Slow Evacuations, High Storm Surge, as Category 4 Helene to Strike Tonight

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An overlayed satellite and radar image of Hurricane Helene approaching Florida, September 26, 2024. Courtesy NOAA

September 26, 2024 PM Update – Helene became a major Category 4 hurricane earlier this evening and tonight, as it readies for landfall between 8pm and midnight on the coast south of Tallahassee in Florida’s Big Bend, it is still strengthening and “extremely dangerous,” said the National Hurricane Center.  The National Weather Service is warning of “a nightmare surge scenario for Apalachee Bay,” which is 30 miles south of Tallahassee.  Unfortunately as well, Helene will be making landfall not far enough from 7:56pm, the time of high tide at St. Mark’s Inlet on Apalachee Bay atop the Gulf of Mexico, making the already expected “significant and catastrophic” storm surge worse.  Winds are the other issue.  The Florida Public Service Commission reports that as of 6 pm tonight (Thursday), 203,630 customers were without power across the state from the weather.  That number is certainly likely to grow.

Helene is not only boasting strength (a Cat 4 with 130 mph winds as of 6:30pm) capable of “catastrophic damage,”) but also breadth – with one of the largest wind fields of any storm to hit the southeast U.S. in years: a 500-mile wide band or wind and rain.  Weakening is expected after Helene moves inland, but the fast forward speed will allow strong, damaging winds, especially in gusts, to penetrate well inland across the southeastern U.S., including over the higher terrain of the southern Appalachians.

At 7pm tonight, the eye of Hurricane Helene was located about 110 miles west of Tampa and 145 miles south of Tallahassee, moving North-Northeast at 23 mph, with maximum sustained winds of 130 mph.  Parts of 21 counties remain under a Hurricane Warning, some of them entirely inland counties.  So this is not going to be just a coastal event.  A tropical storm warning extends to all but 70 miles of Florida’s entire coastline (Georgia and South Carolina are included as well) due to the size of Helene as well. 

The first Florida affects began this morning with street flooding in the Sarasota County city of Venice, where Helene’s growing storm surge during high tide spilled over the sea wall.   There’s also concern tonight by emergency management officials that not enough residents have heeded the past two full days of calls to evacuate to a public shelter or leave town.  Mandatory evacuation orders have been in place in all or parts of 10 counties from Florida’s Panhandle south along the Gulf Coast and include low-lying areas and mobile home parks around Tallahassee, Cedar Key, Tampa, and Sarasota – and as far inland as Lake City and Gainesville.  Another 10 counties are under voluntary evacuation orders.  (Here’s the complete list of statewide evacuation orders.) 

Street flooding this morning at The Esplanade/Tarpon Center Drive area of Venice, Florida due to the increased storm surge and tidal shift from Hurricane Helene, September 26, 2024. Courtesy, City of Venice

We are expecting an additional 6-10 inches of rain from Helene, with isolated places seeing 12 inches.  There is moderate river flooding expected as a result over the next 7 days, including the Ochlockonee, Sopchoppy, and Chipola Rivers, west and south of Tallahassee.  Some of Helene’s trailing rain bands could easily produce 3-5 inches of rain in West Central Florida. 

We saw flooding happening this morning ahead of Helene.  Storm surge pushed over the seawall in Venice.  Sarasota County officials believe Lido Key and some of the other barrier islands are going to be cut-off by rising flood waters.  Storm surge this morning was already pushing up the Myaka River, causing some flooding.  Farther south in the Florida Keys, there was some street flooding in Key West but the middle and upper Keys suffered no reported damage.

The National Hurricane Center (NHC) forecasters tonight anticipate storm surge of 15-20 feet in the most impacted areas (which will be somewhere between Carabelle, Florida east to the mouth of the Suwannee River, which is just south of Horseshoe Beach, close to the area where Hurricane Idalia made landfall in August 2023).  “This is a significant and catastrophic surge event that’s unfolding across our coastline,” said one hurricane center forecaster. 

