Marion County hurricane guide¶

In Marion County, emergency management is run by the Marion County Sheriff's Office, which handles hurricane planning, shelters, special needs registration, and Alert Marion. The county is inland with no storm surge zones, but hurricanes still bring damaging winds, tornadoes, and flooding here, as Hurricane Irma showed. If you live in a mobile or manufactured home, plan to evacuate: mobile home residents are the first to be told to leave when a hurricane threatens.

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 Marion County Sheriff's Office Emergency Management. In a life threatening emergency, call 911.

What to know in Marion County¶

When shelters open, the Sheriff's Office lists them on its emergency shelter page. Sandbag sites are posted on its sandbag page when they open.
Report fallen trees, street flooding, traffic lights that are out, and storm debris in county roads to the Office of the County Engineer at 352-671-8686. After hours, call 352-732-9111.

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	352-369-8100	Sheriff's Office Emergency Management. Office line. Not for emergencies.
Sheriff's Office non-emergency	352-732-9111	For police matters that are not emergencies.
Special needs registration	352-369-8100	Register before a storm if you will need help to evacuate or a special needs shelter.
County information line	352-438-2300	Marion County Administration. Office line. Not for emergencies.
Animal services	352-671-8700	Marion County Animal Services.
Water and sewer emergencies	352-307-6000	Marion County Utilities customers.
Road and traffic conditions (FL511)	511	Evacuation routes and road closures.

Official alerts and information¶

Alert Marion: Free alerts by text, email, or phone. Sign up before a storm. Website.
Marion County Emergency Management (Sheriff's Office): The county's official hurricane information page. Website.
Marion County emergency preparedness page: County government updates during storms and recovery. 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.

Marion County opens shelters for people who have no other place to go, and announces each shelter and whether it serves the general public, people with special needs, or pets. Do not leave home until officials announce that a shelter is open. Open shelters are listed on the Sheriff's Office shelter page. Vanguard High School is the county's only pet-friendly shelter: bring proof of rabies shots and a county pet license, and stay at the shelter while your pet is housed in a separate building. Exotic or aggressive animals and pets over 80 pounds are not accepted. Bring your own chairs, bedding, and food.

Official list of open evacuation centers

Help to evacuate¶

Marion County Special Needs Program: For residents with medical needs, such as oxygen, a nebulizer, a feeding tube, or Alzheimer's disease, and for people who need a ride to evacuate. Register online or with the paper application, and update your information every year. The county encourages you to stay with friends or family first if you can. Phone: 352-369-8100. Website.
Marion County Animal Services: County animal services at 6405 W. Hwy 40, Ocala. Animal Control: 352-671-8727. Phone: 352-671-8700. 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
WWF38	162.400 MHz	Inverness
WWF85	162.525 MHz	Ocala
KPS505	162.500 MHz	Sumterville

TV stations¶

Station	Channel	Network	Language
WESH (WESH 2)	2	NBC	English
WKMG-TV (News 6)	6	CBS	English
WFTV (WFTV Channel 9)	9	ABC	English
WOFL (FOX 35 Orlando)	35	Fox	English
WUCF-TV (WUCF PBS)	24	PBS	English
WVEN-TV (N+ Univision Orlando)	43	Univision	Spanish
WTMO-CD (Telemundo 31 Orlando)	31	Telemundo	Spanish

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¶

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.
SECO Energy (Sumter Electric Cooperative): Report an outage online or by phone. Assume every downed line is live and stay far away. Phone: 352-793-3801. Website.
Ocala Electric Utility (City of Ocala): Report an outage online or by phone. Assume every downed line is live and stay far away. Phone: 352-351-6666. Website.
Clay Electric Cooperative: Report an outage online or by phone. Assume every downed line is live and stay far away. Phone: 855-939-3840. Website.
Marion County Utilities: Report water and sewer problems. Phone: 352-307-6000. Website.
Storm debris collection: Office of the County Engineer, for storm debris, fallen trees, and flooding in county roads. After hours: 352-732-9111. The county posts debris pickup information after a storm when pickup is approved. Phone: 352-671-8686. Website.
Marion County Solid Waste: County garbage and recycling questions. Phone: 352-671-8465. 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.

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¶

Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida: Regional food bank that supplies partner pantries across Central Florida. Phone: 407-295-1066. 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¶

Community Legal Services: Free civil legal aid for low-income residents of Central Florida. Phone: 800-405-1417. 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 Central Florida Coast Chapter (North and Central Florida Region): Local Red Cross chapter that runs shelters and gives emergency help after disasters and home fires. Orange County office. Brevard County office: 321-890-1002. Volusia County office: 386-682-3113. For disaster help at any hour, call 1-800-733-2767. Phone: 407-894-4141. 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.

Sources¶

Checked on September 30, 2026. If a number or address here is wrong, please tell us at Keith@KMyers.me.