Flagler County lifts curfew; Residents continued to ask for reduced water use after Hurricane Milton

FLAGLER COUNTY, Florida – The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office lifted a curfew order put in place Friday morning due to “ongoing concerns” about community safety in the wake of Hurricane Milton.

According to county officials, the curfew was established as a precautionary measure that allowed emergency services to operate without disruption. It was also intended to protect residents from potential threats related to flooding, downed power lines and debris.

RELATED | Thousands of Flagler County residents without power, more than 30 roads closed after Hurricane Milton

On Friday, the Flagler County Emergency Management Board said it remains “critically important” for residents to limit their use of mains water to emergency tasks such as sparingly flushing toilets, washing hands and drinking.

Officials asked residents to refrain from non-urgent activities, such as running dishwashers and washing machines, to help conserve water and reduce the burden on sewage systems and sewage treatment plants.

“There is nothing wrong with the water coming out of the tap. All of our problems stem from an overloaded sewer system, which is very common during heavy rainfall events,” Flagler County Emergency Management Director Jonathan Lord said Thursday.

Bunnell officials said city crews have begun a storm cleanup effort and are working early Friday morning and going street by street to inspect, remove debris and make any immediate repairs possible to get things back up and running as quickly as possible.

Crews will continue work on Saturday and resume work on Monday, October 14.

Residents are urged to stay off the road if possible and allow officials to see what needs attention and who needs help.

Solid waste collection service resumed Friday morning. The city is focusing on Thursday’s skipped Grand Reserve residential trash pickup and regularly scheduled commercial trash pickup.

On Friday, the city also started collecting municipal waste. Garden waste comes exclusively from trees, shrubs and vegetation. Officials want to remind people that items that were once trees, such as wooden fence posts or fences, are not yard waste.

Here are some tips to keep in mind when collecting solid waste:

• Yard waste piles should be kept separate from bulk/other waste piles (furniture, carpets, construction debris). Household appliances must be in their own stack.

• Do not place stacks near obstructions. Obstacles include overhead wires, cars, mailboxes, fire hydrants, utility pedestals, garbage cans, etc. (anything that may interfere with the truck’s grapple/claw when grabbing stacked items).

• Regular solid waste collection schedules will resume on Monday, October 14.

• For the next several weeks, storm yard waste and debris will be collected daily as daily operations permit. The City will evaluate the need to engage the services of a city-hired storm debris hauling company once the full extent of the damage can be assessed.

The Town of Bunnell offices will open on Monday, October 14 at 7:30 a.m

Flagler County residents can report any damage caused by Hurricane Milton by completing a damage report on this website.

For the latest updates on Hurricane Milton in Flagler County, visit this website.