“This surge is not going to be just a coastal threat, it’s going to affect inland areas as well,” said one of the NHC meteorologists.  He emphasized again that the surge will travel many miles inland, into Jefferson and Taylor Counties, “inundating many of our coastal roadways and some of our major US Highways, including coastal Highway 98.” 

“A 12-foot storm surge would be a historic event and not survivable for those along coastal or lowing areas that would be affected,” said Wakulla County Sheriff Jared Miller, who has been implementing a mandatory county-wide evacuation for the past few days.

There were reports by late morning of coastal flooding as well around Panacea and Apalachicola, to the southwest of Tallahassee.  We had a lot of rain fall across North Florida last night (Wednesday).  Between 6-8 inches fell from Lake Talquin, which is just west of Tallahassee, down to Apalachicola on the Gulf of Mexico.  And that was before this morning’s rains.  The saturated ground has prompted Flash Flood Warnings throughout North Florida and meteorologists again referenced the “high risk” category alert for considerable flash flooding for Tallahassee. 

Preparations: There was a slight change to the storm’s path overnight, to the east, prompting Governor DeSantis’ hope at a morning news conference that if that continued, perhaps the storm would take a route similar to Hurricane Idalia’s last summer, into a more rural and sparsely populated part of the Big Bend, sparing the state capital of Tallahassee from the brunt of the storm.

3,500 National Guardsmen are staged and ready to assist with recovery efforts, with an additional 2,000 available, the Governor said, warning that debris removal is expected to be a very significant effort.  Search and rescue teams are poised to launch as well.  There are also about 30,000 linemen from other parts of the state and country, staged just outside of the expected impact area, ready to drive in and fix any downed power lines or damage to substations.  

Florida’s Emergency Management Director Kevin Guthrie urged those within the likely path of Helene to go to public shelters or evacuate to the west.  “Often times, you only need to go tens of miles, not hundreds of miles to get away from the storm’s most serious impacts,” he advised at the morning news conference.  They have contracted for busses to pick people up in the greater Tallahassee area for a free ride to a shelter and are offering Uber discounts elsewhere.  Guthrie, the Governor, and his staff will ride out the storm in the emergency operations center. 

There are about 110 shelters open across the state tonight.  One official in coastal Citrus County, home of Homosassa Springs, said that they had over 19,000 people ordered to evacuate.  “There’s 70 people in shelters as of this (Thursday) morning with no indication of mass migration out of town.  So we have major concerns,” that not enough have heeded the warning and are in harm’s way tonight, they said.  (Here’s the complete list and current status of shelters.)   

Guthrie also warned of the tornado threat, urging “if you hear trees snapping outside, treat it like a tornado, and immediately get to an interior room or space with no windows,” advised Guthrie.

Tallahassee Impacts: Tallahassee, a Tree City USA community, boats big southern Oak trees, canopied roadways, and tall pines.  Its downtown is just 30 miles from tonight’s expected landfall at the coast and right in Helene’s northward path from there.  Power outages are likely as falling tree limbs hit power lines.  There were those making last minute preparations today, although most stores and businesses were closed, including grocery stores.  Most gas stations were also closed, many after running out of fuel last night.  The few that were open had long lines.  This would be the first major hurricane to pass over Tallahassee in modern history and there is a sense of dread and unease.  Some who’ve stayed put in past storms have left town for Helene.  One of our colleagues who religiously reads our reports, is staying after giving thought to anticipating the worst.  Her worst-case scenario would be a 100 year-old oak tree crashing through her roof.  Her strategy tonight is to sleep by her front door, for a quick exit should it be necessary.

