Hurricane Matthew News Archive

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Hurricane Matthew News Archive

Information updates concerning Hurricane Matthew.

Hurricane Hermine

11/16/16 - USDA Designates 4 Counties in Florida as Primary Natural Disaster Areas

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has designated Flagler, Putnam, St. Johns and Volusia counties in Florida as primary natural disaster areas due to damage and losses caused by Hurricane Matthew that occurred from Oct. 6, 2016, through Oct. 8, 2016.

Farmers and ranchers in the following counties in Florida also qualify for natural disaster assistance because their counties are contiguous. Those counties are:

Alachua	Clay	Marion
Bradford	Duval	Orange
Brevard	Lake	Seminole

All counties listed above were designated natural disaster areas on Nov. 9, 2016, making all qualified farm operators in the designated areas eligible for low interest emergency (EM) loans from USDA's Farm Service Agency (FSA), provided eligibility requirements are met. Farmers in eligible counties have eight months from the date of the declaration to apply for loans to help cover part of their actual losses. FSA will consider each loan application on its own merits, taking into account the extent of losses, security available and repayment ability. FSA has a variety of programs, in addition to the EM loan program, to help eligible farmers recover from adversity.

Other FSA programs that can provide assistance, but do not require a disaster declaration, include the Emergency Conservation Program; Livestock Forage Disaster Program; Livestock Indemnity Program; Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honeybees, and Farm-Raised Fish Program; and the Tree Assistance Program. Interested farmers may contact their local USDA Service Centers for further information on eligibility requirements and application procedures for these and other programs. Additional information is also available online at http://disaster.fsa.usda.gov.

USDA Designates 4 Counties in Florida as Primary Natural Disaster Areas

11/03/16 - SBA Disaster Assistance Available in Additional Counties for Private NonProfit Organizations in Florida

The U.S. Small Business Administration announced today that additional counties have been added to the Presidential declaration for Public Assistance for damages resulting from Hurricane Matthew on Oct. 3-19, 2016.

PNPs located in the following Florida counties are eligible to apply: Bradford, Brevard, Clay, Duval, Flagler, Indian River, Lake, Martin, Nassau, Palm Beach, Putnam, Saint Johns, Saint Lucie, Seminole, and Volusia. Examples of eligible non-critical PNP organizations include, but are not limited to, food kitchens, homeless shelters, museums, libraries, community centers, schools and colleges.

Applicants may apply online using the Electronic Loan Application (ELA) via SBA's secure website at https://disasterloan.sba.gov/ela.

Disaster loan information and application forms may also be obtained by calling the SBA's Customer Service Center at 800-659-2955 (800-877-8339 for the deaf and hard-of-hearing) or by sending an email to disastercustomerservice@sba.gov. Applications can also be downloaded from the SBA's website at www.sba.gov/disaster. Completed applications should be mailed to: U.S. Small Business Administration, Processing and Disbursement Center, 14925 Kingsport Road, Fort Worth, TX 76155.ï¿½

The filing deadline to return applications for physical property damage is Dec. 23, 2016.ï¿½ The deadline to return economic injury applications is July 24, 2017.

SBA Disaster Assistance Available in Additional Counties for Private NonProfit Organizations in Florida

10/26/16 - SBA Disaster Assistance Available to Private NonProfit Organizations in Florida Affected by Hurricane Matthew

The U.S. Small Business Administration announced today that certain Private NonProfit organizations (PNP)s in Florida that do not provide critical services of a governmental nature may be eligible to apply for low-interest rate disaster loans. These loans are available following a Presidential disaster declaration for Public Assistance resulting from damages caused by Hurricane Matthew.

PNPs located in the following Florida counties are eligible to apply: Brevard, Clay, Duval, Flagler, Indian River, Martin, Nassau, Palm Beach, Putnam, Saint Johns, St. Lucie and Volusia. Examples of eligible non-critical PNP organizations include, but are not limited to, food kitchens, homeless shelters, museums, libraries, community centers, schools and colleges.

PNP organizations may borrow up to $2 million to repair or replace damaged or destroyed real estate, machinery and equipment, inventory and other business assets.

SBA Disaster Assistance Available to Private NonProfit Organizations in Florida Affected by Hurricane Matthew

10/25/16 - Nassau and Seminole Declared for Individual Assistance

Florida Hurricane Matthew Major Disaster Declaration (DR-4283) was amended for Individual Assistance for Nassau and Seminole counties, as well as Public Assistance for several counties.

Residents and business owners who sustained losses in those counties can begin applying for assistance by:

Registering online at http://www.DisasterAssistance.gov

Calling 800-621-3362 (FEMA) between 7 a.m. and 10 p.m. Applicants who use 711 or Video Relay Service may also call 800-621-3362. People who are deaf, hard of hearing or have a speech disability and a TTY my call 800-462-7585. Multilingual operators are available.

Nassau And Seminole Counties Declared For Individual Assistance

10/25/16 - SBA Disaster Assistance for Businesses and Residents Affected by Hurricane Matthew Expands to Additional Florida Counties

The U.S. Small Business Administration has added more counties to the disaster declaration in Florida affected by Hurricane Matthew.

The disaster declaration now covers the counties of Brevard, Duval, Flagler, Indian River, Putnam, St. Johns and Volusia in Florida, which are eligible for both Physical and Economic Injury Disaster Loans from the SBA. Small businesses and most private nonprofit organizations in the following adjacent counties are eligible to apply only for SBA Economic Injury Disaster Loans: Alachua, Baker, Bradford, Clay, Lake, Marion, Nassau, Okeechobee, Orange, Osceola, St. Lucie and Seminole.

SBA Disaster Assistance for Businesses and Residents Affected by Hurricane Matthew Expands to Additional Florida Counties

10/19/16 - Brevard and Indian River Declared for Individual Assistance

Today Florida Hurricane Matthew Major Disaster Declaration (DR-4283) was amended for Individual Assistance for Brevard and Indian River counties, as well as for Public Assistance (Categories A and B) for Putnam county.

Residents and business owners who sustained losses in those counties can begin applying for assistance by:

Registering online at http://www.DisasterAssistance.gov

Calling 800-621-3362 (FEMA) between 7 a.m. and 10 p.m. Applicants who use 711 or Video Relay Service may also call 800-621-3362. People who are deaf, hard of hearing or have a speech disability and a TTY my call 800-462-7585. Multilingual operators are available.

10/19/16 - Brevard and Indian River Declared for Individual Assistance

Florida Hurricane Matthew Major Disaster Declaration (DR-4283) was amended for Individual Assistance for Brevard and Indian River counties, as well as for Public Assistance (Categories A and B) for Putnam county.

10/17/16 - Flagler, Putnam, St. Johns, and Volusia Declared for Individual Assistance

Florida Hurricane Matthew Major Disaster Declaration (DR-4283) was amended for Individual Assistance for Flagler, Putnam, St. Johns, and Volusia counties.

10/19/16 - Gov. Scott: Disaster Unemployment Assistance Now Available

Today, Governor Rick Scott announced that Floridians who have lost jobs as a result of severe storms and flooding during Hurricane Matthew may be entitled to federal Disaster Unemployment Assistance. On October 17, 2016, the federal government approved a limited part of Governor Scotts request for a major disaster declaration for Flagler, St. Johns, Volusia and Putnam counties, allowing the use of Disaster Unemployment Assistance funds for individuals affected by the storm. Gov. Scott is continuing to urge President Obama to approve the remaining counties that were impacted by the storm.

Governor Scott said, I have spoken firsthand with many families and business owners who were impacted by Hurricane Matthew. We are committed to helping these communities fully recover from this devastating storm, and helping Floridians get back to work is one of the most important ways to do so. Disaster Unemployment Assistance will provide necessary resources for individuals and families in Flagler, Putnam, St. Johns and Volusia counties, but there are many areas along our east coast that still need the federal governments support. I continue to urge President Obama to make these designations today so all of the communities impacted by Hurricane Matthew can begin the recovery process.

Federal Disaster Unemployment Assistance, administered by the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity, assists individuals who become unemployed as a direct result of a federally declared disaster and who do not qualify for regular reemployment assistance benefits.

Applicants must file a request for disaster benefits by November 18, 2016. Applicants must be legal U.S. residents and must have been working in or residing in Flagler, St. John, Volusia and Putnam counties.

The individual must: (1) have become unemployed as a direct result of the disaster or (2) be unable to reach the place of employment as a direct result of the disaster or (3) have been scheduled to begin work and does not have a job or is unable to reach the job as a direct result of the disaster or (4) have become the major support for a household because the head of the household has died as a direct result of the disaster or (5) be unable to work because of an injury caused directly by the disaster.

To file a Disaster Unemployment claim, go to https://connect.myflorida.com or call 1-800-681-8102.

Gov. Scott: Disaster Unemployment Assistance Now Available

10/17/16 - Flagler, Putnam, St. Johns, and Volusia Declared for Individual Assistance

Today Florida Hurricane Matthew Major Disaster Declaration (DR-4283) was amended for Individual Assistance for Flagler, Putnam, St. Johns, and Volusia counties.

Residents and business owners who sustained losses in those counties can begin applying for assistance by:

Registering online at http://www.DisasterAssistance.gov

Calling 800-621-3362 (FEMA) between 7 a.m. and 10 p.m. Applicants who use 711 or Video Relay Service may also call 800-621-3362. People who are deaf, hard of hearing or have a speech disability and a TTY my call 800-462-7585. Multilingual operators are available.

10/10/16 - Gov. Scott Issues Updates on Hurricane Matthew Response and Recovery Efforts

POWER

The following counties are currently experiencing power outages for more than 1,000 customers:

Brevard County ï¿½ 5,460 customers, 2% outage
Duval County ï¿½ 91,980 customers, 20% outage
Flagler County ï¿½ 16,256 customers, 27% outage
Indian River County ï¿½ 1,670 customers, 2% outage
Putnam County ï¿½ 1,581 customers, 4% outage
Seminole County ï¿½ 2,072 customers, 1% outage
Johns County ï¿½ 3,280 customers, 3% outage
Lucie County ï¿½ 1,190 customers, 1% outage
Volusia County ï¿½ 44,268 customers, 15% outage

Total without power: 169,252 customers, 2% outage

WIFI HOT SPOTS

To alleviate some of the burden from storm-related damages and help residents and emergency personnel stay connected in the wake of Hurricane Matthew, Comcast is opening up thousands of XFINITY WiFi hotspots in areas impacted by the storm in Florida, Georgia and South Carolina.
Hotspots are currently open in the following Florida Counties:
Duval County
Indian River County
Martin County
Nassau County
Lucie County
Johns County
These WiFi hotspots are open to anyone who needs them ï¿½ including non-Comcast subscribers. For a map of XFINITY WiFi hotspots, users should visit xfinity.com/wifi.

DAMAGE ASSESSMENTS

Individual county initial damage assessments are ongoing.

The federal government approved portions of Governor Rick Scotts request for a major disaster declaration for Florida due to severe damage caused by Hurricane Matthew. The approved declaration covers debris removal and emergency protective measures in eight counties including Duval, Flagler, Brevard, Nassau, Volusia, Indian River, St. Johns and St. Lucie. At this time, funding has not been approved for individual assistance or for permanent work to government buildings, roads and parks.

To see the approval letter, click HERE.

