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Gov. Scott Issues Updates on State Action to Assist Puerto Rico

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Governor Rick Scott today visited the American Red Cross distribution warehouse in Orlando to thank volunteers for organizing donations to assist recovery efforts for Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria. Governor Scott also spoke with Puerto Rico Governor Ricardo Rosselló today to discuss ongoing response and recovery efforts.
See below for more information on what the State of Florida is doing to support Puerto Rico: 
MILITARY SUPPORT

  • The Florida National Guard (FLNG) continues to monitor and provide support, as needed, to coordinate Emergency Management Assistance Compact (EMAC) force flow into Puerto Rico.
  • Over the weekend, the FLNG deployed a communications specialist from the 48th Civil Support Team to Puerto Rico to assist with stabilizing the response network.  This is in addition to the airman from the Florida Air National Guard is on the ground in San Juan directing the Joint Air Coordination Element (JACE).
  • Additionally, the FLNG is providing logistical support to the North Carolina National Guard which is preparing to ship vehicles out of Jacksonville to Puerto Rico via sealift. The 100-person unit will lodge at Camp Blanding Joint Training Center beginning October 5th until deployment.
  • The Florida National Guard is coordinating with the full-time Guardsmen as part of the 601st Air Operations Center at Tyndall Air Force Base. This organization, under the U.S. Air Forces North (AFNORTH), is coordinating all military airflow in the Joint Operations Area. They recently coordinated 29 military flights, which included water, meals, sandbags, health specialists, military police, vehicles and other humanitarian assistance supplies and personnel.

LAW ENFORCEMENT

  • The Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) traveled to San Juan with Governor Scott last week and met with the Puerto Rico Department of Public Safety to discuss security concerns and needs.
  • FDLE has coordinated a request for 1,500 law enforcement officers that are standing by to deploy to Puerto Rico to supplement Puerto Rican law enforcement. These assets will come from across Florida, including state and local partners, and other states.
  • An eight-member incident management team is prepared to deploy to Puerto Rico this week to help assess law enforcement needs. The Florida Highway Patrol has two members on the incident management team and will have between 50-70 troopers available to respond immediately once needs are identified.
  • The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) has identified volunteers from across the state that are part of the FWC Special Operations Group (SOG) to stand by for potential deployment. Many of these officers have recently deployed to assist with Hurricanes Harvey and Hurricane Irma response and recovery operations.
  • FWC has identified specialty equipment such as trucks, coastal and river patrol boats, ATVs and shallow draft boats to be considered for potential use as needed.

DIVISION OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT

  • At the direction of Governor Scott, three Disaster Relief Centers (DRCs) have opened at Orlando International Airport, Miami International Airport, and the Port of Miami for Puerto Rican families displaced by Hurricane Maria.
  • The following organizations will have staff on site: Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Children and Families, Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Department of Health, Department of Economic Opportunity, American Red Cross and Catholic Charities (Orlando International Airport).
  • These partners will offer services such as help with registering for FEMA Individual Assistance, crisis counseling, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) information, assistance with unaccompanied minors and agency social services, assistance with animal services, medical attention and health concerns, employment information and training services, food and water resources, language guidance and spiritual care.
  • The hours of operation for these centers are 7:00 a.m. – 9:00 p.m., including weekends.
  • The State Emergency Response Team (SERT) is working closely with Puerto Rican officials to help identify, prioritize and affect Emergency Management Assistance Compact missions, allowing for the right resources and personnel from the continental U.S. to be appropriately leveraged in support of the response effort.
  • SERT has coordinated with private partners to secure three large transport vessels that have a combined passenger capacity of more than 7,500 individuals.
  • SERT is working with private cellular infrastructure repair and support companies to assist the Puerto Rico response effort and deploy personnel, repair equipment, trucks and fuel needed for critical communications infrastructure repairs.
  • SERT is identifying relief supplies for deployment. More than 2 million pounds of relief supplies are positioned in the Tampa Bay area for two large cargo aircraft transporting them to airports outside of San Juan. In addition, four hangars across the Tampa and Orlando areas are full of relief supplies are on standby for air transport.
  • Available relief supplies include 220 Florida Point of Distribution (POD) support packages which are used for the distribution of water, food, and supplies to the public, 50 6,000-gallon potable water tankers, 300 fork lifts, 10 kitchen support units, 10 shower/laundry facilities, 1,000 light towers, and 1,200 portable generators standing by for transport to Puerto Rico as needed. In addition, Lowe’s is currently transporting 30 trailers worth of portable generators to Homestead for transport to Puerto Rico.
  • SERT is working with utility partners at the State Emergency Operations Center to identify resources that may be offered to Puerto Rico. This includes personnel, repair equipment and expertise. Additionally, FPL has offered assessment teams that can quickly deploy and assist in determining critical infrastructure needs.
  • SERT is working with fuel industry partners to secure ships transporting fuel, fuel trucks and bilingual drivers to transport fuel to areas with the most critical need. Two fuel barges are on standby for deployment.
  • SERT, through the Florida Retail Federation, is coordinating with Florida’s major retailers in ensuring the availability and distribution of needed goods.
  • SERT coordinated with the Humane Society of the United States to support pet and animal shelters in San Juan. 

HEALTH AND MEDICAL

  • The state coordinated with Florida International University to host evacuees from Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands, 90 of which were dialysis patients, at Florida International University.
  • The state is currently on the list of Federal Coordinating Centers (FCCs) to accept patients if needed from Puerto Rico as recovery efforts continue. The Florida Department of Health (DOH) will stand ready to coordinate patient transport as needed.
  • DOH is providing education on available public health services at Disaster Relief Centers in South Florida and Orlando for Puerto Rican families displaced by Hurricane Maria.
  • The Agency for Health Care Administration will work with our federal partners to gather information on any waivers the Medicaid program would need to serve individuals from Puerto Rico. As always, the Medicaid program covers medically necessary services for children and families eligible for Medicaid.

TRANSPORTATION & PUBLIC WORKS

  • The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) is prepared to deploy a four-person team to assess infrastructure status and needs and coordinate further related deployments.
  • FDOT is working to fulfill a request from Puerto Rico to assist in evaluating the current status of traffic signals and Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) field devices.
  • FDOT has been in communication with Puerto Rico’s Secretary of Transportation and Public Works regarding transportation needs.
  • The Governor has called on Florida port directors to prioritize and expedite the shipment of goods from across the country quickly to Puerto Rico and many ports have committed to stand ready to help move supplies through their facilities as quickly as possible.

VOLUNTEER FLORIDA

  • Volunteer Florida is providing information and resources to Floridians who want to make donations or volunteer at www.volunteerflorida.org.
  • Volunteer Florida is assisting with the opening of Disaster Relief Centers in South Florida and Orlando for Puerto Rican families displaced by Hurricane Maria and providing bi-lingual assistance for displaced families.
  • Volunteer Florida is coordinating with local volunteer United Way agencies and non-profit partners to provide referral information for transportation, lodging, food and water during transition.

EDUCATION

  • Florida school districts have processes in place to enroll K-12 students displaced by natural disasters, and all districts are prepared to enroll Puerto Rican evacuees. Families displaced by Hurricane Maria have begun arriving in Florida, and a number have already enrolled their students.
  • Commissioner Stewart will issue a summary of guidance to all districts and continue to work with school districts on additional issues as they arise.
  • The below Florida state colleges and universities are waiving out-of-state tuition and fees for students from Puerto Rico displaced by Hurricane Maria following a request by Governor Scott:
    • Broward College
    • Chipola College
    • College of Central Florida
    • Daytona State
    • Eastern Florida State College
    • Florida A&M University
    • Florida Atlantic University
    • Florida Gateway
    • Florida Gulf Coast University
    • Florida International University
    • Florida Keys Community College
    • Florida Southwestern State College
    • Florida State College at Jacksonville
    • Florida State University
    • Gulf Coast State College
    • Hillsborough Community College
    • Indian River State College
    • Lake Sumter
    • Miami Dade College
    • New College of Florida
    • North Florida Community College
    • Northwest Florida State College
    • Palm Beach State
    • Pasco-Hernando State College
    • Pensacola State College
    • Polk State College
    • Santa Fe College
    • Seminole State
    • South Florida State College
    • Johns River State College
    • Petersburg College
    • State College of Florida, Manatee–Sarasota
    • Tallahassee Community College
    • University of Central Florida
    • University of Florida
    • University of North Florida
    • University of South Florida
    • University of West Florida
    • Valencia College

Last week, at the request of Puerto Rico Governor Ricardo Rosselló, Governor Scott visited San Juan, Puerto Rico to help coordinate response and recovery efforts. On Friday, Governor Scott met with President Trump and Vice President Pence to discuss his trip to Puerto Rico and actions the State of Florida is taking to help with response and recovery. Governor Scott also hosted a call with Puerto Rican government officials and Florida state agency leaders last week to ensure the State of Florida is doing everything possible to help Puerto Rico recover.

