PALM BEACH COUNTY, Fla. — As rain trickled down Monday afternoon, customers trickled in and out of Boca Tanning Club on North Federal Highway in Boca Raton.
Owner Jen Boronico's wife helped at the front desk, as Boronico spoke with employees across her South Florida locations about looking for sandbags.
"This street floods a lot. This is one of the worst areas," Boronico said. "We've had times where the road at the entrance (to the parking lot) has flooded, and customers can't get in and out, and that's a big problem."
Hurricane
SANDBAGS: Where you can pick up sandbags to prepare for Milton
TRACKING THE TROPICS: Hurricane Center | Hurricane Guide
Boronico has lived in Boca Raton her entire life and is used to foreboding forecasts. But as Hurricane Milton rapidly intensified in the Gulf of Mexico, Boronico had questions about how to prepare and protect her storefronts in areas that might flood.
She thought sandbags would be the solution. By lunchtime, she hadn't found any nearby.
"I have not found any in the Boca area. There seems to be more in Broward County. I'm going to have to put some employees on it," Boronico said. "I haven't seen any in Palm Beach (County)."
In Palm Beach County, the cities of Boynton Beach and Riviera Beach announced Monday they were distributing sandbags to residents. Miami-Dade and Broward counties have also established distribution sites.
However, sandbags are not a service Palm Beach County has ever offered.
"We've just always encouraged individuals to go out. We have a different type of flood infrastructure than other areas. And individuals can go to their local big box or hardware store to purchase those items," Mary Blakeney, Palm Beach County director of Emergency Management, said.
Blakeney told WPTV that her office is closely monitoring Milton as the storm continues to evolve. She said once the storm's potential impact becomes more clear, she'll know more about what resources will be available to residents.
Blakeney encouraged all Palm Beach County residents to download the PBC DART app to stay informed about local conditions and the county's response.
