Nine Marion County Public Schools opened Friday evening as shelters in preparation for Hurricane Irma.
- Shelter at Belleview Middle School can take in 1,600 people
- School principal said school safe from high impact winds
- Need more information? Call 352-369-7500
Officials at one of those schools, Belleview Middle School, expect to be at 50 percent capacity by midnight Friday.
Before opening Friday at 5 p.m., the Florida Department of Health set up the special needs portion of the shelter. Officials told us they can take in 1,600 people.
"So once we get to 80% capacity, then we will start dispersing evacuees to other shelters, so other shelters will open and then evacuees will go to other shelters," said Principal Dion Gary.
He says the school is safe during high impact winds.
"In these academic wings it's probably the safest place to be, so personally I'm having my family come to the shelter while I work it," said Gary.
He says if they get full enough, school officials will also open Belleview High School as a shelter.
The other shelters now open in Marion County include:
- North Marion Middle School (2085 W Highway 329, Citra, Fla.)
- Fort McCoy School (16160 NE Highway 315, Fort McCoy, Fla.)
- Lake Weir High School (10351 SE Maricamp Rd., Ocala, Fla.)
- Forest High School (5000 SE Maricamp Road, Ocala)
- Hammett Bowen Jr. Elementary (4397 SW 95th Street, Ocala)
- West Port High School (3733 SW 80th Avenue, Ocala) (Special Needs shelter)
- Vanguard High School (7 NW 28th Street, Ocala) (Pet-friendly shelter)
For more information on the Marion County Public Schools that will serve as shelters, call the citizens information line at 352-369-7500.