LAKELAND, FL (September 28, 2017) | There is a coordinated effort underway to remove storm related debris left behind by Hurricane Irma. Crews have removed a total of 27,410 cubic yards of debris but there is a long way to go. There is an estimated 325,000 cubic yards of debris on the ground within the Lakeland city limits as a result of Hurricane Irma. To put this in perspective, the City of Lakeland’s Division of Solid Waste collects a total of 107,000 cubic yards of debris each year. The amount of debris left from Hurricane Irma would take three (3) years to collect under normal operations. There are 35 FEMA contract crews that are working seven days per week from 7 a.m. – 7 p.m. The FEMA contractors are assigned to a particular zone and each quadrant of the City is covered. There are 15- 20 additional FEMA contractors that are expected be moving debris by early next week.
News from Lakeland
LAKELAND, FL (September 27, 2017) - There is a coordinated effort underway to remove storm related debris left behind by Hurricane Irma. Crews have removed a total of 22,746 cubic yards of debris but there is a long way to go. There is an estimated 325,000 cubic yards of debris on the ground within the Lakeland city limits as a result of Hurricane Irma. To put this in perspective, the City of Lakeland’s Division of Solid Waste collects a total of 107,000 cubic yards of debris each year. The amount of debris left from Hurricane Irma would take three (3) years to collect under normal operations. There are 35 FEMA contract crews that are working seven days per week from 7 a.m. – 7 p.m. The FEMA contractors are assigned to a particular zone and each quadrant of the City is covered. There are 15- 20 additional FEMA contractors that are expected be moving debris by early next week.
LAKELAND, FL (September 26, 2017) - The City of Lakeland was recently awarded a grant of $466,990 from the Southwest Florida Water Management District (SWFWMD) as part of its annual Cooperative Funding Initiative (CFI) program for a stormwater treatment project at Lake Hunter. The CFI program provides funding to local governments to cover up to 50% of costs for water quality improvement and flood control projects. The project will be implemented specifically to assist with nutrient reduction in stormwater discharges to the lake as part of the City’s ongoing efforts to improve water quality in Lake Hunter. Lake Hunter has been identified as a priority waterbody with a regulatory Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) reduction requirement for total nitrogen and total phosphorous.
LAKELAND, FL (September 26, 2017) | There is a coordinated effort underway to remove storm related debris left behind by Hurricane Irma. There are 45 debris removal crews made up of FEMA contractors and City crews that are assigned to a particular zone in the City. In the past seven days, these crews have removed 548 loads for a total of 13,043 cubic yards. The have also removed 1,840 hanging limbs. They will continue to operate until all debris is removed. Working seven days per week from 7 AM - 7 PM.
Lakeland, FL (September 18, 2017) Quick Update:
Lakeland Electric
As of this morning there are 4,205 customers without power. At the height of the storm, there were 80,000 customers without power.
Lakeland Electric added 17 additional linemen this morning (9/18) who were relieved from Bartow. There are now 420 linemen working diligently to get restore electricity to those customers who still are without power.
Lakeland, FL (September 17, 2017) Lakeland Electric is reporting approximately 8,000 customers without power as of this morning.
Mutual Aid & Restoration
One hundred (100) additional mutual aid linemen have been added today. This brings the total number of power workers to 400. The added crews are assisting with isolated pockets of outages in neighborhoods that have been restored.
Lakeland, FL (September 16, 2017) — Lakeland Electric estimates that 95% of those customers that were left without power after Hurricane Irma will be restored by Sunday.
LAKELAND (September 15, 2017) – Citrus Connection will resume regular fixed route Saturday service and full paratransit service Saturday, Sept. 16.
All buses will return to a complete weekday schedule beginning Monday, Sept. 18.
Since the significant damage inflicted by Hurricane Irma, Citrus Connection staff have been diligently working to restore service to a level of reliable transportation riders have come to expect.
Operators will continue to transport evacuees from Emergency Shelters back to their homes throughout the weekend.
Lakeland, FL (September 15, 2017) Lakeland Electric reports that 9,700 customers are currently without power.
Areas with the Most Significant Damage
Lakeland Electric teams have identified the areas with the most significant damage which include:
- Lake Hollingsworth Area (Southwest side of the lake)
- Southgate Area (Beacon Road South to Imperial)
- Sylvester Road Area (West of 98 and between Sylvester and Crystal Lake Road)
Lakeland, FL (September 15, 2017) The RP Funding Center, home to the Lakeland Magic (NBA G League), will open its doors on Friday, September 15th from 9:00am-4:00pm to residents still recovering from Hurricane Irma. The Center will be equipped with charging stations (individuals should bring their own charging cords), water, and a kid’s play area. The Lakeland Magic will also be sponsoring lunch from 11:00am-2:00pm and activities will be available for families throughout the day.