SHELTERS

There are currently seven shelters open throughout Florida with a total population of more than 120 individuals. This includes four special needs shelters who are serving 36 clients at this time. This number will be updated throughout the day.
As evacuation orders are lifted and people return to their homes, the number of available shelters is updating regularly. To find out which shelters remain open in your county, please visit http://www.floridadisaster.org/shelters/

EVACUATIONS

All evacuation orders have been lifted.

FUEL

The state is monitoring for supply, distribution or retail fuel shortages or issues, specifically for isolated incidents of individual retailers experiencing temporary fuel shortages. These individual retailers are being quickly refueled and fuel is readily available across Florida.
The state will continue to monitor and assist with state and local government fuel assistance requests.
The current fuel supply in the state will last for nearly 5 days.
All ports have reopened. All ports are resuming normal fuel delivery schedules.
The state is working with fuel partners and suppliers to increase the number trucks moving fuel from the ports to retail locations.

MILITARY SUPPORT

The Florida National Guard has completed most of its assigned missions and deactivated the majority of its responding units. Most soldiers are returning to home base and being relieved from active duty status.

LAW ENFORCEMENT, FIRE FIGHTING AND SEARCH & RESCUE

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE), Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) and other partnering agencies have identified resources for deployment to assist with recovery efforts.
FHP has over 250 Quick Action Force members deployed for public safety patrol across affected areas. FHP is also continuing to use aircraft to monitor road conditions when weather permits.

SCHOOL CLOSURES

The Florida Department of Education (FDOE) activated its emergency contact system for the east coast Florida school districts and colleges, and is monitoring closures made at the district and college levels.
The Florida School for the Deaf and Blind in Jacksonville will be closed for the remainder of the week.
Currently, the following counties have confirmed that schools will be closed on Tuesday, October 11th. This information will be updated throughout the day as school districts make determinations regarding class resumption.

Flagler
Volusia

PUBLIC HEALTH AND MEDICAL

DOH is monitoring and supporting special needs shelters.
The state is deploying State Medical Response Teams (SMRT) to hospitals in Volusia and Brevard Counties.

Federal Disaster Medical Assistance Teams are responding with SMRT.

The following hospitals are closed/evacuated patients:

Health First Cape Canaveral Hospital, Cocoa Beach
Florida Hospital Oceanside, Ormond Beach
Riverpoint Behavior Health Hospital, Jacksonville

DOH will be updating hospital evacuation information at FLHealth.gov

AHCA will continue to communicate with healthcare facilities for updates and support. After hours contact information has been provided to over 8,000 nursing home and assisted living providers, and hospitals in the affected areas. Post impact reporting instructions have been shared including providing power status, generator status, and re-entry post evacuation.

TOLLS

Tolls have been reinstated on all toll roads in Florida.

AIRPORTS

All airports are open. Please contact the airport directly for hours of operation and flight schedules.

TRANSPORTATION & PUBLIC WORKS

All interstates in Florida are currently open.
FDOT has completed damage assessments of roadways and inspections of bridges in Southeast Florida. There was very little road damage and evacuees began to return to the area on Friday afternoon.

Information on road and bridge closures can be found at http://www.fl511.com.

FDOT crews and contractors are assessing State Roads in Central Florida, Northeast Florida, and along the east coast. FDOT is also cutting and clearing trees and removing road obstructions.

Contractors are inspecting construction sites and will resume construction when safe and per schedules.
SunRail has returned to normal operations.
Florida Highway Patrol traffic incidents by region can be found here.

HUMAN SERVICES

Resources and Supplies

The Florida Baptist Disaster Relief Ministries

There are currently four operational field kitchens in Palm Coast, Fleming Island, St. Augustine and North Jacksonville.

The Salvation Army (TSA)

TSA is providing services in seven counties and has served more than 21,300 meals to affected individuals.
Operating 31 mobile canteens to serve impacted families and continue to serve the following areas:

Brevard (5)
Volusia (11)
Indian River (2)
St. Johns (4)
Clay (3)
Duval (6)

The American Red Cross (ARC)

To date, ARC has provided more than 27,000 meals to affected individuals.
ARC has 24 Emergency Response Vehicles (ERV) working in the impacted area to provide food and bulk distribution.

The state is working to identify short term and long term mass care needs.

To help customers displaced and impacted by hurricane Matthew, AT&T and Verizon are waiving data overage charges for customers in affected areas.
Food Safety Assessment teams have been mobilized to monitor power outages and flooding to ensure safety at food establishments once weather conditions improve.
The Division of Real Estate Development and Management continues to provide office space for FEMA in Tallahassee and space in Orlando to assist in response efforts.
The Division of Real Estate Development and Management EOC has transferred to Orlando to coordinate the logistics staging area for equipment in response to the storm.
To report price gouging call the Florida Attorney Generals Office at 866- 9NO-SCAM or visit the Price Gouging Open Form.

Volunteer Organizations

Volunteer Florida has established a volunteer registration link for those who are interested in volunteering following Hurricane Matthew. Please visit www.volunteerflorida.org/hurricane-matthew to register. So far, more than 1,800 volunteers have registered.
Volunteer Florida has had nearly 400 individuals apply to its Crisis Cleanup registration line.
Governor Scott has activated the Florida Disaster Fund. The Florida Disaster Fund helps to provide financial support to Floridas communities in times of disaster. To make a contribution, please visit www.FloridaDisasterFund.org.
Individuals can also volunteer through the Red Cross by visiting RedCross.org
The state is working with Volunteer Florida and other volunteers and donation agencies to identify available volunteers through Florida Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (VOAD) and AmeriCorps to staff shelters, provide immediate recovery needs, and begin to identify clean up needs.

Blood Donations

OneBlood has resumed normal operations and is urging donors to donate as soon as possible to replenish the blood supply. All locations have returned to normal business hours.
For a list of OneBlood Donor Centers and Big Red Bus blood drive locations visit www.oneblood.org.

Agency for Persons with Disabilities (APD)

All regions have called staff, providers, waiver support coordinators, and stakeholders to ensure health and safety of customers. To date there are no reported issues.
Group Home Provider Evacuations Include:

Central Region: Pediatric Pavilion (Orlando)
Northeast Region: Hibiscus Group Home (Jacksonville)
Residents are expected to return when power is restored

Department of Elder Affairs (DOEA)

The Department of Elder Affairs continues to coordinate with Area Agencies on Aging across the state to ensure that services are meeting the needs of elders and adults with disabilities across the state without disruption.
Meals continue to be served to homebound clients, and extra frozen and shelf-stable meals have also been provided.

Florida Department of Veterans Affairs (FDVA)

The Emory L. Bennett State Veterans Nursing Home in Volusia County continues to run on generator power. The generators have enough diesel fuel to power the entire home for multiple days without refueling, and all residents and staff are secure.

BUSINESS, INDUSTRY, & ECONOMIC STABILIZATION

Governor Rick Scott today activated Floridas Small Business Emergency Bridge Loan Program to support small businesses impacted by Hurricane Matthew. The bridge loan program, managed by the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity (DEO), will provide short-term, interest-free loans to small businesses that experienced physical or economic damage during the storm and recovery efforts. The application period is from today through November 11, 2016.

Businesses with two to 100 employees who seek to complete an application by the Nov. 11 deadline, or desire more information on the program, should visit floridadisasterloan.org. For questions regarding the Emergency Bridge Loan Program, contact the Florida Small Business Development Center Network state office at 850-898-3489.
The Florida Department of Economic Opportunity (DEO) is currently surveying businesses in the affected counties through the Florida Virtual Business Emergency Operations Center (FLVBEOC). The FLVBEOC is available at flvbeoc.org

There is Office and Warehouse space offerings for displaced or damaged businesses. For availability, click HERE.
The state has activated the Private Sector Hotline at 850-410-1403. The hotline is available for business inquiries about the storm, preparedness information and post-impact information from 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM ET.
The majority of major retailers in impacted areas are open.

INSURANCE

In the wake of Hurricane Matthew, Floridians affected by the storm must now begin the process of surveying damages to their property and belongings. If you need help finding your Floridas property insurance companys website and contact information, click HERE. For a list of licensed insurance agents in Florida, click HERE.
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.
If you suspect fraud or suspicious activity or 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.
OIR will continue to communicate with DFS regarding the establishment of an insurance village, a mobile location for individuals to file insurance claims, if needed following the hurricane. OIR and DFS will also closely track insurance complaints to help protect Floridians.

HOTELS/ LODGING ACCOMMODATIONS

VISIT FLORIDA will keep the Emergency Accommodations Module activated to provide available hotel accommodations to visitors. To view available accommodations, click HERE.
VISIT FLORIDA and Expedia have partnered to identify cities and hotels which are further away from the projected storm path and have availability. Please visit www.expedia.com/florida to find available lodging.
Airbnb expanded activation of the Disaster Response Tool beyond coastal South Carolina to include portions of Florida. Please visit www.airbnb.com/disaster/florida to find available lodging.

Airbnb is asking hosts to aid in this effort by listing their available rooms or homes on the platform to help house the growing number of evacuees.
Local residents impacted by Hurricane Matthew will be able to secure emergency accommodations through the tool free of charge from now through October 12th.

TELECOMMUNICATIONS

The Division of Telecommunications continues to work to resolve communication infrastructure needs and expedite restoration of services throughout the state to ensure first responders, residents and visitors are able to communicate response and recovery needs.
The division is coordinating communications status reports of outages, affects or unmet needs with the telecommunications industry and assisting with access to communications facilities in impacted areas.
The Division of State Purchasing has leased facilities for logistical staging areas in Central Florida to assist emergency response needs throughout the state.

U.S. ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS (USACE)

Initial post storm inspections have been completed. No issues or concerns were identified with the Herbert Hoover Dike. Weekly inspections of the dike will occur in accordance with the HHD Emergency Action Plan. The lake elevation has reduced from yesterday and is currently 16.04 feet. Daily inspections of the southern portion of the lake will begin if the lake elevation exceeds 17 feet.
Discharges to the east and the west of the lake are ongoing to mitigate flood risks.
USACE is participating in water debris removal discussions with the state.
USACE Jacksonville District is conducting surveys of the damage to federally funded USACE projects and is prepared to assist with additional missions in support of affected areas if requested.

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION

DEP beach erosion assessment teams have completed beach inspections across the east coast.
State park assessment teams have been deployed to remove debris and reopen state parks. Seven state parks and campgrounds remain closed. To view the full list, click HERE.
Household Hazardous Waste debris and drop off sites have been established in all 67 counties.
DEP is mobilizing responders to Jacksonville and Orlando areas for Hazardous Waste Assessment teams with EPA.

CONTACTS:

The Florida Emergency Information Line (FEIL) has activated and can be reached at 1 (800) 342-3557.
State Emergency Operations Center Media Line: 850-921-0217.
Follow @FLSert or @FLGovScott on Twitter for live updates on Hurricane Matthew.
Visit http://www.floridadisaster.org/info to find information on shelters, road closures, and evacuation routes.

Executive Order #16-230 for Hurricane Matthew

Gov. Scott Issues Updates on Hurricane Matthew Response and Recovery Efforts

10/10/16 - Governor Scott Activates Florida Disaster Fund Following Hurricane Matthew

Today, Governor Rick Scott activated the Florida Disaster Fund to support individuals who are impacted by Hurricane Matthew. The Florida Disaster Fund helps to provide financial support to Floridas communities in times of disaster. To make a contribution, please visit www.FloridaDisasterFund.org. The fund is administered by the Volunteer Florida Foundation.

