Orange County distributing sandbags ahead of projected tropical storm

Orange County Public Works will offer self-serve sandbags to residents from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 3, at five separate locations.

By Annabelle Sikes
| 4:45 p.m. August 2, 2024

Sandbags are commonly used during floods, because they are an inexpensive and effective way to prevent water from entering a building.

West Orange Times & Observer
News

Orange County is distributing sandbags ahead of the projected tropical storm currently developing in the Caribbean.

Orange County Public Works will offer the self-serve sandbags to residents from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 3, at five separate locations.

The locations are the West Orange Recreation Center, 309 S.W. Crown Point Road, Winter Garden; Downey Park, 10107 Flowers Ave., Orlando; Bithlo Community Park, 18501 Washington Ave., Orlando; Meadow Woods Park, 1751 Rhode Island Woods Circle, Orlando; and the Clarcona Horse Park, 3535 Damon Road, Apopka.

Orange County's Public Works Roads and Drainage Division will deliver sandbags and sand to meet the demand. Residents will be provided with 10 unfilled sandbags and directed to the sand pile on site. All residents will need to bring their own shovel to fill their sandbags.

Orange County officials will decide on Saturday whether sandbags also will be offered at the same locations on Sunday, due to the storm's path, with hours yet to be determined.

Public Works will monitor conditions on Sunday, and, if the weather deteriorates rapidly or becomes unsafe, sandbag operations will cease.

Individuals needing special assistance should call 311, and detailed information will be provided on securing sandbags.

For more information, click here.

author

Annabelle Sikes

News Editor Annabelle Sikes was born in Boca Raton and moved to Orlando in 2018 to attend the University of Central Florida. She graduated from UCF in May 2021 with a bachelor’s degree in journalism and a minor in sociology. Her past journalism experiences include serving as a web producer at the Orlando Sentinel, a reporter at The Community Paper, managing editor for NSM Today, digital manager at Centric Magazine and as an intern for the Orlando Weekly.