Tallahassee is in Leon County, which noted in a release that “widespread and prolonged power outages, damage to critical infrastructure, catastrophic damage to the trees and powerlines, widespread inaccessibility due to blocked roads, and damage to well-built structures will all be likely.”  Mutual aid crews from 9 states are in town and ready to respond.  Crews have been responding to outages caused by Helene’s outer bands and have restored approximately 2,600 customers so far.  “Work will continue as long as it is safe to do so,” according to the release.  Response and recovery equipment from AT&T and military support vehicles are staged onsite at Tallahassee International Airport, and military search and rescue helicopters are on standby to respond.

Recovery: The News Service of Florida reports that Federal Emergency Management Agency Administrator Deanne Criswell said she will visit Florida, likely the Tallahassee area, tomorrow (Friday) to assess damage from Hurricane Helene.  During a White House briefing Thursday, Criswell said the agency has more than 11,000 people, in addition to the U.S. Coast Guard and military, available to assist recovery efforts from the storm, which is expected to travel into Georgia and other states after making landfall in Florida.  Criswell said about 700 people are already in the states responding to other emergencies and can “pivot” if needed.  “We have food, water, generators and tarps that are deployed to staging locations across the region, and so they are easily accessible and moveable post-storm,” Criswell said.  “And the Red Cross is actively standing up shelters in areas that are expected to see and feel the impacts of Helene.”  A complete list of the state’s preparedness efforts is at the end of this report.

Insurance Impacts: Comparatively speaking, insurance modeling suggests that Helene will make landfall in a sparsely populated area.  The Tallahassee-Leon County area aside (about 260,000 residents) the rest of the area is rural and despite the storm’s intensity, its impact on the insurance industry is anticipated to be moderate.  But (again) the storm’s actual impacts are expected to extend far beyond the cone of uncertainty.  The most significant effects are on the right side of the storm track and the location of landfall.  While a record storm surge is expected at the coast, its fast forward motion will create a speeder surge, but one whose impact is less that if it were a slower-moving storm.

Locke Burt, CEO of Security First Insurance, told the Tampa Bay Times today that insurance losses from Helene should be between $2 billion and $4 billion.  “This is not going to be a major test” of the industry, Burt said.  “It’s hitting in a place in Florida where very few people live.”

Gallagher Re Analytics on Wednesday released a Hurricane Commentary with a preliminary analysis on the impacts from Helene.  The global reinsurance broker said Helene could generate $3 billion to $6 billion in private insurance losses and another $1 billion in National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) and crop insurance claims. 

“Landfall in the Big Bend or Panhandle region of Florida as a major hurricane (Category 3, 4, or 5) has historically translated to insured losses in the low single-digit billions,” the analysis said.  “But Helene is not a typical storm.  Given Helene’s very large wind radius, this would still bring hurricane-force wind gusts and high storm surge to coastal areas in the heavily populated Tampa Bay area, tropical storm force winds across most of the Florida peninsula, Georgia, the Carolinas, Tennessee and southern Appalachia.  This initially suggests that Helene’s private insurance market losses should be expected to land in the range of ($3 billion to $6 billion).  This is subject to change.  Additional losses attributed to the National Flood Insurance Program and the USDA’s (U.S. Department of Agriculture’s) crop insurance program may approach ($1 billion).”

Others claims adjusting firms and analytics experts are warning that the storm could be more damaging than other recent storms that hit the same area.

Even if Helene misses the more populated areas of Florida, there is concern tonight that as it travels into Georgia overnight, it will put a direct hit on Atlanta, still as a forecasted Category 1 storm.

The Florida Office of Insurance Regulation (OIR) Tuesday issued a Notice to Industry on Hurricane Preparedness and Claims Handling.  It highlights important regulatory requirements and best practices to ensure efficient and proper claims handling pursuant to Florida law.  It includes a section on insurance companies implementing their claims-handling manuals.  Companies are required to acknowledge receipt of a claim within seven calendar days. Insurers must then make a claim determination within 60 days of receiving notice of a claim, notwithstanding a delay caused by factors beyond the control of the insurer.  It also includes handy reminders of preparedness measures within the insurance company.