Governor Scott said, Many families and businesses were impacted by Hurricane Matthew, and we are fully committed to ensuring every resource is available to help them. Activating the Florida Disaster Fund will give individuals across the country the opportunity to help those in need as we begin the recovery process following this storm. I continue to encourage all Floridians to look out for each other and work together to help our beautiful communities rebuild.

The Florida Disaster Fund is the State of Floridas official private fund established to assist Floridas communities as they respond to and recover during times of emergency or disaster. In partnership with the public sector, private sector and other non-governmental organizations, the Florida Disaster Fund supports response and recovery activities. There is no overhead funding; 100% of funds raised will go toward those in need. Donations to the Florida Disaster Fund are made to the Volunteer Florida Foundation, 501(c)(3) charitable organization and are tax deductible.

Donations may be made by credit card on the secure website www.floridadisasterfund.org or by check to the below address. Checks should be made payable to the Volunteer Florida Foundation and should include Florida Disaster Fund in the memo line.

Volunteer Florida Foundation
Attention: Florida Disaster Fund
3800 Esplanade Way, Suite 180
Tallahassee, FL 32311

For additional questions about the Florida Disaster Fund, please contact info@volunteerflorida.org or call (850) 414-7400.

Governor Scott Activates Florida Disaster Fund Following Hurricane Matthew

10/10/16 - Gov. Scott Activates Emergency Bridge Loan Program for Small Businesses Damaged by Hurricane Matthew

Today, Governor Rick Scott activated Florida's Small Business Emergency Bridge Loan Program to support small businesses impacted by Hurricane Matthew. The bridge loan program, managed by the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity (DEO), will provide short-term, interest-free loans to small businesses that experienced physical or economic damage during the storm and recovery efforts. The application period is from today through November 11, 2016.

Governor Scott said, "While Floridians across the state did all they could to prepare for Hurricane Matthew, this was massive and devastating storm that caused heavy damage throughout our state. I have toured areas throughout Brevard, Volusia, Duval, and Flagler Counties and have seen the shattering effects this disaster had on families and small businesses. Restoring Florida's small businesses is crucial to helping our communities recover from Hurricane Matthew and the Bridge Loan Program will help provide much needed assistance. We will continue to use every available resource to help restore our resilient communities."

DEO is currently surveying businesses in the affected counties. To access the business survey, please go to http://flvbeoc.org/index.php?action=bda and select "Hurricane Matthew" from the drop-down menu.

DEO administers the Florida Small Business Emergency Bridge Loan Program to provide an expedient cash flow to businesses damaged by a disaster. The short-term, interest-free loans help bridge the gap between the time damage is incurred and when a business secures other financial resources, including payment of insurance claims or longer-term loans. Up to $10 million has been allocated for the program.

DEO Executive Director Cissy Proctor said, "Across the state, our priority is to help every Floridian and community that has been affected by Hurricane Matthew. As the backbone of Florida's economy, we know that assisting small businesses with their recovery is an important step in restoring our communities. DEO is committed to using all of our available resources to assist small businesses in the wake of this major storm."

Owners of small businesses with two to 100 employees located in 67 counties affected by Hurricane Matthew can apply for short-term loans for up to $25,000. Loans are granted in terms of 90 or 180 days and are interest-free for that time period. To be eligible, a business must have been established prior to October 3, 2016, and demonstrate economic or physical damage as a result of Hurricane Matthew.

To complete an application by the Nov. 11 deadline, or for more information on the program, visit www.floridadisasterloan.org. For questions regarding the Emergency Bridge Loan Program, contact the Florida Small Business Development Center Network state office at 850-898-3489.

Gov. Scott Activates Emergency Bridge Loan Program for Small Businesses Damaged by Hurricane Matthew

10/09/16 - Gov. Scott Issues Updates on Hurricane Matthew Response and Recovery Efforts

POWER

The following counties are currently experiencing power outages for more than 1,000 customers:

o   Brevard County ï¿½ 29,720 customers, 10% outage
o   Clay County ï¿½ 9,894 customers, 13% outage
o   Duval County ï¿½ 122,778 customers, 27% outage
o   Flagler County ï¿½ 36,507 customers, 62% outage
o   Indian River County ï¿½ 7,050 customers, 8% outage
o   Lake County ï¿½ 1,661 customers, 1% outage
o   Marion County ï¿½ 1,336 customers, 1% outage
o   Martin County ï¿½ 4,570 customers, 5% outage
o   Nassau County ï¿½ 2,600 customers, 9% outage
o   Orange County ï¿½ 3,464 customers, 1% outage
o   Putnam County ï¿½ 8,522 customers, 21% outage
o   Seminole County ï¿½ 7,129 customers, 3% outage
o   St. Johns County ï¿½ 14,380 customers, 14% outage
o   St. Lucie County ï¿½ 10,620 customers, 7% outage
o   Volusia County ï¿½ 112,396 customers, 39% outage

Total without power: 373,697 customers, 4% outage

WIFI HOT SPOTS
ï¿½       To alleviate some of the burden from storm-related damages and help residents and emergency personnel stay connected in the wake of Hurricane Matthew, Comcast is opening up thousands of XFINITY WiFi hotspots in areas impacted by the storm in Florida, Georgia and South Carolina.
ï¿½       Hotspots are currently open in the following Florida Counties:
o   Duval County
o   Indian River County
o   Martin County
o   Nassau County
o   St. Lucie County
o   St. John's County
ï¿½       These WiFi hotspots are open to anyone who needs them ï¿½ including non-Comcast subscribers. For a map of XFINITY WiFi hotspots, users should visit www.xfinity.com/wifi.

DAMAGE ASSESSMENTS

Individual counties initial damage assessments are ongoing.

ï¿½ The federal government approved portions of Governor Rick Scotts request for a major disaster declaration for Florida due to severe damage caused by Hurricane Matthew. The approved declaration covers debris removal and emergency protective measures in eight counties including Duval, Flagler, Brevard, Nassau, Volusia, Indian River, St. Johns and St. Lucie. At this time, funding has not been approved for individual assistance or for permanent work to government buildings, roads and parks.
o To see the approval letter, click HERE.

The state supports this initial impact assessment process through the State Emergency Response Team by providing personnel and resources towards First 72 Hour priorities of law enforcement security, search and rescue, and incident stabilization of Floridas impacted communities.

SHELTERS

There are currently 28 shelters open throughout Florida with a total population of more than 340 individuals. This includes 10 special needs shelters who are serving 179 clients at this time. This number will be updated throughout the day.
As evacuation orders are lifted and people return to their homes, the number of available shelters is updating regularly. To find out which shelters remain open in your county, please visit http://www.floridadisaster.org/shelters/

EVACUATIONS

While evacuation zones are being lifted, local law enforcement decides when it is safe for Floridians to return to their communities. Please contact your countys emergency operations center citizen information line to find out if your area has been declared safe to re-enter. To find your county, click HERE.
The following counties have mandatory evacuation orders still in place:

Indian River County
Volusia County

Floridians and visitors can go to FloridaEvacuates.com or download the Florida-Evacuates app to enter their location and see shelters available in their area.

FUEL

The state is monitoring for supply, distribution or retail fuel shortages or issues, specifically for isolated incidents of individual retailers experiencing temporary fuel shortages. These individual retailers are being quickly refueled and fuel is readily available across Florida.
The state will continue to monitor and assist with state and local government fuel assistance requests.
The current fuel supply in the state will last for nearly 5 days, even if all ports are temporarily closed.
All ports have reopened. With the exception of the Port of Jacksonville, all ports are resuming normal fuel delivery schedules.
The state is working with fuel partners and suppliers to increase the number trucks moving fuel from the ports to retail locations.

MILITARY SUPPORT

The Florida National Guard has troops conducting support operations in St. Johns, Duval, Nassau, Putnam, Volusia, Flagler and Brevard Counties.
The Florida National Guard also has 69 members supporting shelters in four counties.

Governor Scott has directed the Florida National Guard to activate a total of 3,500 National Guard members to support hurricane preparedness and response. This is over half of the available troops that may be activated.
In addition to this, Florida has over 3,000 National Guard members ready to be deployed if needed.

LAW ENFORCEMENT, FIRE FIGHTING AND SEARCH & RESCUE

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE), the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), Florida Highway Patrol (FHP), and other partnering agencies have identified resources for deployment to assist with search and rescue efforts.
FWC has demobilized their ground units and are on standby.
FWC currently has five pilots flying missions in the impacted area for public safety patrol.
FHP has over 250 Quick Action Force members deployed for public safety patrol across affected areas. FHP also has more than 320 personnel on standby. FHP is also continuing to use aircraft to monitor road conditions when weather permits.

SCHOOL CLOSURES

The Florida Department of Education (FDOE) activated its emergency contact system for the east coast Florida school districts and colleges, and is monitoring closures made at the district and college levels.
The Florida School for the Deaf and Blind in Jacksonville will be closed for the remainder of the week.
Currently, the following counties have confirmed that schools will be closed on Monday, October 10th:

Brevard
Clay
Duval
Flagler
St. Johns
Volusia
DeSoto (closed for teacher planning day unrelated to Hurricane Matthew)

PUBLIC HEALTH AND MEDICAL

DOH is monitoring and supporting special needs shelters.
The state is deploying State Medical Response Teams (SMRT) to hospitals in Volusia and Brevard Counties.

Federal Disaster Medical Assistance Teams are responding with SMRT.

The following hospitals are closed/evacuated patients:

Health First Cape Canaveral Hospital, Cocoa Beach
Florida Hospital Oceanside, Ormond Beach
Florida Hospital New Symrna, New Symrna Beach
Riverpoint Behavior Health Hospital, Jacksonville

DOH will be updating hospital evacuation information at FLHealth.gov

AHCA will continue to communicate with healthcare facilities over the weekend for updates and support. After hours contact information has been provided to over 8,000 nursing home and assisted living providers, and hospitals in the affected areas. Post impact reporting instructions have been shared including providing power status, generator status, and re-entry post evacuation.

TOLLS

Governor Scott directed DOT to suspend all tolls in the affected areas of the state, which includes the entire Florida Turnpike, Alligator Alley, Central Florida Expressway Authority and the Miami-Dade Expressway Authority. All toll suspensions remain in effect and will remain suspended until at least Sunday night at 11:59 p.m. County DOT officials will review this on a case by case basis.

AIRPORTS

The following airport is closed:

o Northeast Florida Regional Airport: CLOSED
ï¿½ As airports open, please contact the airport directly for hours of operation and flight schedules.

TRANSPORTATION & PUBLIC WORKS

All interstates in Florida are currently open.
FDOT has completed damage assessments of roadways and inspections of bridges in Southeast Florida. There was very little road damage and evacuees began to return to the area on Friday afternoon.

Information on road and bridge closures can be found at http://www.fl511.com.

FDOT crews and contractors are assessing State Roads in Central Florida, Northeast Florida, and along the east coast. FDOT is also cutting and clearing trees and removing road obstructions.

Contractors are inspecting construction sites and will resume construction when safe and per schedules.
SunRail is anticipating a return to normal operations on Monday. TriRail is anticipating a return to normal operations on today, Sunday, October 9th.
Florida Highway Patrol traffic incidents by region can be found HERE.

HUMAN SERVICES

Resources and Supplies

The Florida Baptist Disaster Relief Ministries

There are currently two operational field kitchens in Palm Coast and Fleming Island. The Florida Baptist will begin feeding at two additional sites on October 10, 2016 in St. Augustine and North Jacksonville.

