TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- President Donald Trump has approved a pre-landfall emergency declaration requested by Florida Governor Rick Scott in advance of Hurricane Michael making landfall in the Florida panhandle.
This declaration will provide important resources and assistance from the federal government, including personnel, equipment and supplies, as well as making available funding sources for emergency protective measures.
The pre-landfall declaration request is for 35 Florida counties – Escambia, Santa Rosa, Okaloosa, Walton, Holmes, Washington, Bay, Jackson, Calhoun, Gulf, Gadsden, Liberty, Franklin, Leon, Wakulla, Jefferson, Madison, Taylor, Columbia, Hamilton, Suwanee, Lafayette, Dixie, Gilchrist, Levy, Citrus, Pasco, Hernando, Pinellas, Hillsborough, Manatee, Alachua, Union, Bradford and Baker Counties.
These important resources will help Florida prepare for anticipated impacts from Hurricane Michael, including the threat posed by the forecasted 12 feet of storm surge.
On October 7th, Governor Scott declared a state of emergency in 26 Floridacounties, and expanded it to include 35 counties total on October 8th.
STATE PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS
WATCHES AND WARNINGS
Hurricane Warning:
A hurricane warning is in effect for the Alabama/Florida Border to the Suwannee River.
Tropical Storm Warning:
A Tropical Storm Warning is in effect from the Suwanee River to Chassahowitzka.
Tropical Storm Watch:
Tropical storm watches are in effect from Suwanee River, Florida, to Anna Maria Island, Florida, including Tampa Bay.
Fernandina Beach Florida to South Santee River South Carolina.
Storm Surge Warning
A storm surge warning is in effect from the Okaloosa/Walton County Line to the Anclote River.
Storm Surge Watch
Anclote River to Anna Maria Island, including Tampa Bay, and Alabama/Florida border to Okaloosa/Walton County Line Florida.
EVACUATIONS
Though the below evacuation orders are current and in effect, everyone should check with their local emergency management office or website for the most up to date information regarding evacuations as they are constantly being updated.
Bay County- Mandatory evacuation orders are now in place for zones A, B, and C. Residents living in these areas should evacuate immediately if they have not already done so.
Calhoun County - A Voluntary/Phased evacuation has been issued for mobile homes and low lying areas.
Dixie County – A Mandatory Evacuation has been issues for zone A, mobile homes and low lying areas.
Franklin County – A Mandatory Evacuation has been issued for ALL NON-RESIDENTS.
Gadsden County – A Voluntary/Phased evacuation has been issued for mobile homes and low lying areas.
Gulf County – A Mandatory Evacuation has been issued for the following areas:
- All Cape San Blas
- All of Indian Pass Area
- Simmons Bayou
- Highland View
- Windmark
- In the city of Port St. Joe, all areas from St. Joseph Bay to Long Avenue
- St. Joe Beach and Beacon Hill – Waterside of Highway 98
- Those with high profile vehicles, living in mobile homes, low lying areas, or anyone who feels unsafe in their current location
-- All of these areas must be evacuated within 24 hours of this notice. Critical businesses in those areas may remain open until 12 pm ET Tuesday, October 9, 2018.
-- A Voluntary Evacuation has been issued for Highway 98 Inland on St. Joe Beach and Beacon Hill.
Hernando County – A Voluntary/Phased Evacuation has been issued for coastal zone levels A and B, beginning on Tuesday, October 9, 2018, at 8 am ET.
Jackson County – A Mandatory Evacuation has been issued for mobile homes, manufactured homes and RV Parks.
Jefferson County – A Voluntary/Phased evacuation has been issued for mobile homes, coastal areas and low lying areas.
Leon County – A Voluntary/Phased evacuation has been issued for mobile homes and low lying flood prone areas.
Levy County – A Mandatory Evacuation has been ordered for Levy County residents and visitors in the coastal areas of Levy County. Residents and visitors in these areas should evacuate before 8 pm Tuesday, October 9, 2018. This includes:
- Cedar Key
- Yankeetown
- Fowlers Bluff
- Fanning Springs
- Any other area that is prone to storm surge
Liberty County – A Voluntary/Phased evacuation has been issued for mobile homes, sub standard housing and low lying areas.
Okaloosa County – A Mandatory Evacuation has been issued for all properties south of US Highway 98 as well as all low lying and coastal areas.
Pasco County – A Voluntary/Phased evacuation has been issued for anyone living west of US Highway 19.
Santa Rosa County – A Voluntary/Phased evacuation has been issued for mobile home parks, campsites, low lying areas and Navarre Beach.
Taylor County – A Voluntary/Phased evacuation has been issued for low lying areas.
Wakulla County – A Mandatory Evacuation has been issued for zone A (coastal low lying areas) and mobile homes. The remainder of Wakulla County will be under a voluntary evacuation order.
Walton County – A Mandatory Evacuation has been issued for zones A and B.
