebook, X, Instagram, and Nextdoor.
If you don’t have internet access or need additional information, dial 311 from your phone. If you live outside Alachua County or cannot dial 311, call 352-264-6557.
To receive all updates on County operations in response to Hurricane Idalia, please text ALACHUA to 888-777.
You can check the latest forecast at weather.gov/jax.
Gainesville
Neighbors are encouraged to remain indoors as Idalia is now expected to be a wind event in our area. Gainesville may experience periods of extreme wind from the storm’s outer bands over the next several hours. Falling trees and downed power lines are still a concern, as is the possibility of tornadoes.
Report power outage or downed power lines: Call 352-334-2871 to report an outage or downed power line to GRU. An automated system will record your information and GRU will dispatch repair crews as soon as possible.
Report urgent issues: To report downed trees, blocked streets, or other issues that require prompt attention, please call 352-334-5070 or use the myGNV mobile or online application at myGNV.org.
Check status: View the status of storm-related Public Works service requests or work orders on the Service Request Viewer at requestviewer.gnvgis.org.
Report Emergencies: Report emergencies by calling 911.
Closures of City Facilities and Services: Wednesday
Don’t put your trash or yard waste out Wednesday. There will be no residential waste pickup.Trash pickup is expected to resume Thursday. Thursday service is expected to occur on Friday.There is no Regional Transit System (RTS) bus service Wednesday.City offices, facilities and parks remain closed Wednesday.
Local shelters remain in operation.
General population, pet-friendly shelters:
Martin Luther King Jr. Multipurpose Center (Gainesville)Easton-Newberry Sports Complex (Newberry)Ochwilla Elementary School (Hawthorne)
Special needs shelter:
Gainesville/Alachua County Senior Recreation Center
Additional resources:
Sign up for email, phone and text notifications at www.alertgnv.org.Visit GRU.com/StormCentral for a list of important phone numbers in the event of service emergencies, as well as a link to the Gainesville Regional Utilities outage map with estimated time of restoration.Visit www.safeGNV.org for additional planning tips and all emergency management updates.Alachua County has activated the 311 emergency information line for questions and rumor control. Neighbors can dial 311 on their cell phone or 352-264-6557 from their cell or landline.