PALM BEACH COUNTY, Fla. — In case of evacuation notices, there are several options for transportation whether you live in Palm Beach County, the Treasure Coast or Okeechobee County.
All five counties in our area say they partner with either public transit, private transportation, or the local school district to ensure everyone has a way to get to safety, including our elderly, disabled, and lower income families.
"Individuals can go to any bus stop and get to any one of our shelters that would be open in the case of an evacuation," said Mary Blakeney, Palm Beach County's Director of Emergency Management.
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Blakeney said Palm Beach County partners with Palm Tran and the Palm Beach County School District to bus people to any one of its 15 shelters.
No bus pass is required, but Blakeney recommends pre-registering ahead of time, especially if you have any special requirements or a pet.
"We’re not going to leave anybody stranded," said Blakeney.
Martin, St. Lucie and Indian River counties also partner with public transit or the local school district to provide public transportation to shelters, while Okeechobee, which doesn't have public transit, uses taxis or Heartland Rides to provide transportation to its shelters.
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"We encourage people to stay with friends and family first before going to a shelter," said Blakeney.
If you do need a ride, or you have special requirements, it's a good idea to pre-register for transportation and for shelters. In some counties, it's a requirement, especially if you have pets.
To find information relative to your county, and to register, see the information below:
Palm Beach County:
The following hurricane shelters will open to the public across Palm Beach County on Wednesday, Oct, 9, at noon.
- Palm Beach Gardens High School
- Forest Hill High School
- Palm Beach Central High School
- Park Vista High School
- Lake Shore Middle School
If you are disabled, or do not qualify for the Special Needs Shelter Program, live in a hurricane evacuation zone, and only require transportation assistance in reaching a shelter, call Palm Tran Connection for the Special Transportation Assistance Program at 561-649-9848 or 877-870-9849 (toll free).
Weather permitting, Palm Tran will work to the best of our capacity to accommodate individuals needing public transit to the shelter locations. See the below map for locations and routes serving open hurricane shelters.
Martin County:
As of Tuesday afternoon, Martin County has not opened any shelters. When shelters are opened they will indicated here. You can also call 3-1-1 for shelter information.
If seeking shelter, take your disaster supply kit with you. Cots and blankets will not be provided and shelters will not have everything that you need.
A special needs shelter will be designated and will provide basic medical assistance and monitoring. Residents must pre-register online or by call Martin County Emergency Management at 772-287-1652 to stay at the special needs shelter and/or secure transportation.
St Lucie County:
Residents with special medical needs or pets that may need to seek temporary shelter should pre-register here.
The Port Saint Lucie Express is suspending service on Wednesday, Oct. 9 and Thursday, Oct. 10.
In partnership with the Florida Department of Health and St. Lucie Public Schools, St. Lucie County will be opening the following shelters on Tuesday, Oct. 8 at 2 p.m.:
- Fort Pierce Westwood Academy (General Population/Pet Friendly Shelter): 1801 Panther Lane in Fort Pierce
- Treasure Coast High School (General Population/Pet Friendly Shelter): 1000 SW Darwin Blvd. in Port St. Lucie
- Havert L. Fenn Center (Medical Special Needs Shelter): 2000 Virginia Ave. in Fort Pierce
Public Safety staff will work with the school district and our Transit staff to provide transportation to the special needs shelter for those that have pre-registered and need transportation to that facility.
Residents with questions about the storm should call the county’s public information lines at 772-460-HELP (4357) from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 8 and 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. starting Wednesday, Oct. 9 until necessary.
Indian River County:
Due to the threat from Hurricane Milton, Indian River County’s public transit system, GoLine, will suspend services Wednesday, Oct. 9, starting at 1 p.m. and will reevaluate reopening transit services on Thursday. Anyone needing transportation to a shelter will need to schedule a ride before then.
IRC’s door-to-door transportation service, Community Coach, will suspend services on Wednesday and Thursday, Oct. 9 and 10. Service will resume on Friday, Oct. 11.
Riders can stay up-to-date with IRC’s transit operations by visiting SeniorResourceAssociation.org.
The following storm shelters will open at 2 p.m. Oct. 8:
- Freshman Learning Center (Pet-Friendly) (1507 19th Street, Vero Beach)
- Oslo Middle School (480 20th Avenue SW, Vero Beach)
- Sebastian River Middle School (9400 County Road 512, Sebastian)
- Fellsmere Elementary School (50 North Cypress Street, Fellsmere)
The Special Needs Shelter will open at 8:30 a.m. Oct. 9 and is located at:
Treasure Coast Elementary School (8955 85th Street, Sebastian)
This shelter requires registration, which you can register for by calling 772-226-3900 or clickinghere.
You can also call the county info line at 772-226-4000.
Okeechobee County:
Shelters will be opening on Oct. 8 at 5 p.m. To find a shelter list, click here.
Special needs shelter is located at the Department of Health: 1700 NW 9th Avenue. Registration is required here.
If transportation is required, call 863-824-6888.
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