Gov. Scott Issues Updates on Continued Hurricane Irma Response Efforts

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Governor Rick Scott today toured impacts of Hurricane Irma in Lee County with City of Bonita Springs Mayor Peter Simmons and Lee County Undersheriff Carmine Marceno, and joined Adjutant General of Florida Maj. Gen. Michael Calhoun, Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry, and members of the National Guard on an aerial tour to assess damage from Hurricane Irma in Jacksonville.
Over the past few days, Governor Scott has also visited four shelters in Pensacola, Immokalee, Jacksonville and Fort Myers. The Governor will continue to be in constant communication with state and local emergency management officials, city and county leaders, law enforcement and National Guard leaders, and utility officials as Hurricane Irma response continues.

EMERGENCY SUPPORT FUNCTIONS BY STATE EMERGENCY RESPONSE TEAM

WATCHES AND WARNINGS
Flood warnings and rip current risks are in effect across the state. To see the most current advisories in your county, click HERE.
POWER AND UTILITIES
The current power outage as of 6:00 p.m. is more than 4.7 million accounts. For a full breakdown, click HERE.
Do not try to handle downed power lines. Contact your local utility company to report it.
Tampa Electric

  • In total, 425,000 of Tampa Electric’s 730,000 customers were impacted by the storm. At the peak of the storm, 335,000 customers remained without power. Power has already been restored to 170,000 customers, or about 40 percent of those affected.
  • Tampa Electric expects to restore power to essentially all customers the night of Sunday, September 17th.
  • About 3,200 line, tree and other workers, from other utilities from as far away as the Midwest, Northeast and Canada, continue to arrive today to assist Tampa Electric, as part of the largest restoration effort in U.S. history.

Florida Power and Light

  • In total, 4.4 million customers were impacted by the storm. Power has already been restored to 1.1 million customers.
  • FPL expects power restoration to be completed for the East Coast the night of Sunday, September 17th.
  • FPL expects power restoration to be completed for the West Coast by Friday, September 22nd.
  • FPL has mobilized the largest restoration workforce ever assembled with more than 18,000 out-of-state restoration personnel working around the clock.

Duke Energy

  • More than 1 million customers were impacted by the storm. Power has already been restored to more than 375,000 customers.
  • Duke Energy expects power restoration to be completed for western service areas the night of Friday, September 15th.
  • Duke Energy expects power restoration to be completed for central and northern service areas the night of Sunday, September 17th.
  • More than 12,000 restoration workers have been mobilized to quickly restore power to all customers.

Gulf Power

  • Gulf Power has fully restored power to the 13,000 customers affected by the storm and has no storm related outages.
  • Gulf Power has a restoration team of more than 150 personnel in route to Tampa to assist with power restoration for Tampa Electric.

Florida Electric Cooperatives Assoc.

  • More than 760,000 customers were impacted by the storm. Power has already been restored to more than 318,000 customers.
  • Approximately 3,000 cooperative workers from Florida and nine other states are deploying to the hurricane impact zone to assist with restoration efforts.

Municipal Utilities

  • More than 800,000 customers were impacted by the storm. Power has already been restored to about 400,000 customers.
  • Restoration is expected to be completed by the night of Sunday, September 17th, except hardest hit areas, such as Key West, which will take longer to restore.
  • Several utilities such as Tallahassee, Kissimmee and Jacksonville Beach are close to being fully restored. In addition, several smaller utilities like Newberry are already 100% restored.

FUEL
Port Everglades, Port Canaveral and Port of Tampa all opened today and are actively prioritizing fuel tanker ships. The Florida Highway Patrol has 20 troopers dedicated to escorting fuel resupply trucks to communities in need.
This week, the Governor took the following actions to expedite fuel delivery to gas stations:

  • Directed the Florida Highway Patrol to escort fuel resupply trucks to gas stations;
  • Waived the tax on fuel entering the state;
  • Gov. Scott and executive office staff have held daily calls with all fuel supply stakeholders, including Florida Ports;
  • Following the Governor’s request, Vice President Pence announced that the federal government has waived the Jones Act upon Governor Scott’s request, which waives additional rules and regulations to allow more fuel to get to Florida fast. This waiver ensures that all options are available to distribute fuel to Florida. The last Jones Act waiver was issued in December 2012, for petroleum products to be delivered for relief assistance in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy.
  • Following the Governor’s request, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has approved an emergency fuel waiver which allows more fuel to quickly enter the state. For more information, please click HERE.
  • Requested eleven states to join Florida in waiving weight and driver restrictions to move goods more quickly into the state, including fuel. 

LAW ENFORCEMENT

  • 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 continuing rescue operations in the Keys.
  • 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 nearly 200 officers deployed from Mississippi, Louisiana, Arkansas, and Texas.
  • The entire Florida Highway Patrol (FHP), approximately 1,700 troopers, is on 12-hour shifts, with the primary mission to assist emergency response.
  • The Florida Highway Patrol has 20 troopers dedicated to fuel escorts from Port of Jacksonville, Port of Tampa, Port Everglades and Port Canaveral now that all three ports have been opened.
  • FHP is providing security escorts to 44 tractor trailers with relief supplies into Florida from the Georgia/Florida state line to Miami.
  • FHP is providing security escorts to 600 utility trucks into Florida from the Georgia/Florida line into impacted areas of Southwest Florida. In addition, FHP is providing a security escort to 11 Panama City utility vehicles.
  • 60 FHP troopers have been deployed to assist the Polk County Sheriff, 50 troopers have been deployed to assist the Collier County Sheriff and 20 troopers have been deployed to assist St. Johns County law enforcement.
  • FHP is providing a security escort to seven AT&T communication trucks to assist with communication coverage in Monroe County.
  • Despite closed state offices in Volusia Co., DHSMV staff is at Orange City & Daytona Motorist Services offices to offer Driver’s License and ID services.
  • FDLE is assisting with search and rescue missions and is coordinating Florida’s law enforcement response. Response teams are supplementing local law enforcement in impacted areas with missions including securing fuel and generators, looting patrols, and local EOC staffing.   

 MILITARY SUPPORT

  • There are more than 9,000 soldiers and airmen on the ground, as a combined force of members of the Florida National Guard, partner National Guard states and active duty components, that have conducted hundreds of missions across the state.
  • The Florida National Guard is actively coordinating a multi-service effort to conduct life-saving operations in the Florida Keys, including providing critical capabilities to include road and runway clearance to enable the delivery of life-saving supplies.
  • Florida Army National Guard aviation assets have been moved to Opalocka, where they are positioned to begin assisting with air bridge operations in the Keys beginning tomorrow.
  • More than 1,800 Florida National Guard soldiers and airmen are supporting more than 250 shelters across Florida.
  • More than 900 Florida National Guard soldiers and airmen are operating at approximately 80 Points of Distribution sites for the distribution of food and water as needed.
  • More than 150 Florida National Guard soldiers and airmen have conducted search and rescue missions in Clay, Duval and Orange Counties.
  • More than 2,200 Guardsmen from five states (Georgia, Wisconsin, New Jersey, Indiana and South Carolina) have responded to assist with Hurricane Irma response operations.
  • The full spectrum of U.S. military has supported Hurricane Irma disaster relief efforts, which includes the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln and the two amphibious ships USS Iwo Jima and USS New York, which are positioned to begin providing assistance as requested.

SHELTERS

  • More than 300 shelters are open throughout Florida with a total population of more than57,000 individuals. More than 60 special needs shelters are open with a total population of more than 13,00 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.
  • The state is fully committed to ensuring adequate food resources are available to residents impacted by Hurricane Irma, and are prioritizing these resources based on areas where landfall occurred first and based upon urgency of need. These areas include Monroe, Charlotte, Collier, Lee, and Sarasota Counties, and shelters of last refuge. USDA Foods from the state inventory (405,000 meals) as well as inventory from the North Carolina Department of Agriculture (427,000 meals) have been deployed. The state is also working to ensure ice is available for shelters, canteens, kitchens, and military support operations. Florida’s Integrated Rapid Response Team (FLIRRT) has been activated for Hurricane Irma. These teams will be conducting assessments of affected food establishments in the impacted areas.

PUBLIC HEALTH AND MEDICAL

  • More than 100 assisted living facilities, 13 hospitals, one emergency room and 95 other health care facilities, including 44 nursing homes, have evacuated or are closed.
  • Up-to-date information on boil water notices is available online HERE.
  • Department of Health (DOH) Environmental Health staff are conducting assessments throughout the state and epidemiology staff are monitoring emergency department surveillance to identity carbon monoxide poisonings relating to generator use.
  • DOH staff continues to provide staffing for special needs shelters and deploy other assets to aid in county recovery efforts.
  • Department of Health (DOH) Environmental Health staff are conducting assessments throughout the state and epidemiology staff are monitoring emergency department surveillance to identity carbon monoxide poisonings relating to generator use.
  • The state is holding daily calls with assisted living facilities and nursing homes to ensure they have everything they need to serve those in their care. The state is aggressively working to restore power to these facilities.
  • OneBlood is urging all those who are able to visit a local blood center and donate blood to do so. They have an urgent need for platelets and O negative blood.
  • The Agency for Persons with Disabilities’ regional offices are communicating with providers, waiver support coordinators, and APD customers to ensure they are safe and the status of their homes.
  • Group Home residents are leaving emergency shelters and returning home as mandatory evacuations are rescinded. Two Group Homes run by Monroe Association for Remarkable Citizens (MARC) evacuated to Orlando and plan to stay until Friday. They are waiting to hear from officials when it is safe to return to Monroe County.
  • The Agency for Persons with Disabilities Rish Park in Gulf County has reopened today. Operations at Tacachale Center in Gainesville are returning to normal.
  • APD will be hosting a statewide call on Wednesday with Waiver Support Coordinators to discuss recovery efforts and any unmet customer needs.
  • Residents, especially residents with special needs, should plan for conditions along their route home as well as conditions in their impacted community. For road conditions, please check 511.com. Residents should contact their local county or emergency management officials for the most up-to-date information regarding curfews, power outages, reentry policies and the availability of necessary commodities.
  • The Florida Department of Veterans’ Affairs (FDVA) operates six skilled nursing facilities and one assisted living facility. All state veterans’ homes are currently operational. Three veterans’ homes are currently operating on generator power.
  • The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) operates a number of Florida-based medical centers, outpatient clinics and Vet Centers in the storm path. For specific information on all VA closures in Florida, please click HERE or visit http://www.blogs.va.gov/VAntage/hurricane-irma/. 