So now we wait and watch and hope and pray.  The South Florida Sun Sentinel published this list of live webcams stretching along Florida’s Gulf Coast, where you can watch some of the impacts of Hurricane Helene.

For those reading this Hurricane Update who want to help those impacted by the storm, the Florida Disaster Fund was reactivated yesterday and has raised more than $1 million.  The fund is a component of the Volunteer Florida Foundation, Florida’s official 501(c)(3) charitable organization that supports volunteerism, community service, and disaster recovery.  To donate, click here. 

Click here for the full National Hurricane Center briefing with maps.  Visit FloridaDisaster.org/Updates for the very latest state disaster management information.  That includes a complete list of statewide evacuation orders and a list and current status of shelters.  You can also review our past Hurricane Updates and subscribe to receive future updates in your inbox.

Please know that we at Lisa Miller & Associates are here 24/7 for you.  It may sound trite but we are all in this together, my friends and colleagues.  Please prepare and be aware!  Stay Safe!

Lisa & the LMA team

(Here’s the latest news from the Governor’s Office on specific state preparedness actions and a list of mobilized resources:)

State Preparedness Efforts

  • The Florida Division of Emergency Management (FDEM) activated the State Emergency Operations Center to Level 1 on Tuesday, September 24, and is leading coordination efforts for the State Emergency Response Team. 
  • The State Emergency Response Team is engaged in over 1,150 missions to assist counties in their preparation efforts. These missions accomplish vital tasks like staging response resources, protecting critical infrastructure facilities like hospitals and utility stations, and coordinating personnel statewide.
  • There are 35,000 shelf-stable meals staged near the anticipated area of storm impact, ready to deploy for response.
  • Seven Urban search and rescue task forces are ready to deploy.
  • The Florida National Guard (FLNG) has mobilized nearly 3,500 Soldiers and Airmen in preparation for Hurricane Helene and can surge to 5,500 if needed.
  • The FLNG is postured to provide logistics support, law enforcement support, route clearance, search and rescue, commodity distribution, flood mitigation, aviation and other support as needed by the state.
  • The Florida State Guard (FSG) has prepared the following:
    • 250+ Soldiers ready to deploy.
    • 10 shallow water vessel boat teams
    • 7 flat-bottom-flood rescue skiffs
    • 2 amphibious rescue vehicles
    • 12 UTV’s
    • 15 Cut and toss crews
    • 7 search and rescue teams
    • 2 UH-60 Blackhawk for daytime aerial assessment and logistics missions
  • The Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) has positioned all assets, including aircraft, and is ready to respond for reconnaissance and damage assessments, including all backup satellite and communications systems. Portable towers have been staged for emergency communications.
  • FDLE is prestaging Telecommunication Emergency Response Taskforces for response to ensure continuity of service of the 911 system.
  • FDLE’s Criminal Justice Information Services received permission from the FBI to allow law enforcement agencies to perform criminal history queries on behalf of emergency shelters to determine the suitability of shelter staff who may care for vulnerable populations (children, the elderly, the disabled). 
  • Nearly 2,000 Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) team members work directly on storm response.
  • FDOT encourages drivers to download the FL511 app or visit FL511.com for road and bridge closures and potential detours that may be activated. Remember to always follow the direction of local law enforcement and emergency personnel. 
  • FDOT issued an Emergency Order on September 23, lifting weight restrictions and allowing emergency response vehicles, including utility vehicles staging for rapid response, to bypass weigh stations.
  • FDOT Statewide Preparedness Efforts Include:
  • Road Ranger Service has expanded service to 24 hours in the storm impact areas.
    • 890 team members conducting pre-storm preparations.
    • 613 team members working in the field conducting pre-storm preparations.
    • 245 pieces of heavy equipment are being used for pre-storm preparations.
    • 307 team members staged for cut and toss operations
    • 120 bridge inspectors staged for deployment
    • 43 team members staged for UAV (drone) deployment
    • 40 large pumps staged
    • 688 generators staged to assist with traffic signal power
    • 4 ITS trailers are staged.
  • Seaports:
    • Port Key West, Panama City, Port St. Joe, Tampa Bay, SeaPort Manatee, Port St. Pete, Port of Fernandina, JAXPORT, and Port Canaveral are closed waterside.
  • Airports: Some flight cancellations or delays are being reported. Check with airlines directly on specific flight updates. The following airports have suspended service:
    • Tallahassee International Airport (TLH)
    • Tampa International Airport (TPA)
    • St. Pete-Clearwater International Airport (PIE)
  • Railroads:
    • Amtrak: Silver Star and Silver Meteor routes (New York to Miami) will terminate in Jacksonville
    • Amtrak: Silver Star and Silver Meteor routes (Miami to New York) will originate in Jacksonville
    • SunRail service has been suspended.
  • Freight Rail:
    CSX will limit operations in the Tampa area.
  • Florida Gulf & Atlantic will shut down operations except the Pensacola area.
  • Apalachicola Northern and BayLine have suspended operations
    • First Coast Railroad will shut down operations on 9/27 .
  • The following transit providers have made the following schedule modifications.
    • Service Suspended: Lakeland Area Mass Transit (Citrus Connection), Manatee County Area Transit, Sarasota County Area (Breeze) Transit, Lee County (LeeTran), Charlotte County, Jacksonville Transit Authority (JTA) Skyway and St. Johns River Ferry, St. Johns County (Sunshine Line), Bay County (Bayway), StarMetro, Big Bend Transit, Wakulla County Transit, Jackson County (JTrans), Calhoun County Transit, Liberty County Transit, Gulf County ARC suspending, LYNX, Marion County Transit, Key West Lower Key Shuttle, Hillsborough County (HART), Pasco County, Hernando County (The Bus)
  • The Florida Department of Veterans’ Affairs (FDVA) The VISN 8 Clinical Contact Center is operational 24/7/365 for virtual care and tele-emergency care and support to Veterans enrolled for VA Health Care in Florida. 1-877-741-3400. Visit https://department.va.gov/integrated-service-networks/visn-08 for more information. 
  • Department of Management Services (DMS) is working to identify potential evacuation shelter sites for special needs and pet-friendly evacuees as far east as Lake City and west as Panama City.