The Salvation Army (TSA)

TSA is providing services in seven counties and has served more than 13,700 meals to affected individuals.
Operating 31 mobile canteens to serve impacted families and continue to serve the following areas:

Brevard (5)
Volusia (11)
Indian River (2)
St. Johns (4)
Clay (3)
Duval (6)

The American Red Cross (ARC)

To date, ARC has provided nearly 25,000 meals to affected individuals.
ARC has 49 Emergency Response Vehicles (ERV) working in the impacted area to provide food and bulk distribution.

The state is working to identify short term and long term mass care needs.

Anheuser-Busch is donating nine truckloads, more than 450,000 cans, of emergency drinking water in preparation for Hurricane Matthew. Several truckloads are headed to Florida communities including Deerfield Beach, West Palm Beach, Fort Pierce, Orlando, Melbourne and Daytona Beach.
Coca-Cola is donating 10 truckloads, more than 360,000 bottles of Dasani water to the Jacksonville area.
Youfit Health Clubs will be opening their doors to the public today to help those who lost power from the storm. Visit their Facebook page for a list of all open locations.
To help customers displaced and impacted by hurricane Matthew, AT&T and Verizon are waiving data overage charges for customers in affected areas.
Food Safety Assessment teams have been mobilized to monitor power outages and flooding to ensure safety at food establishments once weather conditions improve.
The Division of Real Estate Development and Management continues to provide office space for FEMA in Tallahassee and space in Orlando to assist in response efforts.
The Division of Real Estate Development and Management EOC has transferred to Orlando to coordinate the logistics staging area for equipment in response to the storm.
To report price gouging call the Florida Attorney Generals Office at 866- 9NO-SCAM or visit File a Complaint.

Volunteer Organizations

Volunteer Florida has established a volunteer registration link for those who are interested in volunteering following Hurricane Matthew. Please visit www.volunteerflorida.org/hurricane-matthew to register. So far, more than1,800 volunteers have registered.
Individuals can also volunteer through the Red Cross by visiting RedCross.org
The state is working with Volunteer Florida and other volunteers and donation agencies to identify available volunteers through Florida Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (VOAD) and AmeriCorps to staff shelters, provide immediate recovery needs, and begin to identify clean up needs.
Volunteer Florida is working with Community Emergency Response Teams for deployment to impacted areas and is coordinating operations at shelters for evacuees.

Blood Donations

OneBlood has resumed normal operations and is urging donors to donate as soon as possible to replenish the blood supply. All locations have returned to normal business hours with the exception of Jacksonville.
For a list of OneBlood Donor Centers and Big Red Bus blood drive locations visit www.oneblood.org.

Agency for Persons with Disabilities (APD)

All regions have called staff, providers, waiver support coordinators, and stakeholders to ensure health and safety of customers. To date there are no reported issues.
Group Home Provider Evacuations Include:

Southeast Region: MacTown Redding Group Home (Boyton Beach)
Central Region: PediatricPavilion (Orlando)
Northeast Region: Hibiscus Group Home (Jacksonville)
Residents are expected to return when power is restored

Department of Elder Affairs (DOEA)

The Department of Elder Affairs continues to coordinate with Area Agencies on Aging across the state to ensure that services are meeting the needs of elders and adults with disabilities across the state without disruption.
Meals continue to be served to homebound clients, and extra frozen and shelf-stable meals have also been provided.

Florida Department of Veterans Affairs (FDVA)

Three of the state veterans nursing homes operated by the FDVA are on the east coast of Florida: The Emory L. Bennett State Veterans Nursing Home in Volusia County continues to run on generator power. The generators have enough diesel fuel to power the entire home for multiple days without refueling, and all residents and staff are secure.
Inspection of grounds by senior staff revealed only cosmetic damage. Both homes fully are functional.

BUSINESS, INDUSTRY, & ECONOMIC STABILIZATION
ï¿½ The Florida Department of Economic Opportunity (DEO) is currently surveying businesses in the affected counties through the Florida Virtual Business Emergency Operations Center (FLVBEOC). The FLVBEOC is available at www.flvbeoc.org

There is Office and Warehouse space offerings for displaced or damaged businesses. For availability, click HERE.
The state has activated the Private Sector Hotline at 850-410-1403. The hotline is available for business inquiries about the storm, preparedness information and post-impact information from 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM ET.
The state is currently identifying the open status and timeline of businesses in affected areas and preparing a status report for local communities to access.

INSURANCE

In the wake of Hurricane Matthew, Floridians affected by the storm must now begin the process of surveying damages to their property and belongings. If you need help finding your Floridas property insurance companys website and contact information, click HERE. For a list of licensed insurance agents in Florida, click HERE.
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.
If you suspect fraud or suspicious activity or 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.
OIR will continue to communicate with DFS regarding the establishment of an insurance village, a mobile location for individuals to file insurance claims, if needed following the hurricane. OIR and DFS will also closely track insurance complaints to help protect Floridians.

HOTELS/ LODGING ACCOMMODATIONS

VISIT FLORIDA will keep the Emergency Accommodations Module activated to provide available hotel accommodations to visitors. To view available accommodations, click HERE.
VISIT FLORIDA and Expedia have partnered to identify cities and hotels which are further away from the projected storm path and have availability. Please visit www.expedia.com/florida to find available lodging.
Airbnb expanded activation of the Disaster Response Tool beyond coastal South Carolina to include portions of Florida. Please visit www.airbnb.com/disaster/florida to find available lodging.

Airbnb is asking hosts to aid in this effort by listing their available rooms or homes on the platform to help house the growing number of evacuees.
Local residents impacted by Hurricane Matthew will be able to secure emergency accommodations through the tool free of charge from now through October 12th.

TELECOMMUNICATIONS

The Division of Telecommunications continues to work to resolve communication infrastructure needs and expedite restoration of services throughout the state to ensure first responders, residents and visitors are able to communicate response and recovery needs.
The division is coordinating communications status reports of outages, affects or unmet needs with the telecommunications industry and assisting with access to communications facilities in impacted areas.
The Division of State Purchasing has leased facilities for logistical staging areas in Central Florida to assist emergency response needs throughout the state.

SEAPORTS

All seaports are now open.

U.S. ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS (USACE)

Initial post storm inspections have been completed. No issues or concerns were identified with the Herbert Hoover Dike. Weekly inspections of the dike will occur in accordance with the HHD Emergency Action Plan. The lake elevation has reduced from yesterday and is currently 16.09 feet. Daily inspections of the southern portion of the lake will begin if the lake elevation exceeds 17 feet.
Discharges to the east and the west of the lake are ongoing to mitigate flood risks.
USACE Jacksonville District is conducting surveys of the damage to federally funded USACE projects and is prepared to assist with additional missions in support of affected areas if requested.

ST JOHNS WATER MANAGEMENT DISTRICT

Will open during normal business hours on Monday.

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION

DEP has deployed beach erosion assessment teams across the east coast.
State park assessment teams have been deployed to remove debris and reopen state parks. 14 state parks and campgrounds remain closed. To view the full list, click HERE.
Household Hazardous Waste debris and drop off sites have been established in all 67 counties.
DEP is mobilizing responders to Jacksonville and Orlando areas for Hazardous Waste Assessment teams with EPA.

CONTACTS:

The Florida Emergency Information Line (FEIL) has activated and can be reached at 1 (800) 342-3557.
State Emergency Operations Center Media Line: 850-921-0217.
Follow @FLSert or @FLGovScott on Twitter for live updates on Hurricane Matthew.
Visit http://www.floridadisaster.org/info to find information on shelters, road closures, and evacuation routes.

Executive Order #16-230 for Hurricane Matthew

Gov. Scott Issues Updates on Hurricane Matthew Response and Recovery Efforts

10/08/16 - Gov. Scott Issues Updates on Hurricane Matthew Response and Recovery Efforts

SHELTERS

As of this afternoon, more than 70 shelters were open throughout Florida with a total population of more than 5,900 individuals. This number will be updated at midnight.
As evacuation orders are lifted and people return to their homes, the number of available shelters is updating regularly. To find out which shelters remain open in your county, please visit http://www.floridadisaster.org/shelters/
Shelters are open in the following counties:

Baker
Bradford
Brevard
Clay
Columbia
Duval
Flagler
Hillsborough
Lake
Leon
Madison
Manatee
Nassau
Orange
Osceola
Putnam
Seminole
St. Johns
Sumter
Taylor
Volusia

The state continues to work with the American Red Cross to identify shelter capacity following the storm.

POWER

The following counties are currently experiencing power outages:

Alachua County ï¿½ 2,550 customers, 2% outage
Baker County ï¿½ 2,244 customers, 20% outage
Bradford County ï¿½ 2,038 customers, 21% outage
Brevard County ï¿½ 113,151 customers, 37% outage
Clay County ï¿½ 29,971 customers, 21% outage
Columbia County ï¿½ 1,790 customers, 6% outage
Duval County ï¿½ 241,298 customers, 59% outage
Flagler County ï¿½ 48,726 customers, 82%% outage
Indian River County ï¿½ 30,134 customers, 34% outage
Lake County ï¿½ 7,556 customers, 4% outage
Marion County ï¿½ 13,064 customers, 7% outage
Martin County ï¿½ 14,170 customers, 15% outage
Nassau County ï¿½ 11,956 customers, 43% outage
Okeechobee County ï¿½ 860 customers, 4% outage
Orange County ï¿½ 20,542 customers, 4% outage
Palm Beach County ï¿½ 5,470 customers, 1% outage
Putnam County ï¿½ 19,371 customers, 47% outage
Seminole County ï¿½ 38,549 customers, 19% outage
St. Johns County ï¿½ 49,220 customers, 56% outage
St. Lucie County ï¿½ 32,266 customers, 22% outage
Sumter County ï¿½ 367 customers, 1% outage
Union County ï¿½ 215 customers, 4%
Volusia County ï¿½ 191,923 customers, 68% outage

Total without power: 878,907 customers, 9% outage

FUEL

The state is monitoring for supply, distribution or retail fuel shortages or issues, specifically for isolated incidents of individual retailers experiencing temporary fuel shortages. These individual retailers are being quickly refueled and fuel is readily available across Florida.
The state will continue to monitor and assist with state and local government fuel assistance requests.
The current fuel supply in the state will last for nearly 5 days, even if all ports are temporarily closed.
Ports are beginning to reopen, and will resume normal fuel delivery schedules as ports reopen.
The state is working with fuel partners and suppliers to increase the number trucks moving fuel from the ports to retail locations.

DAMAGE ASSESSMENTS

Individual counties are beginning their initial damage assessment process.
The state supports this initial impact assessment process through the State Emergency Response Team by providing personnel and resources towards First 72 Hour priorities of law enforcement security, search and rescue, and incident stabilization of Floridas impacted communities.

EVACUATIONS

While evacuation zones are being lifted, local law enforcement decides when it is safe for Floridians to return to their communities. Please contact your countys emergency operations center citizen information line to find out if your area has been declared safe to re-enter. To find your county, click HERE.
More than 500,000 Floridians are currently in evacuation zones.

Brevard County: Mandatory Evacuations of Merritt Island, barrier island, low-lying areas and mobile homes.
Clay County: Voluntary evacuations.
Flagler County: Mandatory evacuations.
Nassau County: Mandatory evacuations.
St. Johns County: Mandatory evacuation orders.
Volusia County: Mandatory evacuations for barrier islands, low-lying areas, and mobile homes.

