Live Updates: Hurricane Ian impacts could hit Volusia, Flagler starting Tuesday night

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Hurricane Ian is Florida-bound and many tracks bring it through the Volusia-Flagler-St. Johns county areas. Flooding, rain, forceful winds and tornadoes could be headed our way as soon as Tuesday night, according to the National Weather Service. Throughout Tuesday, the News-Journal will post updates here, so check back for the latest from East Central Florida.

Quick Hurricane Ian links for Volusia-Flagler-St. Johns counties

Hurricane Ian Grows Stronger:Path toward Florida shifts slightly east

Hurricane Ian Info:Storm information from Volusia County

Emergency Management:Flagler County storm communications

Preparing:Daytona Beach residents stock up on sandbags ahead of Hurricane Ian

School Closings:Hurricane Ian causes closures for Volusia, Flagler public schools, colleges

Weather Outlook:Forecasters say Volusia, Flagler can expect 'major rainfall flooding' from Hurricane Ian

 5:01 p.m. | NOAA: Hurricane Ian could bring 15-20 inches of rain to Volusia

An afternoon update of Hurricane Ian's projected impact on the Volusia-Flagler-St. Johns county area has not changed the outlook: it remains a serious, life-threatening storm promising to deliver lots of rain and tropical storm-force winds.

At 5 p.m., the center of Hurricane Ian was a Category 3 storm over the Gulf of Mexico moving north from Cuba toward Florida at about 10 mph. It is expected to turn toward the north-northeast as the state's west coast braced for the worst of it.

Ian's maximum sustained winds were near 120 mph with higher gusts, while hurricane-force winds extend from the eye up to 40 miles, with tropical storm-force winds extending 140 miles. 

The earliest tropical storm-force winds could be pelting the area by midday Wednesday, NOAA meteorologists projected.

Storm surge along the Atlantic coastline could reach as high as 4 feet in Flagler County, with projections of 1 to 3 feet in Volusia. The St. Johns River could rise 3 to 5 feet, according to the National Hurricane Center's experimental peak storm surge forecast. 

4:32 p.m. | Keiser University's Daytona campus joins college closures for Hurricane Ian

Keiser University became the latest college to announce campus closures due to threats posed by Hurricane Ian.

The school is closing campuses in Daytona Beach, Orlando and Melbourne Wednesday and Thursday. The Daytona Beach campus is located at 1800 Business Park Blvd.

Among other area schools:

• Daytona State College is closed Wednesday and Thursday.
• Stetson University in DeLand canceled in-person classes Wednesday through Friday.
• Bethune-Cookman University in Daytona Beach evacuated students from campus on Monday and moved all classes online Tuesday.
• Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University canceled classes Wednesday through Friday.

 4:17 p.m. | SunRail suspends service during Hurricane Ian

The Florida Department of Transportation suspended service on the SunRail commuter rail line Tuesday as Hurricane Ian approaches Central Florida.

As of Tuesday afternoon, Daytona Beach International Airport remained open and was advising passengers to contact their airlines for information on cancelations. 

Votran announced paratransit customers can expect delays due to the h

 4:10 p.m. | Deltona offices close as Hurricane Ian chugs toward Volusia

Deltona announced it is closing City Hall and all non-emergency offices and facilities on Wednesday and Thursday due to Hurricane Ian.

The city's Solid Waste Division intends to continue with normal trash pickup on Wednesday unless the storm worsens. Pickup will be suspended during the hurricane or tropical storm. Residents can call the Solid Waste Division at 386-878-8573 following the hurricane to get an estimated pickup time.

3:59 p.m. | St. Johns County closures ahead of Hurricane Ian

Coastal areas of St. Johns County — including all of the cities of St. Augustine and St. Augustine Beach —will be under an evacuation order starting at 6 a.m. Wednesday.

The county will open three hurricane shelters at noon Wednesday. They are at: 

• Pacetti Bay Middle School, 245 Meadowlark Lane (Special needs)
• Southwoods Elementary, 4750 State Road 206 (Pet-friendly)
• Pedro Menendez High School, 600 State Road 206 West (General population)

St. Johns County schools and district offices will be closed on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, with all athletic contests and extracurricular activities canceled starting Wednesday until further notice.

