Marion, Lake and Seminole counties open sandbag locations

A tropical depression in the Gulf of Mexico could hit northern Florida as a tropical storm later in the week and possibly head toward the Atlantic coast, forecasters at the National Hurricane Center in Miami said. They cautioned that the storm's exact path remained uncertain days in advance.

TD 9 was about 195 miles west of Key West, Florida, with maximum winds of 35 mph. It was moving west, but forecasters expect it could curve back to the northeast in the coming days.

Authorities at some locations in the Tampa-St. Petersburg area of Florida were hauling out sandbags Monday to offer residents amid predictions of heavy rains.

As a precaution, the City of Ocala, along with Marion and Lake counties are enacting emergency preparedness plans and are offering the public free sandbags at the location listed below.  Bags and dirt are provided, but you are asked to bring your own shovel. 

City of Ocala  (8 a.m. - 6 p.m.)

  • NE 8th Avenue and NE 14th Street, just north of Tuscawilla Park
  • State Road 40 and Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd. just east of the Hampton Center

Marion County

  • 8311 North Highway 441, Ocala Florida
  • 1600 East Highway 40, Silver Springs Florida
  • 3260 SE 80th Street, Ocala, Florida
  • 19995 SW 86th Street Unit 3

Lake County

  • Fire Station 10, 23023 State Road 40 in Astor
  • Fire Station 14, 42700 State Road 19 in Altoona
  • Fire Station 53, 2505 Spring Lake Road in  Fruitland Park
  • Fire Station 110, 6234 County Road 561 in Clermont

Seminole County

-Open Tuesday-Friday, 8:00AM-7:00PM
-Near Fire Station 35, 4170 N US HWY 17-92, Sanford
-Residents may fill up to 30 bags
-Bring your own shovel

 
ALTAMONTE SPRINGS, EASTMONTE PARK
-Open 24/7
-Eastmonte Park Overflow Parking Lot, 830 Magnolia Drive, Altamonte
-Bring your own shovel
 
ALTAMONTE SPRINGS, WESTMONTE PARK
-Open Tuesday-Saturday, 8:00AM-10:00PM, Sunday, 8:00AM-Dusk
-Westmonte Park, 624 Bills Lane, Altamonte
-Bring your own shovel
 
LAKE MARY
-Open Tuesday-Friday, 8:00AM-4:00PM
-235 Rinehart Road, Lake Mary
-Bring your own shovel
 
LONGWOOD
-Open Tuesday-Friday, 8:00AM-3:30PM
-Public Works Facility, 907 East State Road 434, Longwood
-Residents may fill up to 10 bags
-Bring your own shovel, photo ID
-Only available for Longwood residents
 
OVIEDO
-Locations/times will be determined Tuesday, 8/30/16

SANFORD
-Open 24/7
-Public Works Facility, 800 W Fulton Street
-Bring your own shovel