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Gov. Scott Issues Updates on Hurricane Irma Preparedness and Response Efforts as Storm Impacts Florida

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Governor Rick Scott today received a full update from the State Emergency Operations Center as Hurricane Irma impacts Florida. A majority of the state remains under a hurricane warning. The Governor will continue to be in constant communication with state and local emergency management officials, city and county leaders, law enforcement and utility officials throughout the storm’s impact. For more information on preparedness actions, click HERE.
EMERGENCY SUPPORT FUNCTIONS BY STATE EMERGENCY RESPONSE TEAM 
WATCHES AND WARNING –

  • Storm Surge Warning:
    • South Santee River southward to Jupiter Inlet
    • North Miami Beach southward around the Florida peninsula to the Ochlockonee River
    • Florida Keys
    • Tampa Bay
  • Hurricane Warning:
    • Fernandina Beach southward around the Florida peninsula to Indian Pass
    • Florida Keys
    • Lake Okeechobee
    • Florida Bay
  • A Hurricane Watch:
    • North of Fernandina Beach to Edisto Beach
  • Tropical Storm Warning:
    • West of Indian Pass to the Okaloosa/Walton County Line
    • North of Fernandina Beach to South Santee River

EVACUATIONS

  • IF THERE ARE ALREADY STORM IMPACTS IN YOUR AREA, DO NOT GET ON THE ROAD. SHELTER IN PLACE.
  • 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 evacuation as they are constantly being updated.
  • DEM estimates that 6.5 million Floridians have been ordered to evacuate.
  • Alachua – voluntary evacuations have been issued.
  • Baker – voluntary evacuations have been issued.
  • Bay – voluntary evacuations have been issued.
  • Bradford – voluntary evacuations have been issued.
  • Brevard – mandatory evacuations for Zone A, Merritt Island, barrier islands, and some low-lying mainland areas along Indian River Lagoon
  • Broward – mandatory East of Federal Highway including barrier islands
  • Charlotte – voluntary evacuations for Don Pedro Island, Knight Island (Palm Island), Little Gasparilla Island, Manosota Key, all mobile homes
  • Citrus – mandatory evacuations for residents west of Hwy 19, half-mile east of Hwy 98 excluding Sugarmill Woods. This also includes all of the city of Crystal River, all low lying areas throughout the entire county and anyone residing in mobile homes and manufactured homes throughout the entire county.
  • Collier – mandatory evacuations for Goodland, Everglades City, Chokoloskee and all mobile homes.
  • Columbia – voluntary evacuations have been issued.
  • Desoto- voluntary evacuations for people in low-lying/flood prone areas, residents living in mobile homes and RV parks
  • Dixie – mandatory evacuations have been issued.
  • Duval – mandatory evacuations have been issued for zones A and B.
  • Flagler – mandatory evacuations for nursing homes, all varieties of assisted living facilities, and community residential group homes within coastal and Intracoastal areas; mandatory for Zones A,B,C,F, and substandard housing
  • Glades – mandatory evacuations for areas around Lake Okeechobee (Lakeport, Moorehaven, Washington Park, Benbow and Uncle Joe’s Motel and Campground). Also mandatory for residents in Zone A and anyone in an RV park, mobile home or building constructed before 1992.
  • Gulf – mandatory for visitors, RVs and north of Stump Hole, voluntary for mobile homes
  • Hardee – voluntary evacuations for low-lying areas and mobile homes.
  • Hendry – mandatory evacuations for low-lying areas, non-slab-built homes, mobile homes, trailers and RVs, and areas near Lake Okeechobee (Clewiston, Hookers Point, Harlem, Flaghole, Montura Ranch Estates, Mid-County MSBU which inlcudes Ladeca, Pioneer Plantation and Leon-Dennis Subdivision, Al Don Farming Road)
  • Hernando – mandatory evacuations for residents west of US 19
  • Highlands – voluntary for low areas and mobile/manufactured homes
  • Hillsborough – voluntary for special-needs residents in Evacuation Zone A.
  • Indian River – mandatory evacuations for barrier islands, low-lying areas.
  • Jefferson – voluntary for mobile homes and low-lying areas.
  • Lake – voluntary evacuations for Astor and Lake George areas.
  • Lee – mandatory for Cape Coral west of Burnt Store Road and south of Cape Coral Parkway, east of Del Prado Boulevard to Viscaya Parkway, North Fort Myers south of Bay Shore Road from Moody Road to State Road 31 and areas south of North River Road from State Road 31 to Fichters Creek, areas of Iona south of Maple Drive, west of U.S. 41, San Carlos Park west of U.S. 41, Estero west of U.S. 41, north of the Estero River, Bonita Springs communities along Estero Bay and the Imperial River Basin, and all of the barrier islands.
  • Leon – voluntary evacuations have been issued.
  • Manatee – voluntary evacuations for Zone A and mobile homes.
  • Martin – mandatory evacuations for barrier islands, manufactured homes, and low-lying areas.
  • Miami-Dade – mandatory evacuations for all of Zone A, all of Zone B, and portions of Zone C.
  • Monroe – mandatory evacuations for visitors and residents.
  • Okeechobee – voluntary evacuations have been issued.
  • Orange – mandatory evacuations have been issued for all mobile homes.
  • Osceola – Voluntary evacuations have been issued for residents in low-lying areas or in modular and mobile homes
  • Palm Beach – mandatory evacuations for Zone A and B, voluntary for Zone C and Lake Zone E (Canal Point, Belle Glade, and Pahokee)
  • Pasco – mandatory evacuations for residents living west of U.S. 19. Also mandatory for residents living north of Fox Hollow Drive west of Little Rd. and south of Fox Hollow Drive west of Regency Park Blvd./Rowan Rd./Seven Springs Blvd. Special needs residents, and those living in manufactured homes, mobile homes, RV’s, and anyone living in a low-lying area or an area prone to flooding are also under mandatory evacuation.
  • Pinellas – mandatory evacuations all mobile home and Zone APolk – voluntary evacuations have been issued.
  • Sarasota – mandatory evacuations in Zone A (Longboat, Lido, Siesta, Casey Key, Manasota Key, Venice Island), all mobile homes; voluntary evacuations for Zone B
  • Seminole – mandatory evacuations for mobile and manufactured homes.
  • St. Lucie – mandatory north and south Hutchinson Island, low-lying areas, manufactured homes
  • Sumter – Mandatory evacuations have been issued for those who live in a low-lying or flood prone area, and those living in mobile or manufactured homes.
  • Volusia – Mandatory evacuations have been issued for residents on the beachside, in low-lying areas, and in RVs, mobile and manufactured homes.
  • Taylor – mandatory evacuations Level A coastal and low-lying areas
  • Volusia – mandatory evacuations for residents beachside, in low-lying areas, and in RVs, mobile and manufactured homes.
  • Wakulla – mandatory south of US 98, south of US 319 segment near Sopchoppy, mobile homes and low-lying areas

