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Gov. Scott Issues Updates on Hurricane Irma Response Efforts as Storm Continues to Impact Florida

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Governor Rick Scott this evening received a full update from the State Emergency Operations Center as the state aggressively responses to Hurricane Irma. Earlier today, Governor Scott is joined the U.S. Coast Guard for an responds aerial tour of Irma impacts in the Florida Keys earlier today.
Just hours after Governor Rick Scott’s request, President Donald Trump yesterday approved a major disaster declaration, which authorizes federal funding to flow directly to Floridians impacted by Hurricane Irma and reimburses local communities and the state government to aid in response and recovery. Florida has received support from 28 states and Washington D.C. to aid in the response and recovery of Irma. The Governor will continue to be in constant communication with state and local emergency management officials, city and county leaders, and utility officials as Irma moves out of the state and the full response and recovery process begins.
EMERGENCY SUPPORT FUNCTIONS BY STATE EMERGENCY RESPONSE TEAM
WATCHES AND WARNINGS

  • Storm Surge Warning:
    • North of Clearwater Beach to the Aucilla River
  • A coastal flood warning is in effect for Jacksonville beaches and includes north portions St. John’s River.
  • All tropical storm and hurricane watches and warnings have been cancelled.
  • All tornado watches and flash flood watches have been cancelled.

EVACUATIONS

  • Although the storm has passed, everyone should continue to listen to local officials and stay off the roads unless necessary to keep areas cleared for search and rescue missions.
  • For evacuation information by county, visit www.FloridaDisaster.org/info.
  • The Division of Emergency Management estimates that 6.5 million Floridians were ordered to evacuate.

SCHOOL CLOSURES

POWER AND UTILITIES

  • The current power outage as of 9:00 p.m. is more than 6.2 million accounts. For a full breakdown, click HERE.
  • More than 30,000 restoration personnel have been activated to help restore power as quickly as possible following the storm’s impact.
  • At the direction of Governor Scott, Florida Highway Patrol is actively escorting utility convoys to areas in need to help quickly restore power.
  • Crews are identifying power need of schools being used as shelters and ensuring they have power.
  • Do not try to handle downed power lines. Contact your local utility company to report it.

SEARCH AND RESCUE

  • Search and rescue operations and reconnaissance are underway in the Florida Keys and Southwest Florida, and missions are ongoing in Northeast Florida.
  • There is an airlift into Key West planned this evening to deploy additional search and rescue members.

RECOVERY BRANCH

  • An aggressive recovery effort is ongoing, working with FEMA to identify and activate federal grant programs that can benefit Floridians and their communities.
  • Following Governor Rick Scott’s request a major disaster declaration by President Donald Trump. Individual Assistance is available for Broward, Charlotte, Clay, Collier, Duval, Flagler, Hillsborough, Lee, Manatee, Miami-Dade, Monroe, Palm Beach, Pinellas, Putnam, Sarasota and St. John counties, Emergency Protective Measures (Category A and Category B) funded through the Federal Public Assistance Program is available for all 67 counties.

DISASTER ASSISTANCE

  • Residents who sustained losses in the nine declared counties can apply for assistance by registering online at www.DisasterAssistance.gov. Residents who suffered damages from the storm may register now, and if their county is later included in the declaration, the application will be processed automatically.
  • Governor Scott will continue to work with President Trump and FEMA to approve more funding to additional communities affected by the storm.
  • Residents are also encouraged to download the FEMA App to begin the registration process. Simply click on Disaster Resources.
  • If you do not have access to the internet, you may register by calling 1-800-621-3362 (FEMA) or 1-800-462-7585 (TTY); if you use 711 Relay or Video Relay Service call 1-800-621-3362.
  • The toll-free telephone numbers will operate from 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. (local time) seven days a week until further notice.

SHELTERS

  • More than 600 shelters are open throughout Florida with a total population of more than 162,000 individuals. More than 90 special needs shelters are open with a total population of close to 254,000 individuals. This number is being updated throughout the day. Visit floridadisaster.org/shelters/summary.aspx to find information on shelters in your area.
  • To find information about available shelter information by county, visit floridadisaster.org/shelters.
  • FEMA is also hosting shelter information on its mobile app which can be found at fema.gov/mobile-app.

