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Tropical Storm Nate

Governor Scott Issues Updates on Tropical Storm Nate Preparedness Efforts

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Governor Rick Scott joined Pensacola Mayor Ashton Hayward at the Escambia County Emergency Operations Center to be briefed by local emergency management officials and give an update on Tropical Storm Nate and the storm’s potential impact on Florida. Yesterday, Governor Scott declared a state of emergency in 29 counties within the State of Florida in response to Tropical Storm Nate. Read more HERE.
See below for more information on what the State of Florida is doing to support Tropical Storm Nate preparedness efforts:
EMERGENCY SUPPORT FUNCTIONS BY STATE EMERGENCY RESPONSE TEAM
WATCHES AND WARNINGS

  • Hurricane Watch is in effect for:
    • East of the Alabama/Florida border to the Okaloosa/Walton County Line
  • Storm Surge Watch is in effect for:
    • East of the Alabama/Florida border to Indian Pass Florida
  • Tropical Storm Watch is in effect for:
    • East of the Okaloosa/Walton County Line to Indian Pass Florida

MILITARY SUPPORT

  • Right now, 100 National Guard members are actively preparing for disaster operations and support of local Emergency Operations Centers.
  • The Florida National Guard has 7,000 guard members available for deployment if needed.

LAW ENFORCEMENT

  • The Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) continues to monitor traffic and is coordinating with FDOT and local emergency operations centers regarding any potential evacuations.
  • The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) is monitoring the storm and ready to respond as needed with a variety of specialized equipment including shallow draft boats, ATVs, airboats and four wheel drive vehicles.

TRANSPORTATION & PUBLIC WORKS

  • The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) is monitoring the storm and holding teleconferences with the regional FDOT district offices to ensure local communities are prepared.
  • FDOT has suspended interstate and highway construction in Escambia, Santa Rosa, Okaloosa and Walton counties until Monday, Oct. 9 to allow for the possible increase in traffic as motorists evacuate from the Florida panhandle coastline area. All rail, transit and seaport facilities are functioning as normal.
  • FDOT will assist first responders with traffic control, detours or road closures, as long as weather permits.
  • For the latest closures and updates, travelers can access Florida’s 511 service from cell phones, landlines and online at www.FL511.com.
  • FDOT district offices are placing emergency crews on standby and reaching out to construction vendors to have them remove any materials that block roads to facilitate potential evacuations and checking on fuel supplies. FDOT is also actively monitoring for roadway flooding in areas already impacted by Hurricane Irma and stands ready to respond as needed.
  • FDOT asset maintenance contractors have been contacted to support potential activities.
  • FDOT will continue to reach out to county emergency operations centers directly to coordinate any necessary response actions including activating traffic counters, providing local evacuation support and providing maintenance of traffic and other assistance.
  • Florida’s seaports are monitoring conditions. 

POWER AND UTILITIES

  • The state has contacted utilities to put them on notice to start reporting outage and restoration information if needed.
  • Utilities are contacting their mutual aid partners to determine availability if external resources are needed to restore services.
  • The state is monitoring the power grid for sufficient power in the state.
  • The state is monitoring the natural gas infrastructure for any damages that can cause a loss of service to power plants. 

FUEL

  • The state is contacting fuel industry partners, such as the Florida Petroleum Council, Florida Petroleum Marketers and Convenience Store Association, to prepare for potential storm impacts.
  • The state is currently monitoring for fuel assistance requests. At this time, there are no reported supply, distribution or retail fuel shortages or issues.
  • The state has also contacted emergency fuel and equipment provider for status of emergency fuel supply and equipment. 

SHELTERS

  • The state is preparing to support potential sheltering operations in the Florida Panhandle.
  • More information on shelters will be made available as decisions on potential evacuations are made.
  • The American Red Cross is positioning shelter equipment and staff to support local communities in the North Florida area if needed.
  • The state is working to inventory food and water resources in state contracted warehouses (SCWs) and is prepared to coordinate with the American Red Cross and the Salvation Army on potential feeding needs.

PUBLIC HEALTH AND MEDICAL

  • The Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA) and the Florida Department of Health (DOH) will join Governor Scott on tropical storm preparedness calls with Florida hospitals, assisted living facilities and nursing homes later today.
  • DOH is standing by to assist with potential needs of healthcare facilities and special needs shelters.
  • DOH and AHCA have requested hospitals, nursing homes and ALFs in regions 1 and 2 to report their facility status daily at 10AM and upon any status change through the FLHealthSTAT database.
  • The Public Service Commission (PSC) is working with Health and Medical Services to identify all nursing homes and assisted living facilities that could be affected by possible electric outages.
  • APD regional office serving the west coast and Panhandle counties of Florida are reaching out to waiver support coordinators, individuals in independent living, and providers to ensure they are prepared.
  • APD is holding daily meetings to review storm preparations.