TRANSPORTATION & PUBLIC WORKS

  • The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) has completed damage assessments on major highways. Every interstate and turnpike is open for Floridians, however, there is heavy traffic volume on I-10 eastbound and I-75 southbound. Everyone should continue to listen to local officials on when to return home.
  • At this point, FDOT damage assessment teams and debris removal crews are working on assessing damage on US 1 south in the Keys. No residents or visitors are permitted into the area until an assessment of damage on roadways and bridges is complete. Local officials will determine when it’s safe to reenter Monroe County.
  • 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 will continue to work with utility crews across the state to clear road debris so power can be restored quickly.
  • Bridge inspections and debris clearance are ongoing throughout the state.
  • FDOT is coordinating with other states to deploy additional resources to Monroe County. 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 is 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 remain suspended and immediate recovery efforts continue.
  • 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.

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.

SCHOOL AND STATE OFFICE CLOSURES

  • Please visit www.fldoe.org/irma/ to view all school closures.
  • State offices will continue to follow the lead of local governments. Closed offices currently include Flagler, Nassau, St. Johns, St. Lucie, Glades, Jefferson, Lake, Lee, Miami-Dade, Monroe and Palm Beach Counties.

VOLUNTEER EFFORTS

  • Governor Rick Scott activated the Florida Disaster Fund to support individuals who are impacted by Tropical Storm Irma. The Florida Disaster Fund helps provide financial support to Florida’s communities in times of disaster. To make a contribution, please visit www.FloridaDisasterFund.org or text DISASTER to 20222 to make a one-time donation of $10. Volunteer Florida has also engaged with Facebook to activate a donation portal online.
  • In response to Hurricane Irma, Lyft is donating $100,000 to a “Relief Rides” program helping those in need get to/from hospitals and shelters after the hurricane, as well as partnering with Team Rubicon to help their volunteers. If you are associated with a hospital, shelter, or local government, please email [email protected] so that Lyft can get you access to a pre-funded account to help those in need. Click here for information on how partners can use Lyft’s Concierge Service to request rides for those in need and who may not have access to a smartphone. If you are an individual in need of a ride, please use the code HELPFLORIDA. For information on specific locations for Relief Rides please click here.
  • Volunteer Florida is working with Uber to transport food to people in shelter. Uber is donating $400,000 of rides, food and relief to families and communities affected as well as first responders. Uber will also provide free rides to and from shelters for residents of Hillsborough and other impacted areas, including Duval County and Lee County. In partnership with Volunteer Florida, Uber will provide free rides to help move volunteers to shelters in impacted areas. Local governments, nonprofits, and organizations with an immediate need can visit [email protected].
  • Volunteer Florida is working with Johnson & Johnson, which is donating baby supplies and personal hygiene items to victims, Americares, which is donating pharmaceutical supplies to special needs shelters, Poland Water, which is donating 100 box cars of bottled water, American Logistics Network to stand up a multiple agency warehouse, and multiple volunteer partners.

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION

  • Nearly 140 Florida State Parks remain closed, and 20 have been opened for day-use only. Park service staff have formed strike teams to respond to impacted parks and re-open them as quickly as possible. A full list of closures can be found at https://floridastateparks.org/content/storm-information
  • DEP has mobilized 12 Hazardous Assessment and Response Teams in coordination with the EPA and the U.S. Coast Guard to assess hazardous waste facilities and respond to pollution incidents and other storm impacts. The 40 members of these teams will deploy to Duval and Hillsborough counties tomorrow to begin assessments.
  • DEP staff continue to respond to local governments and utilities requests for support. This includes providing support to Cocoa Beach Utilities to maintain water pressure and ensure drinking water supplies for the community.
  • Dune and beach fortification activities in St. Johns, Volusia and Flagler counties that had begun in the week prior to Hurricane Irma will resume tomorrow.
  • Technical specialists from EPA’s water division are deploying to Florida to assist DEP staff with wastewater and drinking water system recovery.
  • DEP has established a mutual aid system to coordinate responses between utilities, the department, and other responders. This system is active and continues to coordinate and respond to the needs of drinking and waste water facilities throughout Florida. This includes ensuring generators are provided to the Town of White Springs, Alachua County, City of Delray Beach, City of Pompano Beach and Manatee County for lift stations, wastewater plant and other vital infrastructure operations.
  • DEP continues to coordinate with GIS and subject matter experts to map priority sites for preliminary damage assessments, and with FDOT to assure roads are cleared to priority sites to expedite assessments.
  • DEP is coordinating with US Army Corps of Engineers, FDOT, US Coast Guard, FWC, and FEMA on debris removal statewide.
  • DEP is mobilizing Beach Response Teams and participating with assistance of USACE in efforts to expedite recovery of Florida beaches.
  • DEP has issued an emergency order to ensure recovery efforts are not hampered or delayed. DEP has expanded that order for power plants to cover the entire state to assist any facility recovering from the storm and a new order to waive certain rules for fuel facilities impacted by the storm statewide. Both orders apply only to impacted facilities and have provisions to guard the environment while assisting in quick recovery of critical infrastructure.
  • DEP is working with FWC, EPA, and the U.S. Coast Guard to mitigate pollutants from submerged vessels.

WATER MANAGEMENT DISTRICTS

  • The South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) deployed rapid impact assessment and aerial reconnaissance teams to inspect areas of the regional flood control system.
  • SFWMD is deploying debris removal teams to remove trees and other debris that could block the drainage of flood waters.
  • The St. Johns River Water Management District (SJRWMD) has deployed pumps and staff to assist Flagler, Putnam and St. Johns counties in recovery efforts from flooding caused by Hurricane Irma.
  • On Monday, the SJRWMD began diverting water from the Upper St. Johns River Basin Project to reduce floodwaters flowing north, providing flood protection for people and property downstream. The district closed a structure and four gates to help alleviate extreme flooding in the river’s lower basin in Jacksonville.
  • The Southwest Florida Water Management District continues to operate water control structures. All structures without power are being monitored and are discharging as needed. These structures can be manually operated if needed.

LAKE OKEECHOBEE

  • The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Jacksonville District found no areas of concern during post-Irma inspections of Herbert Hoover Dike around Lake Okeechobee in South Florida.
  • The current lake level is at 14.55 feet.

BUSINESS, INDUSTRY, & ECONOMIC STABILIZATION

  • DEO is preparing to launch the Florida Small Business Emergency Bridge Loan Program to provide support to businesses that suffered economic or physical damage from Hurricane Irma.
  • The Florida Virtual Business Emergency Operations Center business damage assessment surveying tool has been activated for businesses to report damages resulting from Hurricane Irma. Businesses are encouraged to visit http://flvbeoc.org/index.php.Click on Hurricane Irma.
  • A private sector hotline is available at (850) 410-1403 to respond to calls from businesses and private sector support organizations.
  • The Florida Department of Economic Opportunity (DEO) is readying the Disaster Unemployment Assistance Program to provide temporary income support to eligible individuals in counties approved for FEMA Individual Assistance.
  • The state is working to identify the “open/close” status of businesses. This information is being posted to the SERT Tropical Storm Irma webpage: http://www.floridadisaster.org/info/.
  • The Florida Retail Federation is assisting in coordinating information to Florida Retailers regarding restocking of emergency supplies, readying mobile pharmacies, and the transportation of fuel.
  • The Florida Small Business Development Center Network is working with federal officials to identify additional staffing and financial resources to support business response activities.
  • The Florida Chamber of Commerce is coordinating with their members and local chambers to determine post-storm recovery needs and identifying resources available to be sent to the affected areas.

INSURANCE

  • Floridians affected by the storm must now begin the process of surveying damages to their property and belongings. If you need help finding your Florida’s property insurance company’s website and contact information, click HERE. For a list of licensed insurance agents in Florida, click HERE.
  • Consumers with questions about their policies and those who need help filing a claim should call the CFO’s free Insurance Consumer Helpline at 1-877-693-5236.
  • It is important to document all damaged property and belongings. A free smartphone app developed by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners called “MyHome Scr.APP.book” is available to assist with photo documentation.
  • OIR has updated its “Hurricane Season Resources” webpage, which contains links to information provided by the Governor, Chief Financial Officer, Attorney General, Commissioner of Agriculture, Federal Emergency Management Agency’s National Flood Insurance Program, and contact information for Florida’s property insurers.

