Deputies: 11 arrested on curfew violations
Orange County Sheriff’s Office deputies have arrested 11 people on curfew violation charges during Hurricane Irma, said spokesman Jeff Williamson.
Of those arrested, three face additional charges of burglary. Burglaries committed during a state of emergency are re-classified as felony charges, he said.
Orange County issued a mandatory curfew through 6 p.m. Monday as crews checked for damage and assessed the safety of roads and power lines. The curfew didn’t apply to emergency responders, employees at health care facilities and critical staff for businesses that provide essential commodities and services.
On International Drive, deputies were driving down the street ordering tourists and sight-seers to return back to their hotels Monday morning.
“You can be arrested,” a deputy said through a loudspeaker. “There are downed power lines. It’s still dangerous.”
Seminole County deputies didn’t make any curfewrelated arrests before the curfew was lifted 11 a.m. Monday, but deputies were warning residents to stay indoors, said sheriff’s spokesman Bob Kealing.
“We’ve been going around doing damage assessments and we’ve seen a lot of people on the roads,” he said.
Authorities in Lake and Volusia counties also confirmed that no curfew-related arrests had been made.
“It’s not our intention to arrest anybody unless we have to,” said Volusia Sheriff’s spokesman Andrew Gant.
Your county’s website will have a list of available shelters. Your county also may provide links to shelter lists from its social-media accounts. Many hotels are offering evacuee discounts. Gov. Rick Scott directed people to expedia.com/ florida before the storm.
If you have pets, take your animals with you. Many storm shelters have animalonly areas; some hotels are pet-friendly. Make sure you have all your pet supplies gathered near your pet’s carrier. Check that your pet has a collar tag with your current contact information.
Use only bottled or disinfected water for drinking, brushing your teeth and cooking until public water supplies have been declared safe. Use bottled water to clean contact lenses. Use
If your home is damaged, call your insurance agent as soon as possible. Start making temporary repairs to avert further damage. Save all receipts. Don’t try to make permanent repairs until an insurance adjuster has inspected the home.
Most homeowner-insurance policies provide for removal of trees or branches that have fallen on your home. Industry officials say spray-painting important information on homes after a hurricane is effective. Your name and correct address should be sufficient for an adjuster to match you and your policy.