EDUCATION

  • The University of West Florida will be closed from Saturday, October 7th through Monday, October 9th.

WATER MANAGEMENT DISTRICTS

  • Water Management Districts are monitoring waterways and water levels, preparing staff and vehicles, and are prepared to adjust flows as necessary.
  • Lake Okeechobee is currently at 16.83 feet and is being continuously monitored by the United States Army Corps of Engineers, which manages Lake Okeechobee water levels. The Army Corps will continue releases from Lake Okeechobee until further notice.

BUSINESS AND INDUSTRY

  • The Florida Department of Economic Opportunity (DEO) and the Division of Emergency Management (DEM) are working to provide updates to private sector partners. Information is available at www.flvbeoc.org.
  • The state has activated the Private Sector Hotline at 850-410-1403, which is available for business inquiries about storm preparedness and response.

CONTACTS

  • 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 Tropical Storm Nate.
  • Visit http://www.floridadisaster.org to find information on shelters, road closures, and evacuation routes.

Florida PSC Urges Panhandle Residents to Be Prepared

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As Tropical Storm Nate heads into the Gulf of Mexico, the Florida Public Service Commission (PSC) urges panhandle residents to prepare now.
According to the Weather Channel, the 2017 Atlantic hurricane season is now among the top 10 all-time most active seasons on record. The PSC wants Floridians to continue to be prepared for active weather through the end of hurricane season on November 30.
“As the PSC and Florida’s utilities continue to monitor Tropical Storm Nate, we advise residents to be prepared,” said PSC Chairman Julie Brown.  “This active storm season has reminded us that we cannot be complacent; it’s never too early to implement your storm plan.”
Visit the PSC’s website to see the latest storm information and other helpful materials, including a storm preparation consumer tip.
For more information on storm safety and storm-hardening tips, visit the Division of Emergency Management’s website.
For additional information, visit www.floridapsc.com.

Gov. Scott Declares State of Emergency to Prepare Florida for Tropical Storm Nate

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Governor Rick Scott issued Executive Order 17-262 declaring a state of emergency in 29 counties within the State of Florida in response to Tropical Storm Nate. The counties under the state of emergency areEscambia, Santa Rosa, Okaloosa, Walton, Holmes, Washington, Bay, Jackson, Calhoun, Gulf, Gadsden, Liberty, Franklin, Leon, Wakulla, Jefferson, Madison, Taylor, Hamilton, Suwannee, Lafayette, Dixie, Columbia, Gilchrist, Levy, Baker, Union, Bradford, and Alachua counties. Governor Scott is ensuring that local governments have ample time, resources and flexibility to get prepared for this storm and are not hindered, delayed or prevented from taking all necessary actions to keep communities safe.
Governor Scott said, “Tropical Storm Nate is headed north toward our state and Florida must be prepared. I have continued to be briefed by the Florida Division of Emergency Management on Tropical Storm Nate and while current forecast models have the storm’s center west of Florida, we must be vigilant and get prepared. Today, given these forecasts, I have declared a state of emergency for 29 counties in Florida to make certain that state, federal and local governments are able to work together and ensure resources are dispersed to local communities. By declaring an emergency in these counties, we can also ensure that there is no hindrance in the transportation of supplies and assets. I urge all Floridians to remain vigilant and stay alert to local weather and news and visit FLGetAPlan.com today as we all prepare for Tropical Storm Nate. We will keep monitoring and issuing updates on Tropical Storm Nate as it approaches the Gulf Coast.”
See below for more information on what the State of Florida is doing to support Tropical Storm Nate preparedness efforts:
EMERGENCY SUPPORT FUNCTIONS BY STATE EMERGENCY RESPONSE TEAM 
MILITARY SUPPORT

  • The Florida National Guard has 7,000 guard members available for deployment if needed.

LAW ENFORCEMENT

  • The Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) continues to monitor traffic and is coordinating with FDOT and local emergency operations centers regarding any potential evacuations.
  • The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) is monitoring the storm and ready to respond as needed.

