PUTNAM COUNTY, Fla. — A curfew was ordered to begin Thursday in Putnam County as officials continue their Hurricane Milton recovery efforts.
The curfew will be in place for most residents between 8 p.m. and 6 a.m. starting Thursday. The curfew will end at 6 a.m. every morning until it is lifted.
For the Town of Welaka, as of noon Thursday, the sewer system in the Sportsman Harbor community has been turned off due to rising floodwaters, according to a Facebook post. This shutoff impacts the area from Scott Street to the end of Sportsman Drive, including all side streets, according to the post.
The post further states that the septic tanks have very limited capacity, so residents are advised to use water sparingly; failure to do so may result in your water supply being shut off.
"If you have already evacuated, we ask that you stay away," Mayor Jamie Watts said in the post. "The floodwaters are continuing to rise and are expected to reach levels similar to Hurricane Irma between 5:00 PM and 11:00 PM tonight. For your safety, and the safety of others, it is crucial that you do not return until we provide further updates."
The exceptions to the curfew include:
- Law enforcement
- Federal, state and local firefighters, emergency response and emergency management personnel
- County employees dealing with hurricane response
- Water and wastewater utility personnel
- National Guard personnel
- Communications utility personnel
- Individuals with medical emergencies
- People traveling to and from work only
The curfew begins the evening after Hurricane Milton swiped by Putnam County on its way off the coast and into the Atlantic Thursday morning.
Pictures shared with First Coast News show flooding, downed power lines and downed trees in the county.
