Flagler County residents are still navigating the aftermath of Hurricane Milton, but life in the area is beginning to return to normal. As of Friday afternoon, the county’s emergency shelter has been closed and the nightly curfew has been rescinded after two days of being in effect. There’s still some cause for caution and concern for many residents, but regular activities are quickly becoming safe and convenient to do.
The most pressing effect of Milton that still afflicts the county is loss of power. As of 1:00 pm 15,050 homes were without power out of 73,453 being tracked, making about one of five homes in the county still blacked out. Personnel from Florida Power & Light have been working since Milton’s departure to restore electricity to Flagler homes and hundreds of thousands of others across Florida which were affected by the storm.
The emergency shelter being utilized for Flagler County residents, located at Rymfire Elementary School, has been closed two days after being opened to residents. The shelter was created to provide a resource for those affected by mandatory evacuations, with accommodations in place for those with special needs and families with pets.
Flagler Schools continued its working relationship with the county to provide a shelter for the area during major storms, offering up Rymfire Elementary School for Hurricane Milton. The shelter opened at 8:00 am on Wednesday, at the same time the mandatory evacuation order hit many residents in coastal Flagler County and those who live along two key lakes. Flagler Schools, which closed from Wednesday to Friday, will reopen on Monday.
After two days in effect, the countywide curfew instituted to keep the roads clear during the storm has been lifted. The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office announced the measure late Friday morning, just a few hours after the curfew ended. Roads were off-limits to most residents from 7:00 pm to 7:30 am on Wednesday and Thursday, with exceptions carved out for emergency workers, power and energy workers, and employees traveling to and from work.
The FCSO stressed ahead of the storm that deputies would be on patrol and the Real Time Crime Center would be operational and ready to arrest those conducting illegal activity during and after Milton. Those who knowingly violated the curfew would’ve been among those at risk of being arrested. Sheriff Rick Staly extended a tongue-in-cheek offer to ride out Milton at the county jail if any residents attempted a crime during the storm.
Residents of the Daytona North and Mondex communities will be served by a food and water distribution station on Friday, helping those who may have lost food during the widespread power outages. Those who need the help are able to pick up resources at 245 CR-305, located at the large warehouse with the red roof.