TRANSPORTATION & PUBLIC WORKS

  • The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) is monitoring the storm and holding teleconferences with the regional FDOT district offices to ensure local communities are prepared.
  • FDOT district offices are reaching out to construction vendors to have them remove any materials that block roads to facilitate potential evacuations and checking on fuel supplies. FDOT is also actively monitoring for roadway flooding in areas already impacted by Hurricane Irma and stands ready to respond as needed.
  • FDOT asset maintenance contractors have been contacted to support potential activities.
  • FDOT will continue to reach out to county emergency operations centers directly to coordinate any necessary response actions including activating traffic counters, providing local evacuation support and providing maintenance of traffic and other assistance.
  • Florida’s seaports are monitoring conditions.

POWER AND UTILITIES

  • The state has contacted utilities to put them on notice to start reporting outage and restoration information if needed.
  • Utilities are contacting their mutual aid partners to determine availability if external resources are needed to restore services. 

FUEL

  • The state is contacting fuel industry partners, such as the Florida Petroleum Council, Florida Petroleum Marketers and Convenience Store Association, to prepare for potential storm impacts. At this time, there are no reported supply, distribution or retail fuel shortages or issues.
  • The state has also contacted emergency fuel and equipment provider for status of emergency fuel supply and equipment. 

SHELTERS

  • The state is preparing to support potential sheltering operations in the Florida Panhandle.
  • More information on shelters will be made available as decisions on potential evacuations are made. 

PUBLIC HEALTH AND MEDICAL

  • The Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA) and the Florida Department of Health (DOH) will join Governor Scott on tropical storm preparedness calls with Florida hospitals, assisted living facilities and nursing homes later today.
  • DOH is standing by to assist with potential needs of healthcare facilities and special needs shelters.  

WATER MANAGEMENT DISTRICTS

  • Water Management Districts are monitoring waterways and are prepared to adjust flows as necessary.
  • Lake Okeechobee is currently at 16.67 feet and is being continuously monitored by the United States Army Corps of Engineers, which manages Lake Okeechobee water levels. The Army Corps will continue releases from Lake Okeechobee until further notice.

CONTACTS

  • 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 Tropical Storm Nate.
  • Visit http://www.floridadisaster.org to find information on shelters, road closures, and evacuation routes.

FMEA on Tropical Storm Nate

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Statement By:
Amy Zubaly, Executive Director, Florida Municipal Electric Association
Regarding Tropical Storm Nate

“While there is still much uncertainty surrounding Tropical Storm Nate’s ultimate strength and path, Florida’s municipal electric utilities are watching it closely and are prepared to bring in power restoration resources should this storm system become a threat to Florida’s Panhandle and the public power communities located there.
We have been in communication with our fellow public power utilities in other states that are also in the current path of Tropical Storm Nate. Our crews are ready to go to other Gulf coast states to assist them if needed and if Florida is not impacted.
We continue to be in close communication with Gov. Rick Scott and thank him for being helpful and proactive as we face yet another tropical storm system.”

CFO Patronis Urges Gulf Coast Residents to Plan and Prepare for Tropical Storm Nate

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As Tropical Storm Nate approaches the Gulf of Mexico, Florida Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis is urging Gulf Coast and Big Bend residents to prepare now for the possibility of severe weather in the coming days.
“Floridians should take a proactive approach and stock up on necessary supplies now, days ahead of the storm’s arrival,” said CFO Patronis. “While the storm’s track remains uncertain, all Floridians should closely monitor local weather alerts and be prepared for the possibility of severe weather.”
CFO Patronis reminds Floridians that hurricane preparedness plans should include copies of insurance policies and cards, insurance company contact information and financial account(s) records. The Department’s Insurance Consumer Helpline (1-877-MY-FL-CFO) is available Monday – Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. EST to answer any insurance-related questions that consumers or business owners may have.
In the days ahead of the storm’s potential impact, homeowners are encouraged to take these simple, specific steps to protect their homes and property:

  • Inventory household items, including receipts, purchase dates, and serial numbers. Photograph or videotape each room of your home. Email the information to yourself to create a digital record.
  • Shore up your structure. Buy materials that can secure your property and minimize your losses. Consider covering your windows with shutters, siding, or plywood. Move vehicles into a garage or carport. Carry outdoor grills and patio furniture inside.
  • Read through your insurance policies and take note of hurricane deductibles. Most policies have a hurricane deductible equivalent to 2, 5 or 10 percent of a home’s insured value. If your property is damaged, you will be responsible for a portion of the repair costs.

To keep all insurance and banking information in one easily-accessible place, consumers can download a copy of the Department’s free Emergency Financial Preparedness Toolkit. The Toolkit serves as a one-stop shop for all finance, emergency and insurance contact information. Download and complete the toolkit today.