SHELTERS

  • More than 460 shelters are open throughout Florida with a total population of more than 127,000 individuals. More than 70 special needs shelters are open with a total population of more than 12,000 individuals. This number is being updated throughout the day. Visit floridadisaster.org/shelters/summary.aspx to find information on shelters in your area.
  • Shelters are continuing to open across the state, including shelters for people with special needs, pets and general populations. To find information about available shelter information by county, floridadisaster.org/shelters.
  • FEMA is also hosting shelter information on its mobile app which can be found atfema.gov/mobile-app. 

POWER AND UTILITIES

  • The current power outage as of 6 a.m. is 381,429. For a full breakdown, click HERE.
  • Restoration personnel have been activated to help restore power as quickly as possible following the storm’s impact.

MILITARY SUPPORT

  • Governor Scott has activated the entire force of the Florida Army and Air National Guard – 7,000 guard members – to support with planning, and logistics operations in preparation for potential impacts from Hurricane Irma. These members are stationing across the state and actively assisting with preparation efforts. The Florida National Guard has 1,000 high water vehicles, 13 helicopters, 17 boats and more than 700 generators on standby.
  • The Florida National Guard is coordinating a multi-state response focused on planning and preparing thousands of forces to enhance security and support humanitarian assistance and disaster relief. States that have deployed troops or are positioning support include North Carolina, Ohio, Wisconsin, Tennessee, Kentucky, Illinois, Connecticut, Mississippi, New Jersey, Alabama, Michigan, Massachusetts, Maryland and Iowa.
  • The Florida National Guard is coordinating 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 after the storm.