Floridians and visitors can go to FloridaEvacuates.com or download the Florida-Evacuates app to enter their location and see shelters available in their area.

SCHOOL CLOSURES

The Florida Department of Education (FDOE) activated its emergency contact system for the east coast Florida school districts and colleges, and is monitoring closures made at the district and college levels.
Ongoing district, university and college school closures will be updated this weekend.

GOVERNMENT CLOSURES

Ongoing county and state offices closures will be updated this weekend.

MILITARY SUPPORT

The Florida National Guard has troops conducting support operations in St. Johns, Duval, Nassau, Putnam, Volusia, Flagler and Brevard Counties.
The Florida National Guard also has more than 400 members supporting approximately 50 shelters.

Governor Scott has directed the Florida National Guard to activate a total of 3,500 National Guard members to support hurricane preparedness and response. This is over half of the available troops that may be activated.
In addition to this, Florida has over 3,000 National Guard members ready to be deployed if needed.
The Florida National Guard has started conducting assessments in South Florida. Once they complete any recovery missions, they will join troops positioned in Central and North Florida to help with any search and rescue efforts.

LAW ENFORCEMENT, FIRE FIGHTING AND SEARCH & RESCUE

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE), the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), Florida Highway Patrol (FHP), and other partnering agencies have identified resources for deployment to assist with search and rescue efforts.
FWC has more than 160 personnel for public safety patrol and search and rescue across the affected areas with more than 90 water vessels and nine aircrafts.

Two FWC advanced reconnaissance teams have been deployed to Northeast Florida for search and rescue operations. These teams have partnered with fire and rescue and the Florida National Guard for a total of nearly 150 active personnel in Northeast Florida.

FHP has over 70 Quick Action Force members deployed for public safety patrol across affected areas. FHP also has more than 100 personnel on standby. FHP is also continuing to use aircraft to monitor road conditions when weather permits.
An Urban Search and Rescue team is on standby for deployment to Northeast Florida to assist with rescue operations.

PUBLIC HEALTH AND MEDICAL

DOH is monitoring and supporting special needs shelters.
The state is preparing personnel for deployment, such as State Medical Response Teams and Special Needs Sheltering Teams, to provide assistance to counties affected by the storm.
The following hospitals have evacuated patients:

Baptist Medical Center Beaches, Jacksonville Beach
Health First Cape Canaveral Hospital, Cocoa Beach
HealthSouth Rehabilitation Hospital at Martin Health, Stuart
Florida Hospital Oceanside, Ormond Beach
Florida Hospital New Symrna, New Symrna Beach
Baptist Medical Center Nassau, Fernandina Beach
Sebastian River Medical Center, Sebastian (partial)
Florida Hospital Flagler, Bunnell
Riverpoint Behavior Health Hospital, Jacksonville

DOH will be updating hospital evacuation information at FLHealth.gov

AHCA will continue to communicate with healthcare facilities over the weekend for updates and support. After hours contact information has been provided to over 8,000 nursing home and assisted living providers, and hospitals in the affected areas. Post impact reporting instructions have been shared including providing power status, generator status, and re-entry post evacuation.

TOLLS

Governor Scott directed DOT to suspend all tolls in the affected areas of the state, which includes the entire Florida Turnpike, Alligator Alley, Central Florida Expressway Authority and the Miami-Dade Expressway Authority. All toll suspensions remain in effect and will remain suspended until at least Sunday night. County DOT officials will review this on a case by case basis.

AIRPORTS

The following airport is closed:

Northeast Florida Regional Airport: CLOSED
As airports open, please contact the airport directly for hours of operation and flight schedules.

TRANSPORTATION & PUBLIC WORKS

All interstates in Florida are currently open.
FDOT has completed damage assessments of roadways and inspections of bridges in Southeast Florida. There was very little road damage and evacuees began to return to the area on Friday afternoon.

The Shands Bridge in St. Johns County is expected to open today. More information on road and bridge closures can be found at http://www.fl511.com.

FDOT crews and contractors are assessing State Roads in Central Florida, Northeast Florida, and along the east coast. FDOT is also cutting and clearing trees and removing road obstructions.

Contractors are inspecting construction sites and will resume construction when safe and per schedules.
Florida Highway Patrol traffic incidents by region can be found here.

HUMAN SERVICES

Resources and Supplies

150 truckloads of water are being prepositioned around the state and 63 truckloads of water are holding in the in State Logistics Response Center (SLRC). In total, this includes more than 302,000 gallons of water.
There will be 100 truckloads of bottled water delivered every day through October 10th (Expected total of 1,000 truckloads).
The SLRC also currently has a trailer of meals, which includes more than 128,000 meal kits. In addition, more than 994,000 kits are expected to be delivered throughout the weekend.
The state is working to identify short term and long term mass care needs.

Anheuser-Busch is donating nine truckloads, more than 450,000 cans, of emergency drinking water in preparation for Hurricane Matthew. Several truckloads are headed to Florida communities including Deerfield Beach, West Palm Beach, Fort Pierce, Orlando, Melbourne and Daytona Beach.
Coca-Cola is donating 10 truckloads, more than 360,000 bottles of Dasani water to the Jacksonville area.
Youfit Health Clubs will be opening their doors to the public today through Sunday to help those who lost power from the storm. Visit their Facebook page for a list of all open locations.
To help customers displaced and impacted by hurricane Matthew, AT&T and Verizon are waiving data overage charges for customers in affected areas.
Food Safety Assessment teams have been mobilized to monitor power outages and flooding to ensure safety at food establishments once weather conditions improve.
The Division of Real Estate Development and Management continues to provide office space for FEMA in Tallahassee and space in Orlando to assist in response efforts.
The Division of Real Estate Development and Management EOC has transferred to Orlando to coordinate the logistics staging area for equipment in response to the storm.
To report price gouging call the Florida Attorney Generals Office at 866- 9NO-SCAM or visit File a Complaint.

Volunteer Organizations

Volunteer Florida has established a volunteer registration link for those who are interested in volunteering following Hurricane Matthew. Please visit www.volunteerflorida.org/hurricane-matthew to register. So far, more than 1,400 volunteers have registered within 24 hours.
Individuals can also volunteer through the Red Cross by visiting RedCross.org
The state is working with Volunteer Florida and other volunteers and donation agencies to identify available volunteers through Florida Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (VOAD) and AmeriCorps to staff shelters, provide immediate recovery needs, and begin to identify clean up needs.
Volunteer Florida is working with Community Emergency Response Teams for deployment to impacted areas and is coordinating operations at shelters for evacuees.

Blood Donations

OneBlood has resumed normal operations and is urging donors to donate as soon as possible to replenish the blood supply. All locations have returned to normal business hours with the exception of Jacksonville.
For a list of OneBlood Donor Centers and Big Red Bus blood drive locations visit www.oneblood.org.

Agency for Persons with Disabilities (APD)

APD is communicating regularly with staff, providers, waiver support coordinators, and stakeholders about response measures.
Group Home Provider Evacuations Include:

Southeast Region: Poseidon Group Home (Lake Worth), MacTown 1st Avenue Group Home (Boyton Beach)
Central Region: Pediatric Pavilion (Orlando)
Northeast Region: Hibiscus Group Home (Jacksonville)
Residents are expected to return today.

Department of Elder Affairs (DOEA)

The Department of Elder Affairs continues to coordinate with Area Agencies on Aging across the state to ensure that services are meeting the needs of elders and adults with disabilities across the state without disruption.
Meals continue to be served to homebound clients, and extra frozen and shelf-stable meals have also been provided.

Florida Department of Veterans Affairs (FDVA)

Three of the state veterans nursing homes operated by the FDVA are on the east coast of Florida: The Clyde E. Lassen State Veterans' Nursing Home in St. Augustine and the Emory L. Bennett State Veterans Nursing Home in Volusia County lost utility power yesterday evening and are both running on generator power. The generators have enough diesel fuel to power the entire homes for multiple days without refueling, and all residents and staff are secure.
Senior staff are assessing facility grounds to ensure there are no other issues.
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) operates a number of Florida-based medical centers and outpatient clinics in the watch and warning areas. They reported no issues and all emergency rooms and inpatient services continue to operate as usual. The following VA clinics will be closed during the weekend and Monday due to the Federal holiday:

Viera Outpatient Clinic
Daytona Beach Outpatient Clinic - Today
Port Orange Psychosocial Recovery & Rehabilitation Center (PRRC)

BUSINESS, INDUSTRY, & ECONOMIC STABILIZATION

The Florida Department of Economic Opportunity (DEO) is currently surveying businesses in the affected counties through the Florida Virtual Business Emergency Operations Center (FLVBEOC). The FLVBEOC is available at www.flvbeoc.org

There is Office and Warehouse space offerings for displaced or damaged businesses. For availability, click HERE.
The state has activated the Private Sector Hotline at 850-410-1403. The hotline is available for business inquiries about the storm, preparedness information and post-impact information from 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM ET.
The state is currently identifying the open status and timeline of businesses in affected areas and preparing a status report for local communities to access.

INSURANCE

In the wake of Hurricane Matthew, Floridians affected by the storm must now begin the process of surveying damages to their property and belongings. If you need help finding your Floridas property insurance companys website and contact information, click HERE. For a list of licensed insurance agents in Florida, click HERE.
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.
If you suspect fraud or suspicious activity or 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.
OIR will continue to communicate with DFS regarding the establishment of an insurance village, a mobile location for individuals to file insurance claims, if needed following the hurricane. OIR and DFS will also closely track insurance complaints to help protect Floridians.

HOTELS/ LODGING ACCOMMODATIONS

VISIT FLORIDA has activated the Emergency Accommodations Module to keep visitors informed and is working with local tourism partners to collect and share information regarding the open status for major retailers and hotels. More information can be found HERE.
VISIT FLORIDA has also compiled a list of available hotel accommodations for visitors. To view available accommodations, click HERE.
VISIT FLORIDA and Expedia have partnered to identify cities and hotels which are further away from the projected storm path and have availability. Please visit www.expedia.com/florida to find available lodging.
Airbnb expanded activation of the Disaster Response Tool beyond coastal South Carolina to include portions of Florida. Please visit www.airbnb.com/disaster/florida to find available lodging.

Airbnb is asking hosts to aid in this effort by listing their available rooms or homes on the platform to help house the growing number of evacuees.
Local residents impacted by Hurricane Matthew will be able to secure emergency accommodations through the tool free of charge from now through October 12th.

TELECOMMUNICATIONS

The Division of Telecommunications continues to work to resolve communication infrastructure needs and services throughout the state to ensure first responders, residents and visitors are able to communicate response and recovery needs.
The state is coordinating with state, federal and industry partners, and is prepared to help assess impacts to telecommunications facilities and infrastructure once weather conditions allow.
The division is coordinating communications status reports of outages, affects or unmet needs with telecommunications industry.
The division worked with telecommunications partners to pre-staged resources (personnel and equipment) to prepare for deployment, restoration and recovery efforts post-storm.
The Division of State Purchasing has leased facilities for logistics staging areas in Central and South Florida to assist emergency response needs throughout the state.

