If a hurricane sets its sights on Central Florida, it is important Lake County residents know where they plan to shelter for the duration of the storm. Because of the destructive power and torrential rainfall of a hurricane, residents in a manufactured home or low-lying area should never ignore an evacuation order.

Lake County shelters are storm-hardened facilities. Evacuating residents should think twice about staying in “shelters” that are not designated by the American Red Cross and Emergency Management. Another option besides evacuating to a Lake County designated shelter is finding shelter with a friend or relative in a site-built home. While Lake County’s shelters are high on safety, residents may tend to find the comfort level more accommodating in a site-built home of a friend or relative.

A new program introduced this year by Emergency Management is the Public-Shelter Registry. Any Lake County resident that may use a public shelter during a hurricane is encouraged to fill out a public-shelter registry form. The registry will help Emergency Management with assisting residents who may not have reliable transportation to a public shelter. View the Public-Shelter Registry Pamphlet to learn more about the program.

Lake County has eight primary shelters, and additional shelters are available if necessary. In most circumstances, the primary shelters will be the first to open. In addition to being general population risk shelters, all primary shelters are pet friendly and many serve those residents who have registered with the County’s special-needs program. All pets accepted by authorities at shelters must be crated and have documentation of up-to-date rabies vaccinations.

To register for the special-needs program or the public-shelter registry, call the Lake County Emergency Management Division at (352) 343-9420.

1. Astatula Elementary, 13925 Florida Ave., Astatula — pet friendly
2. Leesburg Elementary, 2229 South St., Leesburg — special needs and pet friendly
3. Lost Lake Elementary, 1901 Johns Lake Road, Clermont — special needs and pet friendly
4. Pine Ridge Elementary, 10245 County Road 561, Clermont — pet friendly
5. Round Lake Elementary, 31333 Round Lake Road, Mount Dora — pet friendly
6. Treadway Elementary, 10619 Treadway School Road, Leesburg — pet friendly
7. Umatilla Elementary, 401 Lake St., Umatilla — special needs and pet friendly
8. Villages Elementary, 695 Rolling Acres Road, Lady Lake — special needs and pet friendly

View interactive map with driving directions