LAW ENFORCEMENT

  • More than 200 FWC officers statewide, including partner agencies, will be standing by in areas expected to be safe 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 are staged for reconnaissance once the storm passes that area.
  • 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 on standby to assist with recovery and road clearance efforts after the storm passes.
  • Florida Incident Management Teams (IMT) are mobilizing to provide overall statewide command and control for all Urban Search & Rescue (US&R) and lifesaving operations.
  • FEMA Urban Search & Rescue (US&R) teams are staged for rapid deployment behind Hurricane Irma, including additional teams standing by in Georgia. 

TRANSPORTATION & PUBLIC WORKS
Sustained winds over 40 miles per hour will prompt the Florida Highway Patrol to close bridges. The state Emergency Operations Center is receiving regular wind status updates from the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) and closely monitoring the wind speeds across bridges. The following major bridges are currently closed:

  • Sunshine Skyway Bridge

Airport Updates:
The following airports are closed:

  • Airport Manatee
  • Albert Whitted Airport
  • Boca Raton Airport
  • Dade-Collier Training and Transition Airport
  • Daytona Beach International Airport
  • Downtown Fort Lauderdale Heliport
  • Everglades Airpark
  • Fernandina Beach Municipal Airport
  • Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport
  • Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood International Airport
  • Immokalee Regional Airport
  • Key West International Airport
  • Kissimmee Gateway Airport
  • Leesburg International Airport
  • Marco Island Airport
  • Melbourne International Airport
  • Miami Executive Airport
  • Miami Homestead General Aviation Airport
  • Miami International Airport
  • Miami Seaplane Base
  • Naples Municipal Airport
  • North Perry Airport
  • Northeast Florida Regional Airport
  • Okeechobee County Airport
  • Opa-Locka Executive Airport
  • Orlando International Airport
  • Orlando Sanford International Airport
  • Palm Beach International Airport
  • Peter O Knight Airport
  • Plant City Airport
  • Pompano Beach Airpark
  • Punta Gorda Airport
  • Sarasota / Bradenton International Airport
  • Southwest Florida International Airport
  • St George Island Airport
  • St Pete-Clearwater International Airport
  • Tallahassee Commercial Airport
  • Tampa Executive Airport
  • Tampa International Airport
  • Tavares Seaplane Base
  • The Florida Keys Marathon International Airport
  • Venice Municipal Airport
  • Vero Beach Municipal Airport
  • Williston Municipal Airport
  • Winter Haven’s Gilbert Airport

Port Updates

  • Key West: Port closed
  • Miami: Port closed
  • Port Everglades: Port closed
  • Palm Beach: Port Closed
  • Manatee: Port closed
  • St. Petersburg: Port closed
  • Canaveral: Port closed
  • Ft Pierce: Port Closed
  • Jacksonville: Port closed
  • Fernandina: Port closed
  • Tampa: Port closed
  • Panama City: Open with restrictions
  • Pensacola: Open with restrictions 

TELECOMMUNICATIONS

  • Free Xfinity WiFi hotspots are available throughout the state for individuals in need, including non-Xfinity customers, to help residents and emergency personnel stay connected. For a map of Xfinity WiFi hotspots, which are located both indoors and outdoors in places such as shopping districts, parks and businesses, please visit Xfinity.com/wifi.
  • Charter Communications opened all of their Spectrum WiFi hotspots across Florida to help those affected by Hurricane Irma get connected.
  • Telecommunications Partners are monitoring fuel levels for generators and back-up power supply for cell towers, mobile switching centers and central offices.
  • The state is working with city, county and state entities to re-route phone lines. At this point, there are no out of ordinary reports of any major outages.

STATE EMERGENCY OPERATIONS CENTER/ CONTACT INFORMATION

  • The State Emergency Operations Center remains activated at a level one, which is a full-scale, 24-hours-a-day activation.
  • The Florida Emergency Information Line has been activated and is available 24/7 for families and victors at 1-800-342-3557.
  • Floridians can text FLPREPARES to 888777 in order to receive text alerts from FDEM.
  • The media line is 850-921-0217.
  • Follow @FLSert or @FLGovScott on Twitter for live updates on Hurricane Irma.
  • Visit http://www.floridadisaster.org to find information on shelters, road closures, and evacuation routes.
  • On Monday, Governor Scott issued Executive Order 17-235 declaring a state of emergency in all 67 counties within the State of Florida.