SEAPORTS

The following seaports are currently closed:

JAXPORT (Jacksonville)
Port of Fernandina

U.S. ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS (USACE)

Brigadier General David Turner, USACE South Atlantic Division Commander, and Colonel Jason Kirk, USACE Jacksonville District Commander, are currently with Governor Scott touring impacted areas.
Initial post storm inspections have been completed. No issues or concerns were identified with the Herbert Hoover Dike. Weekly inspections of the dike will occur in accordance with the HHD Emergency Action Plan. The current lake elevation is 17 feet. Daily inspections will begin if the lake elevation exceeds 16.5 feet.
Discharges to the east and the west of the lake are ongoing to mitigate flood risks.
USACE Jacksonville District is conducting surveys of the damage to federally funded USACE projects and is prepared to assist with additional missions in support of affected areas if requested.

ST JOHNS WATER MANAGEMENT DISTRICT

Developing a deployment strategy to identify flooding locations.
All district lands have been closed to public recreation. People with reservations have been notified.

SOUTH FLORIDA WATER MANAGEMENT DISTRICT

Aerial inspection by the USACE did not reveal any damage or issues to the Everglades.

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION

DEP has deployed beach erosion assessment teams across the east coast.
State park assessment teams have been deployed to remove debris and reopen state parks. More than 30 state parks and campgrounds remain closed. To view the full list, click HERE.
Household Hazardous Waste debris and drop off sites have been established in all 67 counties.
DEP is mobilizing responders to Jacksonville and Orlando areas for Hazardous Waste Assessment teams with EPA.

CONTACTS:

The Florida Emergency Information Line (FEIL) has activated and can be reached at 1 (800) 342-3557.
State Emergency Operations Center Media Line: 850-921-0217.
Follow @FLSert or @FLGovScott on Twitter for live updates on Hurricane Matthew.

Visit http://www.floridadisaster.org/info to find information on shelters, road closures, and evacuation routes.

Executive Order #16-230 for Hurricane Matthew

Gov. Scott Issues Updates on Hurricane Matthew Response and Recovery Efforts

10/07/16 - Gov. Scott Issues Updates on Hurricane Matthew Preparedness and Response Efforts as Storm Continues to Impact Florida

SHELTERS

As of this evening, more than 180 shelters were open throughout Florida with a total population of more than 23,800 individuals. This number will be updated at midnight. Shelters are open in the following counties:

Baker: 1 shelter (special needs)
Bradford: 2 shelters (1 special needs)
Brevard: 17 shelters (7 special needs)
Broward: 11 shelters (2 special needs)
Clay: 4 shelters (1 special needs)
Columbia: 3 shelters
Duval: 11 shelters (4 special needs)
Flagler: 2 shelters (1 special needs)
Glades: 2 shelters (special needs)
Hardee: 1 shelter (1 special needs)
Hendry: 2 shelters
Highlands: 1 shelter
Hillsborough: 4 shelters (1 special needs)
Indian River: 6 shelters (1 special needs)
Lake: 5 shelters (3 special needs)
Lee: 2 shelters
Leon: 1 shelter
Madison: 1 shelter
Manatee: 1 shelter (1 special needs)
Martin: 7 shelters (2 special needs)
Miami-Dade: 5 shelters (1 special needs)
Nassau: 5 shelters (1 special needs)
Okeechobee: 3 shelters (1 special needs)
Orange: 2 shelters
Osceola: 5 shelters
Palm Beach: 15 shelters (1 special needs)
Pinellas: 1 shelter
Polk: 7 shelters (2 special needs)
Putnam: 1 shelter (1 special needs)
St. Lucie: 7 shelters (1 special needs)
Seminole: 6 shelters (2 special needs)
Sumter: 1 shelter
Volusia: 4 (4 special needs)

To find available shelters by county, visit http://www.floridadisaster.org/shelters/
The state continues to work with the American Red Cross to identify shelter capacity both during and following the storm.

POWER

The following counties are currently experiencing power outages:

Alachua County ï¿½ 3,559 customers, 3% outage
Baker County ï¿½ 2,084 customers, 19% outage
Bradford County ï¿½ 1,190 customers, 12% outage
Brevard County ï¿½ 195,054 customers, 64% outage
Citrus County ï¿½ 961 customers, 1% outage
Clay County ï¿½ 26,792 customers, 19% outage
Columbia County ï¿½ 578 customers, 2% outage
Dixie County ï¿½ 290 customers, 3% outage
Duval County ï¿½ 131,521 customers, 32% outage
Franklin County ï¿½ 143 customers, 1% outage
Flagler County ï¿½ 58,566 customers, 100% outage
Gilchrist County ï¿½ 590 customers, 7% outage
Gulf County, 69 customers, 1% outage
Hamilton County, 255 customers, 4% outage
Indian River County ï¿½ 45,230 customers, 51% outage
Jefferson County ï¿½ 89 customers, 1% outage
Lake County ï¿½ 16,173 customers, 10% outage
Levy County- 221 customers, 1% outage
Madison County ï¿½ 58 customers, 1% outage
Marion County ï¿½ 27, 389 customers, 15% outage
Martin County ï¿½ 32,580 customers, 35% outage
Nassau County ï¿½ 10,538 customers, 38% outage
Okeechobee County ï¿½ 1,200 customers, 5% outage
Orange County ï¿½ 60,923 customers, 11% outage
Osceola County ï¿½ 1,100 customers, 1% outage
Palm Beach County ï¿½ 31,166 customers, 4% outage
Putnam County ï¿½ 25,461 customers, 62% outage
Seminole County ï¿½ 68,597 customers, 33% outage
St. Johns County ï¿½ 63,470 customers, 72% outage
St. Lucie County ï¿½ 49,240 customers, 33% outage
Sumter County ï¿½ 1,307 customers, 2% outage
Suwannee County ï¿½ 145 customers, 1% outage
Taylor County ï¿½ 101 customers, 1% outage
Volusia County ï¿½ 257,718 customers, 92% outage
Wakulla County ï¿½ 127 customers, 1% outage

Total without power: 1,118,275 customers, 11% outage

Governor Scott directed the state to begin setting up housing for utility crews in strategic areas across the state. Camp Blanding in Northeast Florida is now able to house over 1,000 utility workers and their trucks. There are two other locations that are currently being prepared if needed.

FUEL

The state is monitoring for supply, distribution or retail fuel shortages or issues, specifically for isolated incidents of individual retailers experiencing temporary fuel shortages. These individual retailers are being quickly refueled and fuel is readily available across Florida.
The state will continue to monitor and assist with state and local government fuel assistance requests.
The current fuel supply in the state will last for nearly 5 days, even if all ports are temporarily closed.
The state is working with fuel partners and suppliers to increase the number trucks moving fuel from the ports to retail locations.
The state has contacted emergency fuel and equipment providers for status of emergency fuel supply and equipment.

DAMAGE ASSESSMENTS

The east coast is still actively receiving impacts from Hurricane Matthew.
After conditions have improved, individual counties will start their initial damage assessment process.
The state supports this initial impact assessment process through the State Emergency Response Team by providing personnel and resources towards First 72 Hour priorities of law enforcement security, search and rescue, and incident stabilization of Floridas impacted communities.

EVACUATIONS

More than 500,000 Floridians are currently in evacuation zones.

Brevard County: Mandatory Evacuations of Merritt Island, barrier island, low-lying areas and mobile homes.
Clay County: Voluntary evacuations.
Duval County: Voluntary evacuations.
Flagler County: Mandatory evacuations.
Indian River: Mandatory evacuations for barrier islands, mobile homes, and low lying areas.
Martin County: Mandatory evacuations.
Nassau County: Voluntary evacuations.
St. Johns County: Mandatory evacuation orders.
Volusia County: Mandatory evacuations for barrier islands, low-lying areas, and mobile homes.

Floridians and visitors can go to FloridaEvacuates.com or download the Florida-Evacuates app to enter their location and see shelters available in their area.

SCHOOL CLOSURES

The Florida Department of Education (FDOE) activated its emergency contact system for the east coast Florida school districts and colleges, and is monitoring closures made at the district and college levels.
Ongoing district, university and college school closures will be updated this weekend.

GOVERNMENT CLOSURES

Ongoing county and state offices closures will be updated this weekend.

MILITARY SUPPORT

The National Guard has troops in West Palm Beach, Sanford, Camp Blanding, Brevard and St. Lucie.
There are also around 450 Guardsmen spread out over 72 shelters.

Governor Scott has directed the Florida National Guard to activate a total of 3,500 National Guard members to support hurricane preparedness and response. This is over half of the available troops that may be activated.
In addition to this, Florida has over 3,000 National Guard members ready to be deployed if needed.

LAW ENFORCEMENT, FIRE FIGHTING AND SEARCH & RESCUE

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE), the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), Florida Highway Patrol (FHP), and other partnering agencies have identified resources for deployment to respond to the storm and are preparing to assist with search and rescue efforts.
FWC has advanced reconnaissance teams to perform search and rescue operations in Northeast Florida as soon as conditions allow. These teams, made up of a total of 90 members, have partnered with fire and rescue members. FWC also has more than 70 personnel, more than 90 water vessels and nine aircrafts placed strategically throughout affected areas for public safety patrol and search and rescue efforts.
FHP has 150 Quick Action Force members deployed for public safety patrol across affected areas. FHP also has more than 100 personnel on standby. FHP is also continuing to use aircraft to monitor road conditions when weather permits.
State Emergency Response Plan (SERP) Coordinator and Regional Coordinators have been notified so staffers and resources can be prepared for deployment.
An Urban Search and Rescue team has been deployed to Flagler Countys barrier islands to assist with rescue operations.

PUBLIC HEALTH AND MEDICAL

There are currently four boil water notices in effect:

South Hutchinson Island (Martin County)
Holly Hill (Volusia County)
Cocoa (Brevard County)
Melbourne (Brevard County)

DOH is monitoring and supporting special needs shelter activations.
The state is preparing personnel for deployment, such as State Medical Response Teams and Special Needs Sheltering Teams, to provide assistance to counties affected by the storm.
The following hospitals have evacuated patients:

Baptist Medical Center Beaches, Jacksonville Beach
Health First Cape Canaveral Hospital, Cocoa Beach
Florida Hospital Oceanside, Ormond Beach
Florida Hospital New Symrna, New Symrna Beach
Baptist Medical Center Nassau, Fernandina Beach
Wuesthoff Medical Center, Rockledge
Sebastian River Medical Center, Sebastian
Florida Hospital Flagler, Bunnell

DOH will be updating hospital evacuation information at FLHealth.gov

AHCA will continue to communicate with healthcare facilities over the weekend for updates and support. After hours contact information has been provided to over 8,000 nursing home and assisted living providers, and hospitals in the affected areas. Post impact reporting instructions have been shared including providing power status, generator status, and re-entry post evacuation.

TOLLS

Governor Scott directed DOT to suspend all tolls in the affected areas of the state, which includes the entire Florida Turnpike, Alligator Alley, Central Florida Expressway Authority and the Miami-Dade Expressway Authority. All toll suspensions remain in effect and will remain suspended for at least 24 hours. After the storm passes, county DOT officials will review this on a case by case basis.