SHELTERS
The state is supporting sheltering operations in the Florida Panhandle.
There are currently 32 shelters reported open and more are being mobilized by the counties.
Visit https://www.floridadisaster.org/shelter-status/ [floridadisaster.org] to find information on shelters in your area. This site is being updated as shelters open throughout the day.
UTILITIES
Governor Scott has called on every local government to immediately confirm their mutual aid agreements between investor-owned utilities, municipals and co-ops are in place and effective so there is no delay in power restoration for Floridians. These agreements allow municipal utilities to receive aid from investor-owned utilities and co-ops as they work to restore power to customers. Without these agreements in place ahead of time, power restoration will be delayed. To view the full list of Florida utilities with agreements in place, click HERE [clicktime.symantec.com].
MILITARY SUPPORT
The Florida National Guard currently has activated 2,500 soldiers and airmen for pre-landfall coordination and planning, with an emphasis on high water and search and rescue operations.
The Florida National Guard is performing a variety of missions, including staffing the State Logistics Readiness Center in Orlando and running two Logistic Staging Areas in Tallahassee and Eglin.
They are well-equipped, with assets including more than 1,000 high water vehicles, 13 helicopters, and 16 boats. They are preparing for possible missions to include humanitarian assistance, security operations, and search and rescue.
The Florida National Guard will continue to work closely with civilian partner agencies, other National Guard states and active duty counterparts.
LAW ENFORCEMENT
· The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) is actively monitoring Hurricane Michael and ready to respond. On standby are approximately 135 officers from outside the projected path ready to deploy if needed. This number will go up based on intensity of the storm. They will respond with a variety of specialized equipment, including shallow draft boats, ATVs, airboats and four wheel drive vehicles.
FWC Special Operations Group (SOG) teams are ready to do reconnaissance missions.
During patrols, FWC officers are reaching out to residents in the most rural areas of the potentially affected areas to make sure they are prepared for severe weather conditions.
The Florida Highway Patrol has pre-deployed 100 State Troopers to the Panhandle and Big Bend area of Florida in preparation for Hurricane Michael.
The Florida Highway Patrol has activated 12-hour shifts for Troops A, B, H, I & Q starting tomorrow. The total activation includes approximately 340 state troopers conducting 24-hour enhanced coverage across Florida’s Big Bend and Panhandle. As part of this, regular days off are cancelled.
The Florida Highway Patrol has prepared a Quick Response Force team comprised of 33 State Troopers to deploy with minimal notice to areas affected by Hurricane Michael.
The Florida Highway Patrol is actively monitoring the storm and assisting with emergency management missions.
The Florida Highway Patrol is staffing the Bryant Patton Memorial Bridge in Franklin County (St. George Island bridge).
The Florida Highway Patrol currently has 24/7 representation within the State Emergency Operations Center coordinating preparation, response and recovery efforts. The Florida Highway Patrol is also staffing numerous County Emergency Operations Centers.
· Florida Highway Patrol will maintain high visibility on Interstate-10 and associated evacuation routes to assist motorists, clear the roadways of any abandoned or disabled vehicles and will routinely check rest areas to assist residents and visitors.
· DHSMV’s Florida Licensing on Wheels (FLOW) mobiles are on standby to respond to impacted areas as soon as the storm passes.
· The Florida Department of Law Enforcement’s (FDLE) Mutual Aid team is communicating with law enforcement partners and participating in regular conference calls with the State Emergency Operations Center.
· FDLE has communicated with members and partners in the panhandle to make preparations and be ready to begin response operations tomorrow morning.
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
The Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has reached out to high-priority regulated facilities to remind them of storm preparations they should be making, and has issued two emergency final orders to ensure recovery efforts are not hampered or delayed.
DEP has activated and is closely monitoring StormTracker, a reporting tool for water and waste water facilities to provide updates on their operational status.
An online tool [clicktime.symantec.com] for the public to report the location of storm debris in waterways has been deployed.
The current condition of the state’s beaches has been assessed, which will expedite post-storm assessments.
235 Disaster Debris Management Sites have been pre-authorized for the counties addressed by the Governor’s Executive Order.
Florida State Park closures can be found at https://www.floridastateparks.org/StormUpdates
DEP’s Florida Park Service has opened areas to dry camp for self-contained rigs – usually parking lots without utility connections - at some state parks for evacuees on a first come, first served basis with waived overnight fees. A list of open parks and contact information to check for availability can be found at https://www.floridastateparks.org/get-involved/storm-assistance [floridastateparks.org].
EDUCATION
· The Florida Department of Education (FDOE) is in contact with school districts, state colleges and universities for updates and to determine needs before, during and after emergency events. All school districts, colleges and universities are monitoring Hurricane Michael and collaborating with local emergency preparedness officials to make decisions that ensure student and staff safety.
· The following school districts have announced closures:
Baker will be closed Wednesday (10/10) and Thursday (10/11).