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. Click HERE to see the latest advisory from the National Hurricane Center (NHC).
EMERGENCY SUPPORT FUNCTIONS BY STATE EMERGENCY RESPONSE TEAM 
WATCHES AND WARNING –

  • Storm Surge Warning:
    • The Florida/Georgia line 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 at the Gulf/Franklin County line.
    • Florida Keys
    • Lake Okeechobee
    • Florida Bay
  • 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.
  • DEM estimates that 6.5 million Floridians have been ordered to evacuate.

SHELTERS

  • More than 530 shelters are open throughout Florida with a total population of more than 116,000 individuals. More than 75 special needs shelters are open with a total population of more than 12,700 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 12:00 p.m. is1,528,282 accounts. 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 and supporting more than 200 shelters. The Florida National Guard has 1,000 high water vehicles, 13 helicopters, 17 boats and more than 700 generators on standby.
  • More than 700 more guardsmen are preparing to set up food and water distribution sites as soon as the storm passes and we are working alongside FWC to prepare for search and rescue mission as soon as it is safe.
  • 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.
  • FWC has more than 500 law enforcement vessels standing ready and is prepared to sustain these resources as long as necessary.
  • FWC is swearing in more than 200 officers that are being deployed from Mississippi, South Carolina, Arkansas and Texas. By the end of today, FWC will have 50 additional officers from Louisiana, 28 officers from Arkansas, and 26 from Mississippi.
  • 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 (48X)
  • Albert Whitted Airport (SPG)
  • Boca Raton Airport (BCT)
  • Downtown Fort Lauderdale Heliport (DT1)
  • Everglades Airpark (X01)
  • Fernandina Beach Municipal (FHB)
  • Fort Lauderdale–Hollywood International (KFLL)
  • Immokalee Regional Airport (IMM)
  • Key West International Airport (KEYW)
  • Keys/Marathon International (MTH)
  • Kissimmee Gateway Airport (ISM)
  • Leesburg International Airport (LEE)
  • Marco Island Airport (MKY)
  • Miami Seaplane Base (MPB)
  • Naples Municipal Airport (APF)
  • North Perry Airport (HWO)
  • Northeast Florida Regional (SGJ)
  • Ocala International-Jim Taylor Field (OCF)
  • Okeechobee County Airport (OBE)
  • Orlando–Sanford International (KSFB)
  • Ormond Beach Municipal (OMN)
  • Peter O Knight Airport (TPF)
  • Plant City Airport (PCM)
  • Pompano Beach Airpark (PMP)
  • Saint George Island Airport (F47)
  • Sarasota–Bradenton International (KSRQ)
  • St Pete-Clearwater International (PIE)
  • Tallahassee Commercial Airport (68J)
  • Tampa Executive Airport (VDF)
  • Tavares Seaplane Base (FA1)
  • Williston Municipal Airport (X60)

The following airports have terminated Commercial Service:

  • Daytona Beach International (KDAB)
  • Melbourne International Airport (MLB)
  • Palm Beach International (KPBI)
  • Punta Gorda Airport (PGD)
  • Southwest Florida International Airport (RSW)

The following airports are conducting emergency operations only:

  • Dade-Collier Training and Transition Airport (TNT)
  • Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport (FXE)
  • Miami Executive Airport (TMB)
  • Miami Homestead General Aviation (X51)
  • Miami International (KMIA)
  • Opa-Locka Executive Airport (OPF)
  • Orlando International (KMCO)
  • Tampa International (KTPA)
  • Venice Municipal Airport (VNC)
  • Vero Beach Municipal Airport (VRB)
  • Winter Haven’s Gilbert Airport (GIF)

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: Port Closed
  • 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.

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.

Governor Scott Issues Updates on Hurricane Irma Preparedness

Posted on

This evening, Governor Rick Scott received a full update on Hurricane Irma at the State Emergency Operations Center. The Governor traveled the state today to meet with local officials, ensure communities have all the resources they may need, and to encourage families and visitors to be fully prepared. Mandatory evacuation orders have been issued in Miami Dade and Monroe Counties and voluntary evacuation orders have been issued in Broward and Collier Counties. Additional orders are expected as the storm nears the state. The Governor will continue to be in constant communication with state and local emergency management officials, city and county leaders, and utility officials who are also working to ensure the state is prepared to respond to any potential impacts from Hurricane Irma.
EMERGENCY SUPPORT FUNCTIONS BY STATE EMERGENCY RESPONSE TEAM
EVACUATION NOTICES/ORDERS

  • Miami Dade has issued mandatory evacuations for zones A and B. Miami Dade residents can find their zones by clicking HERE.
  • Broward County has issued voluntary evacuations of mobile homes and low-lying areas beginning today.
  • Collier County has issued voluntary evacuations of Marco Island beginning today.
  • Monroe County has issued mandatory evacuations for visitors beginning this morning. Mandatory evacuations for residents will begin this evening.
  • Individuals with special needs started being evacuated from Miami-Dade County this morning.
  • Additional evacuations are expected throughout the state. All Floridians should pay close attention to local alerts and follow the directions of local officials.
  • To find available shelters by county, visit floridadisaster.org/shelters.

MILITARY SUPPORT

  • Governor Scott has activated a total of 1,000 members of the Florida Air and Army National Guard to support with planning, logistics and operations in preparation for potential impacts from Hurricane Irma. These members are stationing across the state and actively assisting with preparation efforts.
  • At the direction of Governor Scott, all remaining 6,000 National Guard members will be reporting for duty no later than Friday morning. Additional guard members will continue to be activated this week as needed.
  • The Florida National Guard has coordinated with the North Carolina National Guard to utilize air assets to assist with ongoing evacuations in the Florida Keys.
  • 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 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.

LAW ENFORCEMENT

  • The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) has more than 200 officers standing by for the first wave of response based on potential storm impacts. Thirty teams with supporting resources such as trucks, coastal and river patrol boats, an ATV and two shallow draft boats are preparing for evacuation support, search and rescue missions, or any additional needs.
  • The Florida Department of Law Enforcement has established 18 emergency response teams for deployment to impacted areas and seven logistics and planning teams. FDLE has also secured additional fuel for law enforcement.
  • The Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) is monitoring road and traffic conditions to ensure roadways are clear and working with the Division of Emergency Management to ensure consistent messaging is provided statewide.
  • The Division of Motorist Services has its Florida Licensing on Wheels (FLOW) mobiles on standby and will deploy them to impacted areas as needed.

TRANSPORTATION & PUBLIC WORKS

  • 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 be suspended for the duration of the storm’s impacts to Florida.
  • Real-time traffic information and evacuation routes is available at www.FL511.com
  • FDOT is coordinating with Google’s emergency response team to prepare to ‘close’ roads in Google Maps in real time in the event that Hurricane Irma forces the closure of any roads in the aftermath of the storm. Google Maps are used for Uber and Waze among other directional applications.
  • The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) is suspending construction contractor work and preparing key evacuation routes for possible shoulder use.
  • FDOT is coordinating with 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.
  • The state is monitoring conditions at all airports and seaports. As of now, there are no closed airports or seaports.
  • Governor Scott has rescinded all weight and driver restrictions for highways so water, food, fuel and emergency supplies can be quickly brought to Florida.

HUMAN SERVICES:

  • While the state is working with retail partners to fill grocery store shelves with water and other emergency resources as quickly as possible, it is important to be considerate of neighbors and take only what each family needs to be prepared.
  • The state is staging mass care supplies such as meals, shelter support trailers and water at the State Logistic Response Center in Orlando for deployments as needed.
  • Food Safety Response Teams are beginning to be placed on standby for recovery assessments.
  • The state is also establishing local points of contact with mass care organizations and volunteer agencies, including working with the American Red Cross to coordinate sheltering and feeding operations. The American Red Cross has also established a Disaster Relief Operation (DRO) in Orlando.
  • The Florida Department of Children and Families (DCF) will release September Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits to current recipients who have not yet received them to assist with Hurricane Irma preparations.

VETERAN SERVICES

  • The Florida Department of Veterans Affairs (FDVA) operates six skilled nursing facilities and one assisted living facility. All state veterans’ homes are currently operational.
  • The State Veterans’ Nursing Home in Broward County and State Veterans’ Nursing Home in Volusia County will be installing hurricane shutters throughout the next day. The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has closed the Key West, Key Largo and Naples Community Based Outpatient Clinics Wednesday, September 6 through Friday, September 8.
  • Veterans from storm-impacted areas who require immediate assistance may contact: VA Health Resource Center Disaster Hotline: 1-800-507-4571.

