Hurricane Matthew Update
October 5, 2016
  
  
Dear Residents, Business Owners and Visitors:

The City of Miami Beach continues to monitor Hurricane Matthew. The National Hurricane Center has issued a Tropical Storm Warning for most of Miami-Dade County, including Miami Beach. A Tropical Storm Warning means that sustained winds of 39 to 73 mph are expected within 36 hours of impact. No evacuation orders have been issued for the City of Miami Beach. Please remember that beginning at sunset today, all beach access east of the dunes will be closed, as well as beachfront restrooms.

PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION
City trolley service will follow Miami-Dade Transit's leads in determining when to cease operations. Emergency bus service is provided by Miami-Dade County in case of an evacuation, please contact 311 for additional information.

 The Venetian and 71 Street/JFK causeway bridges will be locked in the down position at 8 p.m. tonight to ensure traffic flow.

 All Citi Bikes are being removed and will not be available until after the storm has passed.

 EVENTS AND MEETING CANCELLATIONS
All board and committee meetings taking place at City Hall on Thursday and Friday have been cancelled, including Thursday's Special Master Hearing (all cases will be rescheduled) and Board of Adjustment. For an updated list of closings, please visit our Facebook and Twitter  pages.

 POWER OUTAGES - FPL
www.FPL.com   
Florida Power and Light (FPL) outage and restoration information is available by calling 1.800.4.OUTAGE (1.800.468.8243) or through their website at FPL.com/powertracker . This phone number may also be used to report a downed power line.
 
It is important to note that the impact of the storm, which is expected to include high winds and heavy rains, could last up to two days. During this timeframe, FPL restoration efforts may be delayed due to it being unsafe for workers to operate bucket trucks in wind conditions exceeding 35 mph. For more information on the status of outages in your area, please visit the FPL website.

 SCHOOLS AND MIAMI BEACH PARKS & RECREATION
Miami-Dade County has closed schools on Thursday and Friday.

 The Miami Beach Parks & Recreation Department will be closing our pools, recreation centers and tennis centers today at 6 p.m.  as well as all programing, including after schools programs, classes and all extra-curricular activities on Thursday and Friday. For a complete list of closures, click here.

 PREPARATIONS AND FLOODING EXPECTATIONS
Now is the time to have a plan in place, and begin to execute that plan. Make sure your hurricane kits are complete and you have all your supplies ready. We ask that residents DO NOT cut trees and place piles for pickup, as this causes hazardous conditions as the winds pick up.

 Residential garbage pickup is cancelled for tomorrow and Friday. Residents should not leave garbage or garbage cans out and should ensure all loose items are brought inside.

 A storm water system, ours included, is generally built to handle typical rain events. Our system has also been designed to accommodate sea level rise. But no system is ever designed to handle a tropical storm or major hurricane. Early predictions for the effects of Hurricane Matthew in Miami-Dade County include the possibility of receiving up to 10 inches of rain in isolated areas. This is more water than our storm water system (pumps) have been designed to handle. This, combined with the potential of storm surges of at least one foot above normal high tides, mean that you should expect standing water on the streets and minor to moderate flooding conditions during the peaks of the storm. All of the currently installed pump stations, as well as temporary pumps will be deployed to make every effort to reduce the flooding as much as we can.
Due to Hurricane Matthew, the City will be closing the Customer Service Center at 5 p.m. today, instead of the regularly scheduled 6 PM closing. The Customer Service Center will reopen Monday, October 10, 2016 at 8:30 a.m.

Today, at 5 p.m. we will be activating the Resident Information Center and will be available to respond to questions about the storm.  Residents with questions should call 305.604.CITY (2489).

 There have already been incidents of price gouging reported.  Residents who suspect price gouging should report the information to the Attorney General's Price Gouging Hotline at 1.866.966.7226.

 Most importantly - stay tuned to the local news media for updates. For more information and preparation recommendations, please visit our website  and view our  hurricane guide .  For updates from the City of Miami Beach, please follow us on Facebook and Twitter .

Thank you,
 
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