Gilchrist County hurricane guide¶
Gilchrist County Emergency Management, a division of the Board of County Commissioners based in Bell, runs hurricane planning, shelters, and emergency alerts for the county. The county is inland and has no storm surge evacuation zones, but it lies along the Suwannee and Santa Fe rivers, so heavy rain can flood low areas and close roads and bridges. If you live in a mobile home or a flood prone area, plan where you would go before a storm.
Checked on September 30, 2026
Every phone number and web address on this page was checked against official sources on that date. Details can change, especially during a storm. Always follow instructions from Gilchrist County Emergency Management. In a life threatening emergency, call 911.
Emergency and information numbers¶
| Service | Number | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Emergency | 911 | Police, fire, and ambulance. Call only when someone's life or property is in danger. |
| Emergency management office | 386-935-5400 | Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Not for emergencies. |
| County information line | 352-463-3198 | Board of County Commissioners office in Trenton. Not for emergencies. |
| Sheriff's Office non-emergency | 352-440-7361 | For police matters that are not emergencies. |
| Animal services | 352-463-4084 | Gilchrist County Animal Services. |
| Road and traffic conditions (FL511) | 511 | Evacuation routes and road closures. |
Official alerts and information¶
- Alert Gilchrist: Free alerts by text, email, or phone. Sign up before a storm. Website.
- Gilchrist County Emergency Management: The county's official hurricane information page. Website.
- Current road and bridge closures: County list of current road and bridge closures. Website.
Evacuation centers¶
Open only when announced
Evacuation centers open only when officials announce them, and not every center opens for every storm. Check the official list of open centers before you leave home. Bring your own bedding, food, water, and medicines.
Gilchrist County does not publish a fixed shelter list. In past storms, Emergency Management announced open shelters in press releases on its storm updates page, so check that page and Alert Gilchrist when a storm threatens. During Hurricane Helene in 2024, the county opened a special needs shelter, a pet friendly general shelter, and a second general shelter in Bell and Trenton, and offered self serve sandbags, but that was past practice, not a promise. If you bring a pet, bring a crate, food, water, vaccination records, and medicine.
Help to evacuate¶
- Special Needs Registry: Register before a storm if you will need help to evacuate or a special needs shelter. Website.
- Gilchrist County Animal Services: County animal services. Phone: 352-463-4084. Website.
Radio, TV and weather¶
Keep a battery or hand crank radio. When power and cell service fail, radio is often the only way to hear official updates.
Radio stations¶
| Station | Frequency | Language | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| WRUF-FM | 103.7 FM | English | Emergency Alert System primary station (LP1) |
| WRUF | 850 AM | English | Emergency Alert System primary station (LP1) |
| WOGK | 93.7 FM | English | Emergency Alert System primary station (LP2) |
| WUFT-FM | 89.1 FM | English | NPR news and talk station of the University of Florida in Gainesville. |
| WJUF | 90.1 FM | English | Carries WUFT news for Citrus and Levy counties, licensed to Inverness. |
| WSKY-FM | 97.3 FM | English | News talk station licensed to Micanopy, serving Gainesville and Ocala. |
Emergency Alert System roles come from the Florida state EAS plan, last revised in April 2021.
NOAA Weather Radio¶
A weather radio turns itself on for warnings, even in the middle of the night. Set it to this frequency.
| Station | Frequency | Transmitter |
|---|---|---|
| WXJ60 | 162.475 MHz | Gainesville |
TV stations¶
| Station | Channel | Network | Language |
|---|---|---|---|
| WCJB-TV (TV20) | 20 | ABC | English |
| WOGX (FOX 51 Gainesville) | 51 | Fox | English |
| WUFT | 5 | PBS | English |
Official forecasts¶
- National Weather Service Jacksonville: Local forecasts, watches, and warnings. Phone: 904-741-4370. Website.
- National Hurricane Center: Official hurricane forecasts, watches, and warnings. Website.
Power, water and debris¶
- Central Florida Electric Cooperative (CFEC): Report an outage online or by phone. Assume every downed line is live and stay far away. Phone: 1-800-227-1302. Website.
- Duke Energy Florida: Report an outage online or by phone. Assume every downed line is live and stay far away. Phone: 1-800-228-8485. Website.
After the storm: help for displaced residents¶
If your home is damaged or you cannot go back, these organizations help with shelter, food, money, and paperwork. Many programs open only after a disaster declaration, so check their pages for current status.
Where to start¶
- Heart of Florida United Way 2-1-1: Heart of Florida United Way answers 211 for the Orlando area and for many other Florida counties. 24 hours a day. Phone: 407-839-4357. Website.