For more on St. Johns County closures, visit the county's emergency website. 

 3:38 p.m. | Hurricane Ian forces courts to close

Courts in the 7th Judicial Circuit are open Tuesday, but will be closed Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.

The circuit covers Volusia, Flagler, St. Johns and Putnam counties.

First appearances will be at the Volusia County Branch Jail as usual, but at a different time: 8:30 a.m. Wednesday instead of 1:30 p.m.

 3:17 p.m. | More on Volusia shelters as Hurricane Ian reaches Category 3

With shelters at four locations opening at 10 a.m. Wednesday as Hurricane Ian approaches, Volusia County officials have offered some advice to people who live in mobile homes, RVs and in low-lying areas.

"We want to encourage the public that want to use these shelters to get there early because later in the day, we have the potential for those tropical storm-force winds," said Jim Judge, director of Volusia County emergency management. 

Judge cautions that shelters are "a lifeboat, not the Love Boat," so people should come prepared.

That means bringing: Special dietary food, snacks or comfort food, water or other non-alcoholic beverages, bedding (including beach chairs and sleeping pads), ear plugs, extra clothing, medications and medical supplies, oxygen supplies, toiletry items, a flashlight and batteries, diapers, books, magazines, games or playing cards. Also be sure to bring food and supplies if you're bringing a pet.

The four Volusia shelter locations are: 

• Mainland High School, 1255 W. International Speedway Blvd., Daytona Beach
• DeLand High School, 800 N. Hill Ave., DeLand
• Atlantic High School, 1259 Reed Canal Road, Port Orange (special needs)
• Galaxy Middle School, 2400 Eustace Ave., Deltona (special needs)

 2:30 p.m. | More from Volusia press conference: Beaches closing for Hurricane Ian

Tammy Malphurs, chief deputy of Volusia County Beach Safety Ocean Rescue, announced at a press conference Tuesday that beaches will be closed for driving starting this afternoon.

"It's important to know we will be flying that red flag over the next few days," Malphurs said. "So it's very important to know when you come to the beach, we will have those hazardous water conditions."

Beach Safety officers have begun securing lifeguard towers and traffic signs to prevent  

"Post-storm, our priority will be to get the beaches back open but we do have to assess the beach first," she said. "We have conservation poles that need to be in place and a lot of other things that need to be assessed before we can get that beach back open."

1:51 p.m. | Chances of Hurricane Ian impacts grow in Volusia County

The National Weather Service on Tuesday projected Hurricane Ian’s trajectory a bit more to the east, leaving a Tropical Storm Warning in effect for Volusia County.

Jim Judge, the Volusia County emergency management director, announced at a news conference the probability for tropical storm-force winds for is 82% and for hurricane force winds, 22%.

If the path continues east, it could worsen the potential impacts in East Central Florida, with Volusia County possibly receiving up to 15 inches of rain with 50- to 60-mph sustained winds and gusts up to 75 mph likely, starting Wednesday night, a Volusia County news release states. 

1:36 p.m. | Hurricane Ian press conference: Volusia County sets curfew

Volusia County Sheriff Mike Chitwood said overnight curfews are planned starting Wednesday night.

People should be off the roads between 8 p.m. Wednesday and 7 a.m. Thursday unless they are traveling to work. Electric company workers and first responders are exempt. The curfew will be in effect again from 8 p.m. Thursday until 7 a.m. Friday, Chitwood said.

Violators are subject to fines of up to $500 or imprisonment in the Volusia County jail for up to 60 days.  

Also, Volusia County is opening four shelters starting at 10 a.m. Wednesday, emergency management management director Jim Judge announced at an afternoon news conference Tuesday.

The shelters will be: 

• Mainland High School, Daytona Beach. General, pet-friendly shelter.
• DeLand High School, DeLand. General, pet-friendly shelter.
• Atlantic High School, Daytona Beach. Special-needs shelter.
• Galaxy Middle School, Deltona. Special-needs shelter.