VOLUNTEER ORGANIZATIONS

  • Volunteer Florida is coordinating with volunteer organizations across the state and has partnered with the American Red Cross to provide shelter operations training to volunteers and AmeriCorps grantees. To volunteer, go to volunteerflorida.org or call 1-800-FL-Help-1.
  • Governor Scott has set a goal of 17,000 volunteers. So far, more than 700 state employees and more than 3,200 members of the public have signed up with Red Cross to take the volunteer sheltering training.
  • Volunteer Florida has 43 Community Emergency Response Teams (CERT) on standby to deploy to areas of need. Many of these teams have begun to work in local call centers and prepare for sheltering assistance.
  • American Red Cross teams are arriving into Orlando for staging with 26 tractor trailers at the State Logistics Response Center, 150 trailers at the State Farmers Market, and 100 emergency response vehicles in North Florida. They are also sending 1,000 volunteers.
  • The Salvation Army is on standby with 32 cooking units already in Florida and additional supplies awaiting deployment from neighboring states.
  • The Florida Baptist Convention has 35 kitchens on standby ready to feed 35,000 meals a day.
  • Feeding America has received 9 truckloads of food from Kellogg’s to assist in shelters with 16 additional trucks coming in.
  • Church World Service has hygiene kits and cleanup buckets on standby.
  • Cooperative Baptist Fellowship of Florida has showers and trailers available in Pensacola and Lakeland for deployment, as well as supplies such as chainsaws, shovels, and safety equipment.
  • Church of Latter Day Saints has chainsaws, tarps, and water on standby.
  • United Methodist Church has hygiene kits and flood buckets on standby.

STATE OFFICE CLOSURES

  • Governor Rick Scott directed state offices to close in all 67 Florida counties this Friday in preparation for Hurricane Irma.
  • State offices in Monroe county are closed until further notice. Beginning tomorrow, state offices in Charlotte, Miami-Dade, Glades, Hendry, Okeechobee, Broward, St. Lucie, Martin, and Lee Counties will be closed. Prior to Friday’s statewide closures, state office closures will follow the direction of county officials and will be announced as they are determined.
  • In partnership with the American Red Cross, salaried, non-essential state employees can receive expedited volunteer certifications for disaster services so that they may assist in or operate shelters in response to Hurricane Irma impacts and preparation. Florida law allows Governor Scott to grant full-time, salaried state employees up to 15 days of administrative leave for emergency volunteer efforts through the American Red Cross. Employees can register HERE.

SCHOOL DISTRICTS

  • The Florida Department of Education is in contact with school districts, state colleges and universities as all continue to monitor Irma and her path. School closures are available at www.fldoe.org/irma.
  • Districts are preparing in the case that their facilities are needed for shelters. Colleges are making emergency preparations on their campuses and working with students who may need assistance with relocation.

K-12 Public Schools Closures

  • Alachua County (Monday)
  • Brevard County (Thursday, Friday)
  • Broward County (Thursday, Friday)
  • Charlotte County (Thursday, Friday)
  • Clay (Friday, Monday)
  • Collier County (Thursday, Friday)
  • DeSoto County (Thursday, Friday)
  • Dixie County (Friday, Monday)
  • Duval County (Friday, Monday)
  • Florida Atlantic University Lab School (Thursday, Friday)
  • Flagler County (Friday, Monday)
  • Glades County (Thursday, Friday)
  • Hardee County (Monday, Tuesday)
  • Hendry County (Thursday, Friday)
  • Hernando County (Thursday, Friday)
  • Highlands County (Friday, Monday)
  • Hillsborough County (Thursday, Friday)
  • Indian River County (Thursday, Friday)
  • Lake County (Early Release Friday – high schools at 1:20PM, elementary at 2PM, middle at 3PM, Monday)
  • Lee County (Thursday, Friday)
  • Manatee County (Friday)
  • Marion County will be (Friday, Monday)
  • Martin County (Thursday, Friday)
  • Miami-Dade County (Thursday, Friday)
  • Monroe County (Wednesday until further notice)
  • Nassau County (Friday, Monday)
  • Okeechobee County (Thursday, Friday)
  • Osceola County (Friday, Monday)
  • Palm Beach County (Thursday, Friday)
  • Pasco County (Friday)
  • Polk County (Friday)
  • Sarasota (Friday)
  • School for the Deaf and Blind (Thursday, Friday)
  • Seminole County (Monday)
  • St. Johns (Friday, Monday)
  • St. Lucie County (Thursday, Friday)
  • Volusia County (Friday, Monday, Cancelled ACT test administrations scheduled for Saturday, September 9, at area high schools.)

Florida College System Closures

  • Broward College (Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday)
  • College of Central Florida (Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Monday)
  • Daytona State College (Thursday, Friday)
  • Eastern Florida State College (Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday)
  • Florida Keys Community College (Wednesday until further notice)
  • Florida SouthWestern State College (Thursday, Friday)
  • Florida State College at Jacksonville (Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Monday)
  • Hillsborough Community College (Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday)
  • Indian River State College (Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday)
  • Miami Dade College (Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday)
  • Palm Beach State College (Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday)
  • Pasco-Hernando State College (Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Monday)
  • Seminole State College (Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Monday)
  • State College of Florida, Manatee-Sarasota (Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Monday)
  • St. Petersburg College (Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday)
  • Valencia College (Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Monday)

State University System Closures

  • Florida Atlantic University (Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday)
  • Florida Gulf Coast University (Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday)
  • Florida International University (Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday)
  • University of Central Florida (Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Monday)
  • University of South Florida (Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Monday)

BUSINESS, INDUSTRY, & ECONOMIC STABILIZATION

  • The Florida Department of Economic Opportunity (DEO) and the Division of Emergency Management (DEM) created an event in the Florida Virtual Business Emergency Operations Center (FLVBEOC) for Hurricane Irma and are currently updating with up-to-date storm information, situation reports and resources for the business community. FLVBEOC is available at www.flvbeoc.org.
  • The state has activated the Private Sector Hotline at 850-815-4925. The hotline is available for business inquiries about the storm, preparedness information and post-impact information.
  • The state is conducting daily Private Sector conference calls to provide situational awareness and to address concerns of private sector partners.
  • DEO is continuing to coordinate with CareerSource Florida, local workforce boards, and other public-private partners.
  • Major retailers are being contacted to provide the status of emergency supplies.

ELECTRIC & NATURAL GAS UTILITIES (Public Service Commission)

  • Utility providers are working on staging and asset allocation so they can return power as quickly as possible following the storm and are prepared to start reporting outage and restoral information when notified to begin.
  • The state is monitoring the power grid for sufficient power and the natural gas infrastructure for any damages that can cause a loss of service to power plants.
  • The state is coordinating with utilities to identify potential fuel, equipment or resource needs.
  • Memos for several gas companies to have access to their facilities have been issued.

VISIT FLORIDA

  • VISIT FLORIDA remains in contact with all destination marketing partners and emergency contacts and has activated the Homepage Banner and Florida Now page on visitflorida.com to advise consumers.
  • Through VISIT FLORIDA’s partnership with Expedia, Expedia.com/Florida has been activated to provide accommodations availability information for visitors, residents and first responders.

INSURANCE

  • The Department of Financial Services and the Office of Insurance Regulation (OIR) has activated its internal Incident Management Team (IMT) for coordination of activities related to Hurricane Irma and is preparing to respond to deployments as needed, and prepared to order property insurers to submit claims information from Hurricane Irma.
  • Additionally, in response to the Governor’s Office Executive Order, OIR has notified all entities writing health insurance in the state of their statutory obligation to allow for early prescription refills. OIR is also coordinating with the Agency for Healthcare Administration and Department of Health.
  • Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis is encouraging all Floridians 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.
  • Consumers with questions about their policies and those who need help filing a claim should call the CFO’s free Insurance Consumer Helpline at 1-877-693-5236.
  • OIR has updated its “Hurricane Season Resources” webpage, which contains links to information provided by the Governor, Chief Financial Officer, Attorney General, Commissioner of Agriculture, Federal Emergency Management Agency’s National Flood Insurance Program, and contact information for Florida’s property insurers.

FUELS

  • The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has approved an emergency fuel waiver request from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, which will allow more fuel to quickly enter the state as Florida prepares for potential storm impacts.
  • The state remains in contact with fuel industry partners and will continue to monitor fuel assistance requests. Florida is moving as much fuel through the system as fast as possible.
  • The state is prepared to survey fuel supply along evacuation routes and is coordinating emergency fuel resupply accordingly.
  • Emergency fuel contractors have secured 1.5 million gallons of fuel for initial delivery and confirmed that additional fuel supply is on standby for future deliveries.
  • While the state is working with fuel partners to bring fuel to communities as quickly as possible, it is important to be considerate of neighbors and take only what each family needs to be prepared.

PUBLIC HEALTH AND MEDICAL

  • Under a State of Emergency, individuals are able to refill prescriptions early. All health insurers, managed care organizations, and other entities that are licensed by the Office of Insurance Regulation and provide prescription medication coverage as part of a policy are required to waive time restrictions on prescription medication refills.
  • The Florida Department of Health (DOH) is coordinating with hospitals and healthcare facilities across Florida on evacuation needs.
  • DOH is preparing to set up and coordinate staffing for special needs shelters.
  • The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has Disaster Medical Assistance Teams on standby for Florida. These rapid response teams aid in the provision of medical care to those who need it after the storm.
  • The Agency for Persons with Disabilities’ regional offices have contacted providers and waiver support coordinators to ensure APD customers have a hurricane plan in place and that communities for people with developmental disabilities are preparing for the storm. Two group homes in Monroe County have evacuated. Others are evacuating on Thursday. Many will be going to a special needs shelter at Florida International University.
  • The Agency for Persons with Disabilities’ Southern Region is on standby to evacuate. One group home has evacuated from the Central Region today. Two more are planning to evacuate tomorrow morning. One group home from Broward County has evacuated.

