When a storm is approaching, two questions come up quickly: where do residents get sandbags, and which shelters are open? The answers come from Osceola County Emergency Management and the City of Kissimmee. This guide sticks to what those official pages say. For more preparation resources, see the Kissimmee Living prepare page.
Where to get sandbags
Osceola County's Hurricane Center page is the place to check for sandbag distribution locations. It currently reads: "There are no locations open at this time." That means the page shows no open sandbag distribution locations right now. Check it again when a storm is in the forecast, because it is the county's own page for what is open.
What a past site looked like
To give a sense of how a sandbag operation has worked in Kissimmee, here are details from a past site announcement. It is an example, not a promise that the same site will open again. Osceola County, together with the cities of Kissimmee and St. Cloud, announced a sandbag site at Osceola Heritage Park, 1211 Shakerag Road, Kissimmee FL 34744.
At that past site, the county's announcement said: "Residents are allowed 25 sandbags per household and will need to bring their own shovel or filling tool." Three practical points follow from that:
- The limit was 25 sandbags per household.
- Residents filled the bags themselves.
- Residents needed to bring their own shovel or filling tool.
If a site opens in the future, the rules could differ, so rely on the current announcement from the county rather than on this past example.
How to find out which shelters are open
Shelters are not open all the time. The county's shelter page states: "No shelters are currently open." Shelters open only when an emergency requires it, so a page showing none open reflects the current situation rather than a permanent one.
When a shelter is activated, the county directs residents to "local television, radio, and our social media pages" for information. In practice that means:
- Watch local television for shelter announcements.
- Listen to local radio.
- Follow the county's social media pages.
- Check the county's shelter page for its current status.
Sign up for emergency alerts
Osceola County Emergency Management asks residents to sign up for Alert Osceola. On its Emergency Management page, the county says: "Sign-up for our Alert Osceola reverse 911 and emergency text/email system at AlertOsceola.org." Signing up means emergency messages can reach you by text or email without you having to go looking for them.
The City of Kissimmee points in the same direction. On its Hurricane Preparedness page, the city says: "Sign up for Osceola County Emergency Management's Emergency Alert Program to receive alerts about emergencies and other important community news." Both the county and the city encourage the same step, which makes it one of the simplest things a household can do ahead of time.
If you need help getting to a shelter
Residents who need transportation help to a shelter have an extra step. Osceola County has a special needs shelter program, and its Special Needs Program page says: "It is required to apply for a special needs shelter annually." The application is required every year, so a household that applied once should not assume the registration carries over. Residents who may need this help, or who care for someone who does, should review the county page and apply well before a storm threatens.
A simple checklist
- Sign up for Alert Osceola at AlertOsceola.org.
- Check the county's Hurricane Center page for open sandbag locations.
- Check the county's shelter page, and watch local television, radio and the county's social media pages for activated shelters.
- If you may need transportation help to a shelter, apply to the special needs shelter program, and remember it must be renewed every year.
- If a sandbag site opens, plan to bring your own shovel or filling tool, and check the current limit per household.
Who to contact
- Osceola County Emergency Management: the source for Alert Osceola sign-up at AlertOsceola.org, the Hurricane Center page, shelter information and the special needs shelter program. Start at its Emergency Management page.
- City of Kissimmee: hurricane preparedness information and a pointer to the county's alert program on its Hurricane Preparedness page.
Sources
Compiled from the official sources below.