Bay will be closed Tuesday (10/9) and Wednesday (10/10).
Calhoun will be closed Tuesday (10/9) – Thursday (10/11).
Citrus will be closed Tuesday (10/9) and Wednesday (10/10).
Dixie will be closed Tuesday (10/9) – Thursday (10/11).
Escambia will have early release Tuesday (10/9) and remain closed Wednesday (10/10).
Florida A&M High will be closed Tuesday (10/9) – Friday (10/12).
Florida State University Schools (Florida High) will be closed Tuesday (10/9) – Friday (10/12).
Franklin will be closed Tuesday (10/9) - Friday (10/12).
Gadsden will be closed Tuesday (10/9) – Friday (10/12).
Gilchrist will be closed Tuesday (10/9) and Wednesday (10/10).
Gulf will be closed Tuesday (10/9) – Friday (10/12) and will re-open after Fall Break, on Wednesday, 10/17.
Hamilton will be closed Wednesday (10/10) and Thursday (10/11).
Holmes will be closed Tuesday (10/9) – Thursday (10/11).
Jackson will be closed Tuesday (10/9) and Wednesday (10/10).
Jefferson will be closed Tuesday (10/9) and Wednesday (10/10).
Lafayette will be closed Wednesday (10/10) and Thursday (10/11).
Leon will be closed Tuesday (10/9) – Friday (10/12).
Levy will be closed Wednesday (10/10) and Thursday (10/11).
Liberty will be closed Tuesday (10/9) – Thursday (10/11).
Madison will be closed Tuesday (10/9) – Thursday (10/11).
Okaloosa will be closed Tuesday (10/9) and Wednesday (10/10).
Santa Rosa will be closed Tuesday (10/9) and remain closed Wednesday (10/10).
Suwannee will be closed Tuesday (10/9) – Thursday (10/11).
Taylor will be closed Tuesday (10/9) – Thursday (10/11).
Wakulla will be closed Tuesday (10/9) – Friday (10/12).
Walton will be closed Tuesday (10/9) and Wednesday (10/10).
Washington will have early release Tuesday (10/9) and remain closed Wednesday (10/10).
The following state colleges and universities have announced closures:
Chipola College will be closed Tuesday (10/9) and Wednesday (10/10).
Florida A&M University will be closed Tuesday (10/9) – Friday (10/12).
Florida Gateway College will be closed on Wednesday (10/10).
Florida State University will be closed Tuesday (10/9) – Friday (10/12).
Gulf Coast State College closed at 5 p.m. Monday (10/8) and remain closed Tuesday (10/9) and Wednesday (10/10).
North Florida Community College will close at 3 p.m. Tuesday (10/9) and remain closed Wednesday (10/10) and Thursday (10/11).
Northwest Florida State College will be closed Tuesday (10/9) and Wednesday (10/10).
Pensacola State College will close at 4 p.m. Tuesday (10/9) and remain closed Wednesday (10/10)
Tallahassee Community College will be closed Tuesday (10/9) through Friday, 10/12.
The University of West Florida will close at noon Tuesday (10/9) and remain closed Wednesday (10/10).
Districts are opening shelters as needed; for a list of Florida shelters, visit https://www.floridadisaster.org/planprepare/shelters/.
FDOE will be posting up-to-date information regarding closures and meeting cancellations at www.fldoe.org/hurricaneinfo.
STATE OFFICE CLOSURES
State offices will be closed tomorrow through Thursday in the 35 counties included in Governor Scott’s emergency order.
DMS will stay in contact with all state offices and has asked them to report closures in WebEOC.
VOLUNTEER EFFORTS
As the state’s lead agency for coordinating volunteers and donations before, during and after disasters, Volunteer Florida has established resources for individuals and groups who would like to support Floridians affected by Hurricane Michael.
Those interested in volunteering can visit www.VolunteerFlorida.org and register on the volunteer database.
As disaster response organizations, like the American Red Cross or the Salvation Army, evaluate their needs and asses their resources, qualified volunteers will be contacted.
The Salvation Army is working with state and local emergency management throughout the Florida Panhandle.
The Salvation Army has established a command center in Tampa and is prepared to mobilize incident management teams to the Florida Panhandle to serve impacted areas after the storm makes landfall.
Personnel and mobile feeding units are on standby ready to move in after the storm. The Salvation Army's mobile feeding units can serve 500-1,500 meals per day.
STATE EMERGENCY OPERATION CENTER/ CONTACTS
The State Emergency Operations Center remains activated at a level one, which is a full-scale, 24-hours-a-day activation.
The State Assistance Information Line (SAIL) contact number is 1-800-342-3557.
The State Emergency Operations Center Media Line: 850-921-0217.
Follow @FLSert or @FLGovScott on Twitter for live updates on Hurricane Michael.
Visit http://www.floridadisaster.org/info to find information on shelters, road closures, and evacuation routes.