TELECOMMUNICATIONS

  • The state has contacted telecommunications partners to activate protective action plans and procedures for Central Offices, tower sites, mobile response units and any other critical infrastructure.
  • Comcast will be opening more than 137,000 free Xfinity WiFi hotspots throughout the state for individuals in need, including non-Xfinity customers, to help residents and emergency personnel stay connected if Hurricane Irma makes anticipated landfall in Florida. 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.
  • Telecommunications Partners are monitoring fuel levels for generators and back-up power supply for cell towers.
  • The state is drafting 24-hour staffing schedules and all Telecommunications remain on standby to respond if required. Additional resources are being identified and preparing for potential deployment.
  • At this point, there are no out of ordinary reports of any major outages.
  • Florida Public Radio Emergency Network (FPREN) has been sharing vital information about Hurricane Irma through their broadcast network, social media and station websites.
  • FPREN is also reporting important news and information through the Florida Storms app and social media pages.

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION

  • The Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) staff is currently conducting baseline shoreline assessments to help evaluate beach impacts. DEP is also assisting in identifying and fortifying vulnerable areas of shoreline.
  • DEP is reaching out to drinking, wastewater and hazardous waste facilities to help ensure preparation steps are being taken, and has issued an emergency final order to ensure recovery efforts are not hampered or delayed.
  • Eleven Florida State Parks are currently closed. DEP is preparing to close more than 20 additional parks tomorrow. A full list of closures can be found at https://floridastateparks.org/content/storm-information.

LAKE OKEECHOBEE

  • The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Jacksonville District has begun a pre-storm drawdown that includes water releases from Lake Okeechobee. The Corps anticipates the releases will last a short time, with future water management decisions dependent on the water level in the lake after the storm passes.
  • Routine inspections of the Herbert Hoover Dike are taking place and additional inspections will begin once the lake approaches 17 feet. The lake level is currently at 13.68 feet.
  • The South Florida Water Management District has begun lowering water levels in canals and moving as much water as possible to tide and south through flood control structures throughout its flood control system in preparation for the storm.
  • Field station staff are also inspecting key parts of the flood control system and ensuring adequate supplies of fuel and equipment for pump stations.
  • The District is closely coordinating with local drainage districts and governments to help them prepare their local canal systems for stormwater runoff from the hurricane.

State Emergency Operations Center/ Contact Information:

  • The State Emergency Operations Center has been activated to 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. 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.
  • On Tuesday, Governor Scott requested, and President Donald Trump approved, a pre-landfall emergency declaration for the State of Florida in preparation for Hurricane Irma which provided important preparation resources and assistance from the federal government.

Gov. Scott Issues Updates on Hurricane Irma Preparedness

Posted on

Governor Rick Scott this evening received a full update on Hurricane Irma at the State Emergency Operations Center. Governor Scott has been in constant communication with state and local emergency management officials, law enforcement, school superintendents and county leaders who are also working to ensure the state is prepared to respond to any potential impacts from Hurricane Irma. Today, Governor Scott directed the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) to suspend tolls across the entire State of Florida in preparation for Hurricane Irma and directed the closure of all state offices this Friday, September 8, in preparation of Hurricane Irma.
Governor Scott today requested, and President Donald Trump approved, a pre-landfall emergency declaration for the State of Florida in preparation for Hurricane Irma which will provide important preparation resources and assistance from the federal government. Yesterday, Governor Scott issued Executive Order 17-235 declaring a state of emergency in all 67 counties within the State of Florida. The State Emergency Operations Center has been activated to level one, which is a full-scale, 24-hours-a-day activation.
EMERGENCY SUPPORT FUNCTIONS BY STATE EMERGENCY RESPONSE TEAM
MILITARY SUPPORT

  • Governor Scott activated 100 members of the Florida Air and Army National Guard to support with planning, logistics and operations in preparation for potential impacts from Hurricane Irma. These 100 members are stationed across the state and actively assisting with preparation efforts.
  • At the direction of Governor Scott, all 7,000 National Guard members will be reporting for duty Friday morning. Additional guard members will be activated this week as needed.
  • In addition, 1,000 high water vehicles, 13 helicopters, 17 boats and more than 700 generators are on standby.
  • Florida has air assets and resources from the North Carolina National Guard on standby and is also coordinating with nearby states to assist with evacuations from the Florida Keys.
  • The Florida National Guard is coordinating with the National Guard Bureau to identify approximately 30,000 troops, 4,000 trucks, 100 helicopters, and Aero-Evacuation crews that are standing by for Hurricane Irma support, if needed.

LAW ENFORCEMENT

  • The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is preparing search and rescue teams for potential deployment. All teams that were deployed to Texas have since returned or are in the process of returning.
  • The Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, and other partnering agencies are identifying resources for deployment if necessary to respond to the storm.
  • The division of the Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) is monitoring road and traffic conditions to ensure the roadways are clear and working with the Division of Emergency Management to ensure consistent messaging is provided statewide.
  • The division of Motorist Services has its Florida Licensing on Wheels (FLOW) mobiles on standby and will deploy them to impacted areas as needed.

EVACUATION NOTICES/ORDERS

  • Monroe County has issued mandatory evacuations for visitors beginning tomorrow morning and tomorrow evening for all residents.
  • Individuals with special needs will be evacuated from Miami beginning on Wednesday morning.
  • Miami-Dade County officials are advising residents living in low-lying areas to start evacuating on Wednesday.

TRANSPORTATION & PUBLIC WORKS

  • 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 be suspended for the duration of the storm’s impacts to Florida.
  • The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) is holding teleconferences with districts and agency partners such as the Army Corps of Engineers, Water Management Districts, and Federal Highway Administration to ensure all infrastructure needs are met.
  • 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.
  • The state is monitoring conditions at all airports and seaports. As of now, there are no closed airports or seaports.
  • Governor Scott has rescinded all weight and driver restrictions for highways so water, food, fuel and emergency supplies can be quickly brought to Florida.

HUMAN SERVICES:

  • While the state is working with retail partners to fill grocery store shelves with water and other emergency resources as quickly as possible, it is important to be considerate of neighbors and take only what each family needs to be prepared.
  • The state is staging mass care supplies such as meals, shelter support trailers and water at the State Logistic Resource Center in Orlando for deployments as needed.
  • The state is also establishing local points of contact with mass care organizations and volunteer agencies, including working with the American Red Cross to coordinate sheltering and feeding operations. The American Red Cross has also established a Disaster Relief Operation (DRO) in Orlando.
  • The Department of Business and Professional Regulation and Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services is running projection models for human-services’ needs (such as food and sheltering) based on a major hurricane impacting the state.

VOLUNTEER ORGANIZATIONS

  • Volunteer Florida is coordinating with volunteer organizations across the state and has partnered with the American Red Cross to provide shelter operations training to volunteers and AmeriCorps grantees. Floridians who would like to volunteer can register HERE.
  • Volunteer Florida has 43 Community Emergency Response Teams (CERT) on standby to deploy to areas of need. Many of these teams have begun to work in local call centers and prepare for sheltering assistance.
  • American Red Cross teams are arriving into Orlando for staging with 26 tractor trailers at the State Logistics Resource Center, 150 trailers at the State Farmers Market, and 100 emergency response vehicles staging in North Florida. They are also sending 1,000 volunteers.
  • The Salvation Army is on standby with 32 cooking units already in Florida and additional supplies awaiting deployment from neighboring states.
  • The Florida Baptist Convention has 35 kitchens on standby ready to feed 35,000 meals a day.

STATE OFFICE CLOSURES

  • Governor Rick Scott directed state offices to be closed in all 67 Florida counties this Friday in preparation for Hurricane Irma.
  • Prior to Friday’s statewide closures, state office closures will follow the direction of county officials and will be announced as they are determined.
  • State offices in Monroe county will be closed tomorrow until further notice.
  • In partnership with the American Red Cross, salaried, non-essential state employees can receive expedited volunteer certifications for disaster services so that they may assist in or operate shelters in response to Hurricane Irma impacts and preparation. Florida law allows Governor Scott to grant full-time, salaried state employees up to 15 days of administrative leave for emergency volunteer efforts through the American Red Cross. Employees can register HERE.

SCHOOL DISTRICTS

  • The Florida Department of Education is in contact with school districts, state colleges and universities for updates before, during and after emergency events.
  • At this time, all school districts and colleges are monitoring Irma and her path.
  • Districts are preparing in the case that their facilities are needed for shelters. Colleges are making emergency preparations on their campuses and working with students who may need assistance with relocation.