 


Health and Human Services

  • The Agency for Persons with Disabilities (APD) is tracking APD-licensed group homes in impacted areas to ensure client safety from Hurricane Helene. APD will provide necessary guidance for re-entry when it is appropriate to do so.
  • The Florida Department of Health’s (DOH) is deploying over 135 emergency response vehicles. Staging is currently in Leon, Liberty, Osceola, and Pinellas counties.
  • DOH has prepared for Special Needs Shelter operations to begin in areas of Helene’s path. A press release has been sent statewide for additional information on special needs shelters. To find a shelter near you, please visit the county emergency management page here.
  • DOH and the Agency for Health Care Administration have initiated Patient Movement Mission to support medical transport and evacuations of health care facilities.
  • The State Surgeon General signed Emergency Order 24-002, which:  
    • Waives competitive procurement requirements in order to procure commodities, goods, and services expeditiously in response to the emergency. 
    • Permits emergency medical transportation services to operate across county lines.
    • Permits Paramedics, Emergency Medical Technicians, and Medical Directors, as defined by Chapter 401, Florida Statutes, licensed in other U.S. states, territories, or districts to practice in Florida in response to the emergency without penalty.
    • Authorizes a reporting extension for the Prescription Drug Monitoring Program.
    • Authorizes an extension of the upcoming licensure renewal deadlines for Nursing Home Administrators, Radiological Personnel, and Athletic Trainers until October 31, 2024.  
  • DOH and the Office of Insurance Regulation (OIR) sent information regarding early prescription refills permitted under Executive Order 24-209. This information was sent to the public, health insurers, managed care organizations, pharmacy benefit managers, pharmacy chains, and health care providers.  
  • The Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA) has activated reporting in the Health Facility Reporting System (HFRS) and has requested that all health care providers report their census, available beds, evacuation status, and generator status information. This information allows AHCA to assist health care providers in transferring patients if needed and ensure that health care providers in impacted areas have the necessary resources and adequate power.
  • AHCA made 537 provider calls for Hurricane Helene preparation ahead of landfall.
  • As of this morning, 80 health care facilities are reporting that they are evacuating.
    • 38 assisted living facilities
    • 26 nursing homes
    • 8 hospitals
    • 4 residential treatment facilities
    • 2 residential treatment centers for children and adolescents
    • 1 adult family care home, and 1 intermediate care facility for developmentally disabled
  • 100% of operating long-term care facilities have a generator on-site. The Generator Status Map for long-term care facilities is available here.
  • The Agency has waived all prior authorization requirements for critical Medicaid services until further notice.