 12:30 p.m. | Volusia County announces plans for trash pickup during Hurricane Ian

Trash collection for the unincorporated areas of Volusia County will take place on Wednesday, but the hours have been modified, the county announced Tuesday.

Pickups will begin at 5:30 a.m. and will be complete by 5 p.m. 

Waste collection normally scheduled for Thursday and Friday are canceled. Residents in the unincorporated areas should not place waste receptacles or yard trash at the curb on these dates.

A makeup day for waste and recycling collection has been tentatively scheduled for Saturday for those residents who missed collection on Thursday and Friday. Officials advise yard trash will not be picked up on the makeup day.

The Tomoka Farms Road Landfill and West Volusia Transfer Station will close at 5 p.m. Wednesday and resume on Saturday, weather permitting. The Tomoka Farms Road Landfill will be open on Sunday, as well.  Residents within the cities’ incorporated limits should check with their city's solid waste department for information about waste collection.

Normal yard waste collection for unincorporated residentwill resume on schedule next week. For more, go to Volusia.org/pin. 

11:42 a.m. | Volusia County Info Center open for Hurricane Ian questions

The Volusia County Citizens Information Center is open as of Tuesday and will be taking calls until 5 p.m. Tuesday. The center will be reopen beginning at 8 a.m. Wednesday.

Residents may call 866-345-0345 for storm-related information, sandbags, disaster preparation and community resources.

11:12 a.m. | Ormond Beach declares Hurricane Ian emergency

Ormond Beach has joined other communities in declaring a State of Emergency ahead of Hurricane Ian's anticipated arrival. The order allows city staff to address emergency situations that may arise along with accessing the necessary federal and state support.

“As we continue to monitor the potential impacts of Hurricane Ian on the City of Ormond Beach, we want our residents to know that city officials and staff are being proactive in preparing our city and ensuring the safety of our residents,” Ormond Beach Mayor Bill Partington said. “We are taking the necessary steps, lowering our water levels, checking the stormwater systems, and making sure that everything is in order and ready to respond.”

11:02 a.m. | Flagler County Schools announces Hurricane Ian closures

All Flagler County schools and school activities are canceled from Wednesday through Friday in preparation for Hurricane Ian's impacts, Superintendent Cathy Mittelstadt announced Tuesday.

“This is not a decision we take lightly, but we want to give our families enough time to prepare their homes for this storm or evacuate the area if they feel that is the best option for them,” Mittelstadt said in a news release. ”We also need to use this time to prepare the emergency shelter space our campuses offer, should people be asked to evacuate.”

Extracurricular activities, including sports, are canceled for the three days. Also, the district announced that SAT testing scheduled for Matanzas High School on Saturday has been moved to October 15th.

Rymfire Elementary School is being prepared as a special needs shelter, and Bunnell Elementary will be a general population/pet shelter as a last resort for evacuees.

10:41 a.m. | Volusia County Schools to close Wednesday, Thursday

All Volusia County public schools and district offices will close Wednesday and Thursday in anticipation of Hurricane Ian.

This includes all school activities, events, and programs.

District officials are holding off on a decision about reopening school on Friday.

"Our district is working closely with our local emergency management officials to monitor the approaching storm and its potential impact on Volusia County. 

Any Volusia School District employee expected to report to work on Wednesday or Thursday will be contacted by their supervisor. Updates will be made available on our website as soon as possible.  Please stay informed and stay safe.

10:35 a.m. | DeBary declares State of Emergency ahead of Hurricane Ian

With Hurricane Ian approaching, DeBary Mayor Karen Chasez declared a State of General Emergency, granting the city and city manager emergency powers.

The declaration is also in accordance with the Declaration of Emergency by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis. It's effective for seven days and started at 3 p.m. on Monday.

“The safety of our residents and employees is our primary concern at this time. This Declaration allows the City to implement emergency plans and take other prompt actions to save lives and protect property," City Manager Carmen Rosamonda said in a statement.

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