K-12 Public Schools Closures:

  • Broward County Public Schools will be closed Thursday, September 7, and Friday, September 8.
  • Collier County Public Schools will be closed Thursday, September 7, and Friday, September 8.
  • The School District of Indian River County will be closed Thursday, September 7, and Friday September 8.
  • The Lee County School District has cancelled after-school activities Wednesday, September 6. All schools will be closed and after-school activities cancelled Thursday, September 7, and Friday, September 8.
  • The Martin County School District will be closed Thursday, September 7, and Friday, September 8.
  • Miami-Dade County Public Schools has cancelled after-school activities Wednesday, September 6. All schools will be closed and after-school activities cancelled Thursday, September 7, and Friday, September 8.
  • The Monroe County School District has cancelled school and all activities and meetings, beginning Wednesday, September 6 until further notice.
  • Sarasota County Schools cancelled all extra-curricular activities for Friday, September 8. School closure decisions will be made tomorrow (September 6) afternoon.
  • Hernando County Schools will be closed Thursday, September 7, and Friday September 8.
  • St. Lucie Public Schools will be closed Thursday, September 7, and Friday September 8. With the exception of Boys and Girls Clubs and 21st Century programs, all after-school activities are cancelled Wednesday, September 6.
  • Volusia County Schools has revised its athletic schedule through Friday, September 8, and cancelled ACT test administrations that were scheduled for Saturday, September 9, at area high schools.

Florida College System Closures:

  • Florida Keys Community College has closed the Key West Campus and all centers, beginning Wednesday, September 6 until further notice.
  • Miami Dade College will be closed Thursday, September 7 – Sunday, September 10.

State University System Closures:

  • Florida Atlantic University and Florida International University are cancelling classes for Wednesday, September 6 – Sunday, September 10, with staff reporting to offices Wednesday, September 6, to make necessary preparations. At this time, residential students will be allowed to shelter in place.

BUSINESS, INDUSTRY, & ECONOMIC STABILIZATION

  • The Florida Department of Economic Opportunity (DEO) and the Division of Emergency Management (DEM) created an event in the Florida Virtual Business Emergency Operations Center (FLVBEOC) for Hurricane Irma and are currently updating with up-to-date storm information, situation reports and resources for the business community. FLVBEOC is available at www.flvbeoc.org.
  • The state has activated the Private Sector Hotline at 850-815-4925. The hotline is available for business inquiries about the storm, preparedness information and post-impact information.
  • The state is conducting daily Private Sector conference calls to provide situational awareness and to address concerns of private sector partners.

ELECTRIC & NATURAL GAS UTILITIES (Public Service Commission)

  • Utilities have been put on notice to start reporting outage and restoral information when notified to begin.
  • 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 and the natural gas infrastructure for any damages that can cause a loss of service to power plants.
  • The state is also requesting utilities to identify any staging areas needed outside of Florida and requesting the status of all nuclear facilities in the event a shutdown is necessary.
  • Memos for several gas companies to have access to their facilities have been issued.

VISIT FLORIDA

  • VISIT FLORIDA has been in contact with all destination marketing partners and emergency contacts and has activated the Homepage Banner and Florida Now page on visitflorida.comto advise consumers.
  • Through VISIT FLORIDA’s partnership with Expedia, Expedia.com/Florida has been activated to provide accommodations availability information for visitors, residents and first responders.

INSURANCE

  • The Department of Financial Services and the Office of Insurance Regulation (OIR) has activated its internal Incident Management Team (IMT) for coordination of activities related to Hurricane Irma and is preparing to respond to deployments as needed, and prepared to order property insurers to submit claims information from Hurricane Irma.
  • Additionally, in response to the Governor’s Office Executive Order, OIR has notified all entities writing health insurance in the state of their statutory obligation to allow for early prescription refills. OIR is also coordinating with the Agency for Healthcare Administration and Department of Health.
  • Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis is encouraging all Floridians 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.
  • Consumers with questions about their policies and those who need help filing a claim should call the CFO’s free Insurance Consumer Helpline at 1-877-693-5236.
  • OIR has updated its “Hurricane Season Resources” webpage, which contains links to information provided by the Governor, Chief Financial Officer, Attorney General, Commissioner of Agriculture, Federal Emergency Management Agency’s National Flood Insurance Program, and contact information for Florida’s property insurers.

FUELS

  • The state is contacting fuel industry partners (e.g., Florida Petroleum Council, Florida Petroleum Marketers and Convenience Store Association); there are no reported supply, distribution or retail fuel shortages or issues.
  • The state is monitoring fuel assistance requests and has contacted emergency fuel and equipment providers for status of emergency fuel supply and equipment.
  • While the state is working with fuel partners to bring fuel to communities as quickly as possible, it is important to be considerate of neighbors and take only what each family needs to be prepared.

PUBLIC HEALTH AND MEDICAL

  • The Florida Department of Health (DOH) is coordinating with hospitals and healthcare facilities across Florida on potential evacuation needs.
  • DOH is preparing to set up and coordinate staffing for special needs shelters.
  • The Agency for Persons with Disabilities’ regional offices are contacting providers and waiver support coordinators to ensure APD customers have a hurricane plan in place.

TELECOMMUNICATIONS

  • The state has contacted telecommunications partners to activate protective action plans and procedures for Central Offices, tower sites, mobile response units and any other critical infrastructure.
  • Telecommunications Partners are monitoring fuel levels for generators and back-up power supply.
  • The state is drafting 24-hour staffing schedules and all Telecommunications remain on standby to respond if required.
  • At this point, there are no out of ordinary reports of any major outages.

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION

  • The Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) staff is currently conducting baseline shoreline assessments to help evaluate beach impacts.
  • DEP is reaching out to drinking, wastewater and hazardous waste facilities to help ensure preparation steps are being taken.
  • All state parks remain open at this time, but no new camping reservations will be accepted for the next 10 days.

LAKE OKEECHOBEE

  • The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Jacksonville District has begun a pre-storm drawdown that includes water releases from Lake Okeechobee. The Corps anticipates the releases will last a short time, with future water management decisions dependent on the water level in the lake after the storm passes.
  • Routine inspections of the Herbert Hoover Dike are taking place and additional inspections will begin once the lake approaches 17 feet. The lake level is currently at 13.67 feet.
  • The South Florida Water Management District has begun lowering water levels in canals and moving as much water as possible to tide and south through flood control structures throughout its flood control system in preparation for the storm.

CONTACTS:

  • The State Emergency Operations Center Media Line: 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.

Gov. Scott Issues Updates on Hurricane Irma Preparedness

Posted on

Governor Rick Scott today received a full update on Hurricane Irma from the State Emergency Operations Center. Governor Scott has been in constant communication with state and local emergency management officials, law enforcement, school superintendents and county leaders who are also working to ensure the state is prepared to respond to any potential impacts from Hurricane Irma. Yesterday, Governor Scott issued Executive Order 17-235 declaring a state of emergency in all 67 counties within the State of Florida. Governor Scott today requested that President Donald Trump declare a pre-landfall emergency for the State of Florida in preparation for Hurricane Irma to provide important preparation resources and assistance from the federal government. The State Emergency Operations Center has been activated to level one, which is a full-scale, 24-hours-a-day activation.
EMERGENCY SUPPORT FUNCTIONS BY STATE EMERGENCY RESPONSE TEAM
MILITARY SUPPORT

  • Governor Scott activated 100 members of the Florida Air and Army National Guard to support with planning, logistics and operations in preparation for potential impacts from Hurricane Irma. These 100 members will be stationed in across the state.
  • At the direction of Governor Scott, all 7,000 National Guard members will be reporting for duty Friday morning. Additional guard members will be activated this week as needed.
  • In addition, 13 helicopters and more than 1,000 tactical high wheeled trucks are on standby.
  • Florida has identified air assets and resources from the North Carolina National Guard and is also coordinating with nearby states to assist with evacuations from the Florida Keys.
  • The Florida National Guard is coordinating with the National Guard Bureau to identify approximately 30,000 troops, 4,000 trucks, 100 helicopters, and Aero-Evacuation crews that are standing by for Hurricane Irma support, if needed.

LAW ENFORCEMENT

  • The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is preparing search and rescue teams for potential deployment. All teams that were deployed to Texas have since returned or are in the process of returning.
  • The Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, and other partnering agencies are identifying resources for deployment if necessary to respond to the storm.
  • The division of the Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) is monitoring road and traffic conditions to ensure the roadways are clear and working with the Division of Emergency Management to ensure consistent messaging is provided statewide.
  • The division of Motorist Services has its Florida Licensing on Wheels (FLOW) mobiles on standby and will deploy them to impacted areas as needed.

TRANSPORTATION & PUBLIC WORKS

  • The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) is holding teleconferences with districts and agency partners such as the Army Corps of Engineers, Water Management Districts, and Federal Highway Administration to ensure all infrastructure needs are met.
  • 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.
  • The state is monitoring conditions at all airports and seaports. As of now, there are no closed airports or seaports.
  • Governor Scott has rescinded all weight and driver restrictions for highways so water, food, fuel and emergency supplies can be quickly brought to Florida.

HUMAN SERVICES:

  • While the state is working as quickly as possible to fill grocery store shelves with water and other emergency resources, it is important to be considerate of neighbors and take only what each family needs to be prepared.
  • The state is staging mass care supplies such as meals, shelter support trailers and portable water at the State Logistic Resource Center in Orlando for deployments as needed.
  • The state is also establishing local points of contact with mass care organizations and volunteer agencies, including working with the American Red Cross to coordinate sheltering and feeding operations. The American Red Cross has also established a Disaster Relief Operation (DRO) in Orlando.
  • The Department of Business and Professional Regulation and Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services is running projection models for human-services’ needs (such as food and sheltering) based on a major hurricane impacting the state.