 

 

Infrastructure, Roads and State Closures

  • The Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) is assisting the Florida Department of Corrections with the evacuation of correctional facilities as needed.  
  • FHP is assisting with evacuations in Taylor County and in Cedar Key in Levy County.
  • FHP is removing any abandoned or disabled vehicles left along roadways ahead of storm arrival.
  • FHP cut teams, along with FDOT road clearing teams, are staged and ready for post-storm deployment to provide aid to areas impacted by the storm.
  • Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FLHSMV) issued Emergency Order 24-05, in support of Executive Order 24-209 which: waives specific requirements for commercial motor vehicles providing emergency relief; and waives the replacement fees for driver’s license and identification credentials, vehicle registrations and titles, vessel registrations and titles and temporary parking permits for impacted individuals.
  • The Department of Children and Families (DCF) is working with the Community-Based Care Lead Agencies to contact foster families and group home providers to ensure preparedness. Two group homes are evacuating to safer locations.  
  • DCF has contacted all licensed providers in potentially impacted areas to ensure disaster preparation plans are in place and unmet needs have been addressed.
  • The Department of Elder Affairs (DOEA) contacted all Area Agencies on Aging partners to receive updates on their ongoing preparation efforts and gather the status of any unmet needs.
  • The Florida Department of Education (FDOE) has been in contact with all school districts and state colleges and is ready to provide assistance immediately following Hurricane Helene. Currently, 68 school districts have announced closures in addition to 25 State Colleges and 11 Universities. For more information on school closures, visit fldoe.org/storminfo.
  • In preparation for Hurricane Helene. Currently, 65 school districts have announced closures in addition to 22 State Colleges and 9 Universities. For more information on school closures, visit fldoe.org/storminfo.
  • Following the issuance of the Governor’s Executive Order 24-209, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) issued an Emergency Final Order allowing for the activation of disaster debris management sites to store and process storm-generated solid waste and debris.
  • DEP published a storm updates webpage to keep state park visitors updated of closures: FloridaStateParks.org/StormUpdates. Visitors with existing camping and cabin reservations at closed parks have been notified of their reservation status.

 