AIRPORTS

The following airports are closed:

Daytona Beach International Airport: EMERGENCY OPERATIONS ONLY
DeLand Municipal - Sidney H Taylor Field: CLOSED
Flagler Executive Airport: CLOSED
Hilliard Airpark: EMERGENCY OPERATIONS ONLY
Jacksonville International Airport: CLOSED
Kissimmee Gateway Airport: EMERGENCY OPERATIONS ONLY
Lake City Gateway Airport : CLOSED
Massey Ranch Airpark: CLOSED
New Smyrna Beach Municipal Airport: CLOSED
Northeast Florida Regional Airport: CLOSED
Orlando Sanford International Airport: CLOSED
Ormond Beach Municipal Airport: CLOSED
River Ranch Resort Airport: CLOSED
Sebastian Municipal Airport: CLOSED
Tallahassee Commercial Airport: CLOSED
Tavares Seaplane Base: CLOSED
Valkaria Airport: CLOSED
Vero Beach Municipal Airport: CLOSED

TRANSPORTATION & PUBLIC WORKS

Due to high winds from Hurricane Matthew, all the bridges in St. Johns County are closed. Dames Point Bridge is also closed. The State Road 200 Bridge to Amelia Island is closed due to high winds. Other areas in Northeast Florida are experiencing some bridge and road closures. More information on road and bridge closures can be found at http://www.fl511.com.

All interstates in Florida are currently open.
FDOT is conducting damage assessments of roadways and inspections of bridges in Central and South Florida as conditions improve. There are no issues to report at this time.

FDOT will continue to halt construction work on all FDOT projects on Interstates, Limited Access facilities, coastal and evacuation route roadways. Contractors are have been instructed to open all travel lanes by removing unnecessary barricades, signs and drums.
FDOT District offices have emergency crews on standby. FDOT will continue to reach out to county emergency operations centers directly to coordinate any necessary response actions.
Tri-Rail service remains suspended in Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach Counties. Anticipate service restoration late Friday/early Saturday.
Florida Highway Patrol traffic incidents by region can be found here.

HUMAN SERVICES

Resources and Supplies

150 truckloads of water are being prepositioned around the state and 63 truckloads of water are holding in the in State Logistics Response Center (SLRC). In total, this includes more than 302,000 gallons of water. This will be distributed throughout the affected counties once weather permits.
The SLRC also has currently have a trailer of meals, which includes more than 10,000 meal kits. In addition, more than 178,000 kits are expected to be delivered throughout the weekend.

Anheuser-Busch is donating nine truckloads, more than 450,000 cans, of emergency drinking water in preparation for Hurricane Matthew. Several truckloads are headed to Florida communities including Deerfield Beach, West Palm Beach, Fort Pierce, Orlando, Melbourne and Daytona Beach.
Coca-Cola is donating 10 truckloads, more than 360,000 bottles of Dasani water to the Jacksonville area.
Youfit Health Clubs will be opening their doors to the public today through Sunday to help those who lost power from the storm. Visit their Facebook page for a list of all open locations.
Food Safety Assessment teams remain on standby to monitor power outages and flooding to ensure safety at food establishments once weather conditions improve.
The Division of Real Estate Development and Management continues to provide office space for FEMA in Tallahassee and space in Orlando to assist in response efforts.
The Division of Real Estate Development and Management EOC has transferred to Orlando to coordinate the logistics staging area for equipment in response to the storm.

Volunteer Organizations

Volunteer Florida has established a volunteer registration link for those who are interested in volunteering following Hurricane Matthew. Please visit www.volunteerflorida.org/hurricane-matthew to register. So far, more than 850 volunteers have registered within 24 hours.
Individuals can also volunteer through the Red Cross by visiting RedCross.org
The state is working with Volunteer Florida and other volunteers and donation agencies to identify available volunteers through Florida Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (VOAD) and AmeriCorps to staff shelters if needed.
Volunteer Florida is working with Community Emergency Response Teams that are on standby for possible deployment to impacted areas and is coordinating operations at the Leon County shelter.

Blood Donations

Blood banks have an urgent need for platelets and O- red cells and type AB plasma.
After temporarily suspending some operations due to Hurricane Matthew, OneBlood, the local blood center, is resuming operations in select locations effective Friday, October 7th and is urging donors to donate as soon as possible to replenish the blood supply.
For a list of OneBlood Donor Centers and Big Red Bus blood drive locations visit www.oneblood.org.

Agency for Persons with Disabilities (APD)

APD is communicating regularly with staff, providers, waiver support coordinators, and stakeholders about preparedness and response measures.
Mutual Aid support from non-affected Regional Offices have been identified to support Regional Offices that may be impacted by the hurricane.

Group Home Provider Evacuations Include:

Southeast Region: Morning Star Community Home Inc. (Palm Beach Gardens), Poseidon Group Home (Lake Worth), Seagull Place ALF (Riviera Beach), MacTown 1st Avenue Group Home (Boyton Beach), MacTown Edmor Group Home (West Palm Beach), MacTown Redding Rd. (Boyton Beach), one individual from Angel Manor (Ft. Lauderdale)
Central Region: Albion (Palm Bay), Pediatric Pavilion (Orlando), Highland Terrace (Titusville), CFG/Tiwa Lane (Titusville), Gillespie (Melbourne and Palm Bay)
Northeast Region: Hibiscus Group Home (Jacksonville)

Department of Elder Affairs (DOEA)

The Department of Elder Affairs continues to coordinate with Area Agencies on Aging across the state to ensure that services are meeting the needs of elders and adults with disabilities across the state without disruption.
Meals continue to be served to homebound clients, and extra frozen and shelf-stable meals have also been provided.

Florida Department of Veterans Affairs (FDVA)

Three of the state veterans nursing homes operated by the FDVA are on the east coast of Florida: Alexander Sandy Nininger State Veterans Nursing Home (Broward County), Emory L. Bennett State Veterans Nursing Home (Volusia County), Clyde E. Lassen State Veterans Nursing Home (St. Johns County). All of these facilities have permanent generators and administrators are working to ensure staff and supplies are available for residents.
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) operates a number of Florida-based medical centers and outpatient clinics in the watch and warning areas. The following VA clinics will be closed during the listed days:

Viera Outpatient Clinic ï¿½ Today - Saturday
Daytona Beach Outpatient Clinic - Today - Saturday
Port Orange Psychosocial Recovery & Rehabilitation Center (PRRC) - Thursday - Saturday

BUSINESS, INDUSTRY, & ECONOMIC STABILIZATION

The Florida Department of Economic Opportunity (DEO) and DEM have activated the Florida Virtual Business Emergency Operations Center (FLVBEOC) to help identify and alleviate unmet needs between businesses and response partners. They are also working with businesses to make sure they have what they need to prepare for the storm.

The FLVBEOC is available at www.flvbeoc.org
Click HERE for Office and Warehouse space offerings for displaced or damaged businesses

The state has activated the Private Sector Hotline at 850-410-1403. The hotline is available for business inquiries about the storm, preparedness information and post-impact information from 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM ET.
The state is planning for post-impact outreach to major retailers to identify open status of stores, major challenges to reopening and potential timelines.

INSURANCE

In the wake of Hurricane Matthew, Floridians affected by the storm must now begin the process of surveying damages to their property and belongings. If you need help finding your Floridas property insurance companys website and contact information, click HERE. For a list of licensed insurance agents in Florida, click HERE.
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.
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.
OIR will continue to communicate with DFS regarding the establishment of an insurance village, a mobile location for individuals to file insurance claims, if needed following the hurricane. OIR and DFS will also closely track insurance complaints to help protect Floridians.

HOTELS/ LODGING ACCOMMODATIONS

VISIT FLORIDA has activated the Emergency Accommodations Module to keep visitors informed and is working with local tourism partners to collect and share information regarding the open status for major retailers and hotels. More information can be found HERE.
VISIT FLORIDA has also compiled a list of available hotel accommodations for visitors who may be need to evacuate. To view available accommodations, click HERE.
VISIT FLORIDA and Expedia have partnered to identify cities and hotels which are further away from the projected storm path and have availability. Please visit www.expedia.com/florida to find available lodging.
Airbnb expanded activation of the Disaster Response Tool beyond coastal South Carolina to include portions of Florida. Please visit www.airbnb.com/disaster/florida to find available lodging.

Airbnb is asking hosts to aid in this effort by listing their available rooms or homes on the platform to help house the growing number of evacuees.
Local residents impacted by Hurricane Matthew will be able to secure emergency accommodations through the tool free of charge from now through October 12th

TELECOMMUNICATIONS

The Department of Management Services Division of Telecommunications is currently monitoring telecommunication services to ensure first responders, residents and visitors are able to communicate response and recovery needs.
The division is working with telecommunications partners on proactive and protective measures to prepare equipment, facilities and response personnel for Hurricane Matthew, as well as encouraging partners to report any communications outages or affects.
The state is coordinating with state, federal and industry partners, and is prepared to help assess impacts to telecommunications facilities and infrastructure once weather conditions allow.
The division is coordinating communications status reports of outages, affects or unmet needs with telecommunications industry.
The division worked with telecommunications partners to pre-staged resources (personnel and equipment) to prepare for deployment, restoration and recovery efforts post-storm.

SEAPORTS

The state is monitoring conditions at the following seaports:

Miami ï¿½ OPEN
Everglades ï¿½ OPEN
Fort Pierce ï¿½ CLOSED
Palm Beach ï¿½ OPEN
Canaveral ï¿½ CLOSED
Jacksonville ï¿½ CLOSED
Fernandina ï¿½ CLOSED
Saint Petersburg ï¿½ OPEN
Tampa Bay ï¿½ OPEN
Manatee ï¿½ OPEN
Key West ï¿½ OPEN

U.S. ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS (USACE)

Brigadier General David Turner, commander of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, is currently at the State EOC.
A post storm inspection of the Herbert Hoover Dike will occur as soon as the Dike is accessible. Additional routine inspections will begin once the lake exceeds 17 feet. The lake level is currently at 15.93 feet.
Discharges to the east of the Lake are currently ceased to provide area flood protection for residents of Martin and St. Lucie counties. Discharges will resume at 4,000 cubic feet per second to the west and 1,800 cubic feet per second to the east after the storm when it can be done safely.
Working with Water Management Districts to monitor waterways; prepared to adjust flows as necessary.

ST JOHNS WATER MANAGEMENT DISTRICT

Nine water pumps have been identified and readied for mobilization. No requests have been made at this time.
All district lands have been closed to public recreation. People with reservations have been notified.
All hunting areas on district lands have been closed.

SOUTH FLORIDA WATER MANAGEMENT DISTRICT

SFWMD is gradually lowering canals.
Inspecting key parts of the flood control system, critical flood control structures, and canals and levees for any obstructions.
Ensuring adequate fuel supplies for pump stations and other equipment.

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION

DEP is ready to deploy generators to water treatment plants if needed.
Household Hazardous Waste debris and drop off sites have been established in all 67 counties
DEPs Florida Park Service is hosting U.S. Coast Guard vessels at select facilities along the East Coast of Florida to allow them to respond quickly to the areas most affected by the storm and is preparing strike teams to move into affected areas once the storm is passed.
DEP is mobilizing responders to Jacksonville and Orlando areas for Hazardous Waste Assessment teams with EPA.
Some parks are beginning to reopen but more than 60 state parks and campgrounds remain closed. To view the full list, click HERE.

CONTACTS:

The Florida Emergency Information Line (FEIL) has activated and can be reached at 1 (800) 342-3557.
State Emergency Operations Center Media Line: 850-921-0217.
Follow @FLSert or @FLGovScott on Twitter for live updates on Hurricane Matthew.
Visit http://www.floridadisaster.org/info to find information on shelters, road closures, and evacuation routes.

