Be hurricane ready: Orange County offering free self-serve sandbags at these locations
(GREGG NEWTON/AFP via Getty Images)
ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. - We are a little over a month into the 2022 Atlantic hurricane season and so far, Central Florida hasn't been harshly impacted by any major storms. To help residents stay prepared, the Orange County Government is hosting a free self-serve sandbag program starting July 24.
Five locations will be set up for Orange County residents to come and fill sandbags for themselves to have on hand in case disaster strikes. Bags and sand will be provided, but residents must fill them and bring their own shovels. There is a limit of 10 bags per household and you must present a valid ID.
Sandbags will be available on a first-come, first-serve basis at the following locations:
- Barnett Park – 4801 W. Colonial Dr., Orlando, FL 32808
- Downey Park – 10107 Flowers Ave., Orlando, FL 32825
- Bithlo Community Park – 18501 Washington Ave., Orlando, FL 32820
- Meadow Woods Recreation Center/Meadow Woods Park – 1751 Rhode Island Woods Circle, Orlando, FL 32824
- West Orange Recreational Complex – 309 S. West Crown Point Road, Winter Garden, FL 34787
RELATED: New hurricane season outlook predicts 17 remaining storms could develop in Atlantic
All sites will be open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday - Sunday beginning July 24 through August 7, 2022.
Previously, Colorado State University updated its forecast on June 2, predicting 20 named storms, including 10 hurricanes with five becoming Category 3 or stronger with winds of at least 115 mph. The new outlook recently released accounts for the three named storms that have already formed, meaning 17 additional tropical cyclones could develop throughout the rest of the season.