Resources for Employees, Businesses and Consumers

  • The Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR) has partnered with the Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association to encourage more than 71,000 Florida-licensed lodging establishments to relax pet policies and waive pet fees for evacuees.
  • Through this effort, anti-price gouging information and emergency accommodations resources have also been provided. 
  • DBPR has proactively communicated with more than 137,000 restaurant and lodging licensees to provide storm preparation and food safety resources. 
  • The Florida Disaster Contractors Network has been activated to connect homeowners with licensed contractors and suppliers to perform emergency repairs.
  • DBPR encourages Florida’s licensed contractors who provide post-storm construction-related services to register with its Florida Disaster Contractors Network at DCNOnline.org.
  • FloridaCommerce has activated the private sector hotline at (850) 815-4925, open daily 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Inquiries may also be emailed to [email protected].
  • Updates on business closures and business resources are consistently being updated at FloridaDisaster.biz/CurrentDisasterUpdates.
  • VISIT FLORIDA has activated Emergency Accommodation Modules on Expedia and Priceline to provide real-time hotel availability and lodging resources for impacted Floridians and visitors.
  • Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort has crafted special offers for Evacuees and First Responders in need of accommodations during an evacuation. Please see the linked pages below for more information.  
  • Rosen Hotels & Resorts activated its Florida Resident Distress Rates* for residents in the 61 counties where Governor Ron DeSantis declared a state of emergency. This initiative provides evacuees with a safe and affordable place to stay as they ride out the storm. For more information see https://www.rosenhotels.com/rosen-hotels-resorts-reduces-pricing-ahead-of-helene/
  • Visit website for CareerSource openings: careersourceflorida.com
  • Comcast has opened more than 52,000 public Xfinity WiFi hotspots in Florida. The free and public hotspots are open for all, including non-Xfinity customers. For more information click here.
  • Walmart is working with state partners to provide needed supplies after the storm has passed.
  • Publix has provided 10 pallets of water for shelters in Leon County.
  • CVS Health is working with state partners to prepare pop-up pharmacies in impacted areas.
  • UBER is providing Floridians free rides up to $35 each way to and from a state-approved shelter in counties under a state of emergency for Hurricane Helene. To get a ride users should use promo code HELENERELIEF. 
  • The Florida Department of State, Division of Elections, has contacted the United States Postal Service (USPS) about election information and vote-by-mail ballots. The Division of Elections recommended that Supervisors of Elections t contact their local district USPS to discuss a mitigation plan for ballot mailing, delivery, and return.
  • The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) worked with Florida’s ports and fuel industry partners to ensure adequate fuel supplies are available, and with Florida’s agricultural partners so producers have adequate resources.
  • The Florida Forest Service staged equipment, like high-water vehicles.
  • The Commissioner of Agriculture, Wilton Simpson, has approved an Emergency Order temporarily suspending the intrastate movement requirements for animal transportation. In addition, the following states have waived their interstate import requirements for Florida pets, horses, and livestock leaving the state: Alabama, Georgia (does not include livestock), Mississippi, North Carolina, and South Carolina. 
  • The Department of Revenue (FDOR) has issued Emergency Order 24-001: Taxing Authority Millage and Budget Hearings to assist local taxing authorities with altering their plans for annual budget hearings because of Helene. Department of Revenue bulletin PTO 20-07 provides further instructions for local taxing authorities during declared emergencies.
  • The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) has high-water vehicles staged to deploy.
  • 72 FWC officers and staff are ready to deploy with specialized equipment, such as:
    • 6 Airboats
    • 8 Shallow draft boats
    • ATVs/Side-by-sides
    • 71 high-water capable four-wheel drive vehicles
    • 3 aerial surveillance drones
    • 12 high-water capable swamp buggies/Fat Truck/UTVs
    • 4 SOG support trailers
    • 4 BERG self-sustainment container units
    • 4 Hygiene trailers
    • 2 Mobile command units
    • 6 Generators
    • 2 Water trailers
    • 1 Fuel trailer
  • The Florida Department of Corrections (FDC) has evacuated 22 satellite facilities and two major facilities and relocated 4,630 inmates into hardened housing units. Inmate visitation has been suspended statewide until Monday, September 30.  The FDC will be posting updates publicly and in real-time at FDC.myflorida.com/weather-updates
  • The Florida Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ) have finalized storm preparations to ensure the safety and security of staff and youth in our care. This includes fueling all vehicles, moving vehicles in low-lying and flood-prone areas to higher ground, testing and ensuring adequate fuel supplies for generators in the event of loss of power, and ensuring food, medicine, and emergency supplies are stocked and ready.

Hurricane Helene Update of September 26, 2024 PM Update

 

 

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September 26, 2024