SCHOOL DISTRICTS

  • The Florida Department of Education is in contact with school districts, state colleges and universities for updates before, during and after emergency events.
  • At this time, all school districts and colleges are monitoring Irma and her path.
  • Districts are preparing in the case that their facilities are needed for shelters. Colleges are making emergency preparations on their campuses and working with students who may need assistance with relocation.

BUSINESS, INDUSTRY, & ECONOMIC STABILIZATION

  • The Florida Department of Economic Opportunity (DEO) and the Division of Emergency Management (DEM) created an event in the Florida Virtual Business Emergency Operations Center (FLVBEOC) for Hurricane Irma and are currently updating with up-to-date storm information, situation reports and resources for the business community. FLVBEOC is available at www.flvbeoc.org.
  • We have activated the Private Sector Hotline at 850-815-4925. The hotline is available for business inquiries about the storm, preparedness information and post-impact information.

ELECTRIC & NATURAL GAS UTILITIES (Public Service Commission)

  • Utilities have been put on notice to start reporting outage and restoral information when notified to begin.
  • Utilities are contacting their mutual aid partners to determine availability if external resources are needed to restore services.
  • Monitoring the power grid for sufficient power in the state and the natural gas infrastructure for any damages that can cause a loss of service to power plants.
  • The state is also requesting utilities to identify any staging areas needed outside of Florida and requesting the status of all nuclear facilities in the event a shutdown is necessary.

INSURANCE

  • The Department of Financial Services and the Office of Insurance Regulation (OIR) has activated its internal Incident Management Team (IMT) for coordination of activities related to Hurricane Irma and is preparing to respond to deployments as needed, and prepared to order property insurers to submit claims information from Hurricane Irma.
  • Additionally, in response to the Governor’s Office Executive Order, OIR has notified all entities writing health insurance in the state of their statutory obligation to allow for early prescription refills. OIR is also coordinating with the Agency for Healthcare Administration and Department of Health.
  • The Chief Financial Officer DFS is encouraging all Floridians 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.
  • OIR has updated its “Hurricane Season Resources” webpage, which contains links to information provided by the Governor, Chief Financial Officer, Attorney General, Commissioner of Agriculture, Federal Emergency Management Agency’s National Flood Insurance Program, and contact information for Florida’s property insurers.

FUELS

  • The state is contacting fuel industry partners (e.g., Florida Petroleum Council, Florida Petroleum Marketers and Convenience Store Association); there are no reported supply, distribution or retail fuel shortages or issues.
  • The state is monitoring fuel assistance requests and has contacted emergency fuel and equipment providers for status of emergency fuel supply and equipment.
  • While the state is working as quickly as possible to bring fuel to communities, as Floridians prepare, it is important to be considerate of neighbors and take only what each family needs to be prepared.

PUBLIC HEALTH AND MEDICAL

  • The Florida Department of Health (DOH) is coordinating with hospitals and healthcare facilities across Florida on potential evacuation needs.
  • DOH is preparing to set up and coordinate staffing for special needs shelters.

TELECOMMUNICATIONS

  • The state has contacted telecommunications partners to activate protective action plans and procedures for Central Offices, tower sites, mobile response units and any other critical infrastructure.
  • Telecommunications Partners are monitoring fuel levels for generators and back-up power supply.
  • The state is drafting 24-hour staffing schedules and all Telecommunications remain on standby to respond if required.
  • At this point, no out of ordinary reports of any major outages.

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION

  • The Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) staff is currently conducting baseline shoreline assessments to help evaluate beach impacts.
  • DEP is reaching out to drinking and wastewater facilities to help ensure preparation steps are being taken.
  • All state parks remain open at this time, but no new camping reservations will be accepted for the next 10 days.
  • The South Florida Water Management District has begun lowering water levels in canals and moving as much water as possible to tide and south through flood control structures throughout its flood control system in preparation for the storm.
  • Routine inspections of the Herbert Hoover Dike are taking place and additional inspections will begin once the lake approaches 17 feet. The lake level is currently at 13.67 feet.

CONTACTS:

  • The State Emergency Operations Center Media Line: 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.

Gov. Scott Issues Updates on Tropical Depression Emily

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Governor Rick Scott continues to receive updates on Tropical Depression Emily at the State Emergency Operations Center. The Governor remains in constant communication with state and local emergency management officials and state agency leaders who are also working to ensure the state is prepared to respond to any potential impacts from Tropical Depression Emily. This morning, Governor Scott issued Executive Order 17-204 declaring a state of emergency in 31 counties within the state of Florida in response to Tropical Depression Emily. There are currently no evacuation orders in effect.
Governor Scott said, “I just spoke to state and county emergency management officials on the impacts of Tropical Depression Emily and there are no unmet needs or evacuation orders at this time. While it is positive news that this tropical storm has been downgraded to a tropical depression, we must remain vigilant. I will continue to receive briefings on the impacts of this storm tonight and will deploy state resources to assist local efforts if needed.
“Families in central and eastern Florida should remain alert and expect significant rainfall and the possibility of flooding and damaging wind gusts. As many Floridians head home from work, I urge everyone to drive cautiously and avoid driving through any standing water. All Floridians should continue to stay tuned to local weather alerts throughout the evening.
EMERGENCY SUPPORT FUNCTIONS BY STATE EMERGENCY RESPONSE TEAM
MILITARY SUPPORT

  • The Florida National Guard stands ready to support hurricane preparedness and response with guardsmen ready to be deployed if needed.

POWER OUTAGES AND UTILITIES

  • As of 5:00 p.m., there were approximately 7,800 homes and businesses without power, predominately in Manatee and Hillsborough counties. See the county power outage breakdown HERE.
  • Utilities are continuously reporting outage and restoral information to the State Emergency Response Team.
  • Utilities are contacting their mutual aid partners to determine availability if external resources are needed to restore services.
  • Monitoring the power grid for sufficient power in the state and the natural gas infrastructure for any damages that can cause a loss of service to power plants.

LAW ENFORCEMENT

  • The Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) has a 250-person response team ready to deploy as needed to assist with road closures, directing traffic in the event of power outages and respond to any call for service as needed by local law enforcement agencies.
  • FHP has reopened all lanes of the Sunshine Skyway Bridge.
  • The Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and other partnering agencies are identifying resources for deployment if necessary to respond to the storm.

SHELTERS & VOLUNTEER SERVICES

  • The American Red Cross is on standby to conduct shelter operations in Pinellas and Indian River counties.
  • Volunteer Florida has eight Community Emergency Response Teams (CERT) comprised of 265 specially-trained individuals ready to deploy as needed to assist disaster relief agencies and emergency management personnel.

INFRASTRUCTURE: TRANSPORTATION & PUBLIC WORKS

  • The state is monitoring the storm and holding teleconferences with the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) districts and agency partners – Army Corps of Engineers, Water Management Districts, Civil Air Patrol and Federal Highway Administration to ensure all infrastructure needs are met.
  • Army Corps of Engineers and Water Management Districts are monitoring waterways and are prepared to adjust flows as necessary.
  • FDOT is actively monitoring for roadway flooding and stands ready to respond as needed.
  • FDOT has prepared maintenance yards, construction zones, equipment and staff; testing and inventorying equipment; placing emergency crews on standby; reviewing emergency plans; preparing construction zones; and monitoring flood prone areas.
  • FDOT will continue to reach out to county emergency operations centers directly to coordinate any necessary response actions including activating traffic counters and providing maintenance of traffic and other assistance.

BUSINESS, INDUSTRY, & ECONOMIC STABILIZATION

  • The Florida Department of Economic Opportunity (DEO) and the Division of Emergency Management (DEM) created an event in Florida Virtual Business Emergency Operations Center (FLVBEOC) for Tropical Depression Emily and it is currently up to date with storm info, including press releases/situation reports. DEO and DEM continue to provide situation awareness to private sector partners.
  • VISIT FLORIDA has activated the Weather Alert ribbon on the VISITFLORIDA.com homepage and the Florida Now resource landing page

FUELS

  • The state has contacted fuel industry partners (e.g., Florida Petroleum Council, Florida Petroleum Marketers and Convenience Store Association); there are no reported supply, distribution or retail fuel shortages or issues.
  • The state is monitoring fuel assistance requests; currently there are no requests for assistance.

TELECOMMUNICATIONS

  • At this point, there are no out of ordinary reports of any major outages.
  • The state is monitoring fuel assistance requests; currently there are no requests for assistance.

SOUTH FLORIDA WATER MANAGEMENT DISTRICT

  • Field Station readiness actions include the following:
    • Lake Okeechobee water levels indicate that no discharges should be necessary. Lake levels will continue to be monitored.
    • Inspecting key parts of the flood control system and critical flood control structures.
    • Ensuring adequate fuel supplies for pump stations and other equipment.
    • Securing items vulnerable to high wind at pump stations and laydown yards in Homestead, Miami, Ft. Lauderdale and West Palm Beach.

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION

  • The Florida Department of Environmental Protection surveyed beaches throughout entire Florida west coast and is reaching out to state parks to assess needs.
  • No state parks are closed at this time.

CONTACTS:

  • State Emergency Operations Center Media Line: 850-921-0217.
  • Follow @FLSert or @FLGovScott on Twitter for live updates on Tropical Depression Emily.
  • Visit http://www.floridadisaster.org to find information on shelters and road closures.