Housing and shelter¶
- FEMA Disaster Recovery Centers: After a federal declaration, these centers help you apply for aid in person. Use the locator to find the nearest one. Phone: 1-800-621-3362. Website.
Food¶
- Feeding Northeast Florida: Regional food bank for Northeast and North Central Florida. Phone: 904-513-1333. Website.
- Disaster SNAP (D-SNAP): State food benefits after a declared disaster. Dates and locations are posted when it opens. Website.
Money, work and insurance¶
- DisasterAssistance.gov: Apply for FEMA aid after a federal declaration. Phone: 1-800-621-3362. Website.
- Florida Insurance Consumer Helpline: Free help with insurance claims and disputes. Phone: 1-877-693-5236. Website.
- SBA disaster loans: Low interest loans for homeowners, renters, and businesses after a declared disaster. Phone: 800-659-2955. Website.
- Disaster Unemployment Assistance: For people who lose work because of a declared disaster. Website.
Legal help¶
- Three Rivers Legal Services: Free civil legal aid for low-income residents of 17 North and North Central Florida counties. Toll free intake line, during business hours. Phone: 866-256-8091. Website.
- Florida Disaster Relief Hotline: Free legal help for disaster survivors, switched on after a storm. Phone: 1-866-550-2929. Website.
Emotional support¶
- Lutheran Services Florida Health Systems (LSF Health Systems): State-contracted managing entity that funds and coordinates public mental health and substance use care in its region; it does not treat people directly. 24 hours a day. Phone: 877-229-9098. Website.
- 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline: Call or text, any time. Phone: 988.
Relief organizations¶
- American Red Cross North Central Florida Chapter (North and Central Florida Region): Local Red Cross chapter that runs shelters and gives emergency help after disasters and home fires. For disaster help at any hour, call 1-800-733-2767. Phone: 352-376-4669. Website.
Scams, contractors and price gouging¶
- Price gouging hotline (Florida Attorney General): Report price gouging during a declared state of emergency. Phone: 1-866-966-7226. Website.
- Contractor license check (DBPR): Check any contractor's license before you pay for repairs. Phone: 850-487-1395. Website.
Cities and towns¶
Each city has its own services and some have their own alerts. The county's evacuation zones, evacuation centers, and emergency alerts cover everyone, in every city and in unincorporated areas.
Related guides¶
- Should I evacuate?
- What to expect at a hurricane shelter
- Hurricane supply list
- After a hurricane: the first 24 hours
- Insurance claims and disaster aid
Sources¶
Checked on September 30, 2026. If a number or address here is wrong, please tell us at Keith@KMyers.me.
- https://gilchristemergency.com/contact-us/
- https://gilchrist.fl.us/contact-us/
- https://www.gcso.us/contact-us/
- https://gilchrist.fl.us/animal-services-2/
- https://www.fl511.com/
- https://gilchristemergency.com/
- https://gilchristemergency.com/current-road-bridge-closures/
- https://gilchrist.fl.us/wp-content/uploads/Press-Release-09.25.24-@-6-PM-.pdf
- https://gilchrist.floridahealth.gov/programs-and-services/emergency-preparedness-and-response/
- https://www.weather.gov/source/nwr/JS/CCL.js
- https://api.weather.gov/zones/county/FLC041
- https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/
- https://publicfiles.fcc.gov/api/service/facility/search/WRUF
- https://publicfiles.fcc.gov/api/service/facility/search/WOGK
- https://www.wuft.org/
- https://www.audacy.com/thesky973
- https://publicfiles.fcc.gov/api/service/facility/search/WCJB-TV
- https://publicfiles.fcc.gov/api/service/facility/search/WOGX
- https://publicfiles.fcc.gov/api/service/facility/search/WUFT
- https://www.cfec.com/outage-center/report-an-outage/
- https://www.duke-energy.com/Customer-Landing-Pages/Florida-Storm-Ready
- https://egateway.fema.gov/ESF6/DRCLocator
- https://feedingnefl.org/contact/
- https://www.myflfamilies.com/dsnap
- https://www.disasterassistance.gov/
- https://myfloridacfo.com/division/ica/contactus
- https://www.sba.gov/disaster/
- https://floridajobs.org/workforce-resources/reemployment-assistance/general-information/special-programs
- https://www.trls.org/locations/
- https://www.floridabar.org/public/consumer/hurricaneinfo/
- https://lsfhealthsystems.org/
- https://www.myfloridalegal.com/consumer-protection/price-gouging
- https://www.myfloridalicense.com/wl11.asp
- https://www.211.org/api/program/results?location=Orange%20County%2C%20FL
- https://www.redcross.org/local/florida/north-central-florida/about-us/locations/north-central-florida.html