Gov. Scott cautions Floridians to stay safe in aftermath of Hurricane Hermine

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Today, Governor Rick Scott provided updates on the impacts of Hurricane Hermine in Florida. Last night,Hurricane Hermine made landfall as a Category 1 hurricane near St. Marks, Florida. Governor Scott will be touring areas impacted by the storm today.

Governor Scott said, “As we all braced for impact and kept our families safe overnight, our emergency response personnel worked non-stop to respond to the needs of our communities. Today, we know there is a lot of work left to do following this storm. We will spend the coming days assessing the damage and responding to the needs of our communities and Florida families. The number one thing is to stay safe. While the storm has passed through our state, everyone must still take precautions and stay tuned to local weather stations for updates on road and weather conditions.

“Life-threatening coastal flooding and rip currents will continue and we must all remain vigilant. There will be a lot of debris, including uprooted trees and fallen limbs. We expect to see downed traffic lights, road signs and power lines that must be avoided. We also expect to have significant amounts of flood water along coastal and inland areas. Do not travel on the roads until they are clear and it is safe to do so. As the hurricane moved through our state, more than 253,000 Floridians experienced power loss. This number will continue to fluctuate throughout the day. I have contacted utility companies across the state and they are working to restore power. I have also spoken with local leaders, sheriffs and first responders to make sure they have everything they need to keep their communities safe.

“Heroes across our state answered the call last night to help those in need.  In Pasco County, fire and rescue personnel and sheriff’s deputies rescued 18 people from rising flood waters and got them to safety.  In Hernando County, FWC officers rescued families from flooded areas. I want to thank our first responders for quickly rushing to the aid of their fellow Floridians and our National Guard for standing ready to assist our communities in their time of need. We are also incredibly grateful for the Red Cross, Salvation Army, Florida Baptist and the many volunteers who continue to lend a helping hand to those impacted by this storm.

“Florida knows how to prepare and we also know how to lend a hand to our neighbors in need. Florida is a resilient state and we will all come together to rebuild and recover from this storm.”

IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES, THE FOLLOWING PERCENTAGE OF PEOPLE ARE WITHOUT POWER:

• Alachua – 25%
• Citrus – 16%
• Colombia – 30%
• Franklin – 19%
• Gadsden – 44%
• Hamilton – 84%
• Jefferson – 62%
• Lafayette- 67%
• Leon – 68%.  (More than 70,000 homes are without power.)
• Levy – 13%
• Madison – 66%
• Suwannee – 53%
• Taylor – 66%
• Wakulla – 91%

SCHOOLS IN 35 COUNTIES WILL REMAIN CLOSED TODAY:

BAY, GULF, WALTON, COLUMBIA, DIXIE, FRANKLIN, GADSDEN, HAMILTON, JEFFERSON, LAFAYETTE, LEON, LIBERTY, MADISON, SUWANNEE, TAYLOR, WAKULLA, ALACHUA, BAKER, BRADFORD, CLAY, DUVAL, FLAGLER, GILCHRIST, LEVY, MARION, NASSAU, PUTNAM, ST JOHNS, UNION, CITRUS, HERNANDO, HILLSBOROUGH, PASCO, PINELLAS, MANATEE

STATE OFFICES IN 37 COUNTIES WILL REMAIN CLOSED TODAY:

ALACHUA, BAKER, BAY, BRADFORD, CALHOUN, CITRUS, CLAY, COLUMBIA, DIXIE, DUVAL, FLAGLER, FRANKLIN, GADSDEN, GILCHRIST, GULF, HAMILTON, HERNANDO, HILLSBOROUGH, JACKSON, JEFFERSON, LAFAYETTE, LEON, LEVY, LIBERTY, MADISON, MANATEE, MARION, NASSAU, PASCO, PINELLAS, PUTNAM, ST. JOHNS, SUWANNEE, TAYLOR, UNION, WAKULLA, and WALTON.

EMERGENCY SERVICES FUNCTIONS BY STATE EMERGENCY RESPONSE TEAM

Law Enforcement

• Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles is monitoring road and deploying teams to assist local sheriffs as needed.
• Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission conducted search and rescue missions for high water recovery efforts in multiple counties. They are currently assisting with debris recon and removal.
• The Florida Department of Law Enforcement is coordinating with local law enforcement to support communities affected by the storm and has multiple missions ongoing across coastal areas. 

Transportation and Public Works & Engineering

• Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) is monitoring road conditions and closures.
• Florida’s FL511.com Traveler Information System is one of the most effective ways drivers can keep informed about the state’s roadways during and following any severe weather
• No interstates are closed. The Sunshine Skyway Bridge is still closed.
• There are no reported fuel supply, distribution or retail issues at this time.

Business, Industry & Economic Stabilization

• State activated Private Sector Hotline: 850-410-1403. Hotline is available for business inquiries about the storm, preparedness information and post-impact information.
• Actively monitoring the Florida Virtual Business Operations Center and EM Constellation, which allow counties to request resources and monitor updates.
• Fielded one (1) phone call inquiring how to use the above during post-disaster operations. Caller was referred to the DMS Florida Emergency Supplier Network.
• Updated ESF 18 distribution lists from emailed requests.
• Distributed SERT Flash Report No. 5 to private sector partners via GovDelivery and FLBVBEOC
• 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.
• If you have questions about insurance coverage, you can call the Department of Financial Services, Division of Consumer Services’ Insurance Helpline at 1-877-693-5236. You can find other hurricane season resources from the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation HERE.

National Guard

• Currently have 200 soldiers on state active duty in support of Hurricane Hermine.
• 6,000 total guardsmen ready.
• High wheeled vehicles in preparation for requests.
• Early this morning, the Florida National Guard deployed reconnaissance teams beginning in Crystal River and working their way up the coast doing search and rescue.

Food & Water

• The state is reaching out to counties impacted by the storm for U.S. Department of Agriculture allocations and monitoring power outages and flooding to ensure safety at food establishments.
• The Salvation Army has deployed 13 canteens across the state to assist in these efforts.

Health & Medical Services

• Monitoring local special needs shelters across the state and supporting local healthcare facilities as needed.
• 
  Environmental Protection
• There are currently 34 state park closures.

AMERICAN RED CROSS ACTIONS

• Validating shelter numbers and overnight shelter populations
• Conducting feeding operations in shelters
• Accessing community needs for possible mobile feeding, tarps & clean up items
• Providing intel throughout the day to FDEM and staffing county EOCs, as necessary
• Initiating damage assessments and directing public to Red Cross safety apps (post storm)

The Florida Division of Emergency Management is the state agency charged with preparing for all types of disasters in Florida. The Division is the state's disaster liaison with federal and local agencies, and is the lead consequence management agency for the State Emergency Response Team (SERT). The Division maintains the State Emergency Operations Center (SEOC) in Tallahassee and the State Watch Office, the 24-hour communications and command center for response coordination. Follow the Division on social media at facebook.com/FloridaSERT or on Twitter @FLSERT.