MILITARY SUPPORT

  • Across the state, guard members are actively engaged in missions including search and rescue, law-enforcement support, humanitarian assistance and conducting post-landfall damage assessments in affected areas throughout the state. The Florida National Guard has 1,000 high water vehicles, 13 helicopters, 17 boats and more than 700 generators to support these efforts.
  • Multi-service operations in support of an air bridge to provide personnel and supplies to the Florida Keys are underway.
  • All Florida Army National Guard aviation assets are currently staged at Cecil Field, and will begin flying operations tomorrow.
  • Governor Scott activated the entire Florida Army and Air National Guard – 7,935 guard members – to support planning, logistical operations in preparation for impacts from Hurricane Irma.
  • The Guard is coordinating a multi-state response focused on planning and preparing thousands of forces. Soldiers have arrived from 23 other states to enhance security and support disaster relief.
  • The Florida National Guard has coordinated with the National Guard Bureau to identify approximately 30,000 troops, 4,000 trucks, 100 helicopters, and air evacuation crews that are standing by for Hurricane Irma support, if needed. 10,000 of those troops are in the process of joining Florida Guard members for deployment following the storm.
  • The U.S. Military has deployed aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln and the two amphibious ships USS Iwo Jima and USS New York, which will support search and rescue operations as needed.

LAW ENFORCEMENT

  • An additional 24 FWC officers will be deploying and a contingent of National Guard are arriving in Marathon in the Keys, tonight.
  • More than 200 FWC officers statewide, including partner agencies, are deployed in areas with resources such as trucks, coastal and river patrol boats, ATVs and shallow draft boats to respond to critical areas based on the storm’s path. FWC Special Operations Group (SOG) officers, National Guard members and an Urban Search and Rescue Team began rescue operations in the Keys yesterday evening.
  • FWC has more than 500 law enforcement vessels deployed throughout the state. FWC has three teams of 22 officers with 10 boats in Jacksonville and Northeast Florida conducting search and rescue.
  • FWC has sworn in more than 300 officers deployed from Georgia, Mississippi, Delaware, South Carolina, Missouri, Tennessee, Louisiana, Arkansas, Pennsylvania, and Texas.
  • The entire Florida Highway Patrol, approximately 1,700 troopers, is on 12-hour shifts, with the primary mission to assist emergency response. In addition, a total of 330 troopers are assisting with recovery and road clearance efforts.
  • Port Everglades is open to traffic on the landslide terminals. Fuel trucks are actively filling and leaving the terminals to refuel gas stations. Photo and video are attached. The Army Corps of Engineers is conducting a survey of the channel to confirm that tankers may safely deliver additional fuel and expects to complete that task no later than tomorrow. Assuming clearance is granted, at least eight tankers with fuel are scheduled to arrive within the next 72 hours, beginning tomorrow.
  • Port Canaveral is opening landslide terminals tonight for fuel trucks to fill and deliver. The Coast Guard is conducting a survey tonight to ensure prompt and safe reopening of the Port. Assuming clearance granted, tankers are queuing up for delivery.
  • Port of Tampa has landslide terminals open. Fuel trucks are actively filling and leaving the terminals to deliver gas to stations. Tankers will begin delivery this evening, with at least seven expected in the next 72 hours.
  • Florida Incident Management Teams (IMT) have mobilized to provide overall statewide command and control for all Urban Search & Rescue (US&R) and lifesaving operations.
  • Urban Search & Rescue (US&R) team members are deployed in multiple locations and identifying requests for search and rescue. 

TRANSPORTATION & PUBLIC WORKS

  • The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) has completed damage assessments on major highways.
  • Bridge inspections and debris clearance are ongoing throughout the state.
  • No residents or visitors are permitted back into Monroe County until an assessment of damage on roadways and bridges is complete. At this point, FDOT damage assessment teams and debris removal crews are working on assessing damage on US 1 south in the Keys.
  • FDOT continues to coordinate with Google’s emergency response team to “close” damaged roads in Google Maps in real time following damage assessments.
  • FDOT’s cut and toss crews are working with utility crews across the state to clear road debris so power can be restored quickly. FDOT and Florida Power and Light (FPL) have completed a convoy from east to west Florida after departing the BB&T Center staging area at sunrise.
  • The State Emergency Response Team will prioritize clearing major roadways, addressing the needs of critical shelters and special-needs shelters, and distributing staged life-saving resources.
  • FDOT has completed clearing Interstate 75, Interstate 95, Interstate 4, Florida’s Turnpike and Interstate 10 along with the Florida National Guard and utility companies.
  • As FDOT works on the major interstate systems, the United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) assisted in clearance around shelters that were identified as critical special-needs shelters.
  • FDOT is coordinating with other states to deploy additional resources to Florida. A number of other states have offered assistance. Maryland, Missouri and Delaware are currently deploying crews to Florida. FDOT continues to coordinate with other states.
  • Around the state, FDOT has 13 traffic management centers where hundreds of DOT workers are monitoring traffic cameras 24/7. Real-time traffic information and evacuation routes are available at www.FL511.com.
  • Governor Scott directed the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) to suspend tolls across the entire State of Florida in preparation for Hurricane Irma. Tolls will remain suspended for the duration of the storm’s impacts to Florida.
  • FDOT is coordinating with county emergency operations centers directly to coordinate any necessary response needs and actions, including damage assessments and road and bridge closures.