Palm Beach County Ordering Evacuations and Opening Shelters

The eastern half of Palm Beach County is now under a Tropical Storm Warning due to the approach of Hurricane Dorian. A Tropical Storm Warning means tropical storm winds are expected in the area within 36 hours. Due to this, mandatory evacuations are being ordered for residential structures in Zone A and Zone B in Palm Beach County, effective at 1 P.M. Sunday, September 1, 2019. The Palm Beach County Emergency Information Center number is 561-712-6400.

Zone A includes mobile homes, sub-standard housing and low-lying areas prone to water intrusion.

Zone B generally includes the barrier islands, land areas north and south of the Jupiter Inlet, and other surge-vulnerable areas south along the Intracoastal Waterway to the Broward County line.

If you choose to not evacuate to a shelter, please evacuate miles not hundreds of miles. Most of Palm Beach County is not being evacuated and residents should shelter within the county if possible. With the unpredictable nature of Hurricane Dorian, evacuating north is not recommended.

To determine if your home is in a storm surge evacuation zone, go to readyPBC.com or download our free app “PBC DART.”  If you are not in an evacuation zone, please shelter in place.

At 1 p.m. today, Sunday, September 1, Palm Beach County will open seven general population shelters, as well as the special needs shelter at the South Florida Fairgrounds and the pet-friendly shelter at West Boynton Recreation Center.

The seven general population shelters are:
Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune Elem. School, 1501 Avenue U, Riviera Beach
Independence Middle School, 4001 Greenway Dr., Jupiter
Lakeshore Middle School, 425 W Canal St N, Belle Glade
Pahokee Middle School, 850 Larrimore Rd, Pahokee
Palm Beach Gardens High School, 4245 Holly Dr., Palm Beach Gardens
Palm Beach Central High School, 8499 Forest Hill Blvd, Wellington
Park Vista High School, 7900 Jog Rd, Lake Worth

The special needs shelter is located at 9067 Southern Boulevard, West Palm Beach. If you are registered, you should have received a notification. People with special medical needs should register for our Special Needs Program by calling (561) 712-6400 or visiting our website www.readypbc.org.

The pet-friendly shelter is located at 6000 Northtree Boulevard, Lake Worth. This shelter is available to Palm Beach County residents residing in a mandatory evacuation zone or in mobile homes. Proof of residency is required. Space is limited and restrictions apply. Each pet must be accompanied by only one owner who will stay at the shelter. Other family members will need to stay at nearby Park Vista High School, 7900 Jog Road, Lake Worth,

The available space for each person at a general shelter is 20 square feet. That’s 4 feet by 5 feet of floor space. Please bring snacks with you to the shelter, only dinner will be served Sunday evening. Shelters will be opening in The Glades and residents from Zone A can evacuate to those shelters.

Palm Tran serves many shelter locations. Additionally, all Palm Tran services will be free on Sunday.

The Sheriff’s Office assures they will not be checking the immigration status of any person coming to a shelter.

If you choose to go to a hurricane shelter, please bring the following:
•          3 day supply of water
•          2 changes of comfortable clothes
•          Flashlight with extra batteries
•          Cell phone and a battery-operated charger
•          Medications and prescriptions
•          Snacks/Special diet foods
•          Cash
•          Photocopies of valuable documents
•          Games, books and playing cards for entertainment during your stay
•          Space is limited, so please pack accordingly
•          Weapons are prohibited in shelters

For continuing information on Hurricane Dorian, and for more information on the Palm Beach County Division of Emergency Management and hurricane preparedness, please visit: www.pbcgov.com/dem, follow us on Twitter @PBCDEM and watch PBC-TV Channel 20.