Executive Order #16-230 for Hurricane Matthew

Gov. Scott Issues Updates on Hurricane Matthew Preparedness and Response Efforts as Storm Continues to Impact Florida

10/07/16 - Gov. Scott Issues Updates on Hurricane Matthew Preparedness and Response Efforts as Storm Continues to Impact Florida

SHELTERS

As of this evening, more than 180 shelters were open throughout Florida with a total population of more than 23,800 individuals. This number will be updated at midnight. Shelters are open in the following counties:

Baker: 1 shelter (special needs)
Bradford: 2 shelters (1 special needs)
Brevard: 17 shelters (7 special needs)
Broward: 11 shelters (2 special needs)
Clay: 4 shelters (1 special needs)
Columbia: 3 shelters
Duval: 11 shelters (4 special needs)
Flagler: 2 shelters (1 special needs)
Glades: 2 shelters (special needs)
Hardee: 1 shelter (1 special needs)
Hendry: 2 shelters
Highlands: 1 shelter
Hillsborough: 4 shelters (1 special needs)
Indian River: 6 shelters (1 special needs)
Lake: 5 shelters (3 special needs)
Lee: 2 shelters
Leon: 1 shelter
Madison: 1 shelter
Manatee: 1 shelter (1 special needs)
Martin: 7 shelters (2 special needs)
Miami-Dade: 5 shelters (1 special needs)
Nassau: 5 shelters (1 special needs)
Okeechobee: 3 shelters (1 special needs)
Orange: 2 shelters
Osceola: 5 shelters
Palm Beach: 15 shelters (1 special needs)
Pinellas: 1 shelter
Polk: 7 shelters (2 special needs)
Putnam: 1 shelter (1 special needs)
St. Lucie: 7 shelters (1 special needs)
Seminole: 6 shelters (2 special needs)
Sumter: 1 shelter
Volusia: 4 (4 special needs)

To find available shelters by county, visit http://www.floridadisaster.org/shelters/
The state continues to work with the American Red Cross to identify shelter capacity both during and following the storm.

POWER

The following counties are currently experiencing power outages:

Alachua County ï¿½ 3,559 customers, 3% outage
Baker County ï¿½ 2,084 customers, 19% outage
Bradford County ï¿½ 1,190 customers, 12% outage
Brevard County ï¿½ 195,054 customers, 64% outage
Citrus County ï¿½ 961 customers, 1% outage
Clay County ï¿½ 26,792 customers, 19% outage
Columbia County ï¿½ 578 customers, 2% outage
Dixie County ï¿½ 290 customers, 3% outage
Duval County ï¿½ 131,521 customers, 32% outage
Franklin County ï¿½ 143 customers, 1% outage
Flagler County ï¿½ 58,566 customers, 100% outage
Gilchrist County ï¿½ 590 customers, 7% outage
Gulf County, 69 customers, 1% outage
Hamilton County, 255 customers, 4% outage
Indian River County ï¿½ 45,230 customers, 51% outage
Jefferson County ï¿½ 89 customers, 1% outage
Lake County ï¿½ 16,173 customers, 10% outage
Levy County- 221 customers, 1% outage
Madison County ï¿½ 58 customers, 1% outage
Marion County ï¿½ 27, 389 customers, 15% outage
Martin County ï¿½ 32,580 customers, 35% outage
Nassau County ï¿½ 10,538 customers, 38% outage
Okeechobee County ï¿½ 1,200 customers, 5% outage
Orange County ï¿½ 60,923 customers, 11% outage
Osceola County ï¿½ 1,100 customers, 1% outage
Palm Beach County ï¿½ 31,166 customers, 4% outage
Putnam County ï¿½ 25,461 customers, 62% outage
Seminole County ï¿½ 68,597 customers, 33% outage
St. Johns County ï¿½ 63,470 customers, 72% outage
St. Lucie County ï¿½ 49,240 customers, 33% outage
Sumter County ï¿½ 1,307 customers, 2% outage
Suwannee County ï¿½ 145 customers, 1% outage
Taylor County ï¿½ 101 customers, 1% outage
Volusia County ï¿½ 257,718 customers, 92% outage
Wakulla County ï¿½ 127 customers, 1% outage

Total without power: 1,118,275 customers, 11% outage

Governor Scott directed the state to begin setting up housing for utility crews in strategic areas across the state. Camp Blanding in Northeast Florida is now able to house over 1,000 utility workers and their trucks. There are two other locations that are currently being prepared if needed.

FUEL

The state is monitoring for supply, distribution or retail fuel shortages or issues, specifically for isolated incidents of individual retailers experiencing temporary fuel shortages. These individual retailers are being quickly refueled and fuel is readily available across Florida.
The state will continue to monitor and assist with state and local government fuel assistance requests.
The current fuel supply in the state will last for nearly 5 days, even if all ports are temporarily closed.
The state is working with fuel partners and suppliers to increase the number trucks moving fuel from the ports to retail locations.
The state has contacted emergency fuel and equipment providers for status of emergency fuel supply and equipment.

DAMAGE ASSESSMENTS

The east coast is still actively receiving impacts from Hurricane Matthew.
After conditions have improved, individual counties will start their initial damage assessment process.
The state supports this initial impact assessment process through the State Emergency Response Team by providing personnel and resources towards First 72 Hour priorities of law enforcement security, search and rescue, and incident stabilization of Floridas impacted communities.

EVACUATIONS

More than 500,000 Floridians are currently in evacuation zones.

Brevard County: Mandatory Evacuations of Merritt Island, barrier island, low-lying areas and mobile homes.
Clay County: Voluntary evacuations.
Duval County: Voluntary evacuations.
Flagler County: Mandatory evacuations.
Indian River: Mandatory evacuations for barrier islands, mobile homes, and low lying areas.
Martin County: Mandatory evacuations.
Nassau County: Voluntary evacuations.
St. Johns County: Mandatory evacuation orders.
Volusia County: Mandatory evacuations for barrier islands, low-lying areas, and mobile homes.

Floridians and visitors can go to FloridaEvacuates.com or download the Florida-Evacuates app to enter their location and see shelters available in their area.

SCHOOL CLOSURES

The Florida Department of Education (FDOE) activated its emergency contact system for the east coast Florida school districts and colleges, and is monitoring closures made at the district and college levels.
Ongoing district, university and college school closures will be updated this weekend.

GOVERNMENT CLOSURES

Ongoing county and state offices closures will be updated this weekend.

MILITARY SUPPORT

The National Guard has troops in West Palm Beach, Sanford, Camp Blanding, Brevard and St. Lucie.
There are also around 450 Guardsmen spread out over 72 shelters.

Governor Scott has directed the Florida National Guard to activate a total of 3,500 National Guard members to support hurricane preparedness and response. This is over half of the available troops that may be activated.
In addition to this, Florida has over 3,000 National Guard members ready to be deployed if needed.

LAW ENFORCEMENT, FIRE FIGHTING AND SEARCH & RESCUE

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE), the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), Florida Highway Patrol (FHP), and other partnering agencies have identified resources for deployment to respond to the storm and are preparing to assist with search and rescue efforts.
FWC has advanced reconnaissance teams to perform search and rescue operations in Northeast Florida as soon as conditions allow. These teams, made up of a total of 90 members, have partnered with fire and rescue members. FWC also has more than 70 personnel, more than 90 water vessels and nine aircrafts placed strategically throughout affected areas for public safety patrol and search and rescue efforts.
FHP has 150 Quick Action Force members deployed for public safety patrol across affected areas. FHP also has more than 100 personnel on standby. FHP is also continuing to use aircraft to monitor road conditions when weather permits.
State Emergency Response Plan (SERP) Coordinator and Regional Coordinators have been notified so staffers and resources can be prepared for deployment.
An Urban Search and Rescue team has been deployed to Flagler Countys barrier islands to assist with rescue operations.

PUBLIC HEALTH AND MEDICAL

There are currently four boil water notices in effect:

South Hutchinson Island (Martin County)
Holly Hill (Volusia County)
Cocoa (Brevard County)
Melbourne (Brevard County)

DOH is monitoring and supporting special needs shelter activations.
The state is preparing personnel for deployment, such as State Medical Response Teams and Special Needs Sheltering Teams, to provide assistance to counties affected by the storm.
The following hospitals have evacuated patients:

Baptist Medical Center Beaches, Jacksonville Beach
Health First Cape Canaveral Hospital, Cocoa Beach
Florida Hospital Oceanside, Ormond Beach
Florida Hospital New Symrna, New Symrna Beach
Baptist Medical Center Nassau, Fernandina Beach
Wuesthoff Medical Center, Rockledge
Sebastian River Medical Center, Sebastian
Florida Hospital Flagler, Bunnell

DOH will be updating hospital evacuation information at FLHealth.gov

AHCA will continue to communicate with healthcare facilities over the weekend for updates and support. After hours contact information has been provided to over 8,000 nursing home and assisted living providers, and hospitals in the affected areas. Post impact reporting instructions have been shared including providing power status, generator status, and re-entry post evacuation.

TOLLS

Governor Scott directed DOT to suspend all tolls in the affected areas of the state, which includes the entire Florida Turnpike, Alligator Alley, Central Florida Expressway Authority and the Miami-Dade Expressway Authority. All toll suspensions remain in effect and will remain suspended for at least 24 hours. After the storm passes, county DOT officials will review this on a case by case basis.

AIRPORTS

The following airports are closed:

Daytona Beach International Airport: EMERGENCY OPERATIONS ONLY
DeLand Municipal - Sidney H Taylor Field: CLOSED
Flagler Executive Airport: CLOSED
Hilliard Airpark: EMERGENCY OPERATIONS ONLY
Jacksonville International Airport: CLOSED
Kissimmee Gateway Airport: EMERGENCY OPERATIONS ONLY
Lake City Gateway Airport : CLOSED
Massey Ranch Airpark: CLOSED
New Smyrna Beach Municipal Airport: CLOSED
Northeast Florida Regional Airport: CLOSED
Orlando Sanford International Airport: CLOSED
Ormond Beach Municipal Airport: CLOSED
River Ranch Resort Airport: CLOSED
Sebastian Municipal Airport: CLOSED
Tallahassee Commercial Airport: CLOSED
Tavares Seaplane Base: CLOSED
Valkaria Airport: CLOSED
Vero Beach Municipal Airport: CLOSED

TRANSPORTATION & PUBLIC WORKS

Due to high winds from Hurricane Matthew, all the bridges in St. Johns County are closed. Dames Point Bridge is also closed. The State Road 200 Bridge to Amelia Island is closed due to high winds. Other areas in Northeast Florida are experiencing some bridge and road closures. More information on road and bridge closures can be found at http://www.fl511.com.

All interstates in Florida are currently open.
FDOT is conducting damage assessments of roadways and inspections of bridges in Central and South Florida as conditions improve. There are no issues to report at this time.

FDOT will continue to halt construction work on all FDOT projects on Interstates, Limited Access facilities, coastal and evacuation route roadways. Contractors are have been instructed to open all travel lanes by removing unnecessary barricades, signs and drums.
FDOT District offices have emergency crews on standby. FDOT will continue to reach out to county emergency operations centers directly to coordinate any necessary response actions.
Tri-Rail service remains suspended in Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach Counties. Anticipate service restoration late Friday/early Saturday.
Florida Highway Patrol traffic incidents by region can be found here.

HUMAN SERVICES

Resources and Supplies

150 truckloads of water are being prepositioned around the state and 63 truckloads of water are holding in the in State Logistics Response Center (SLRC). In total, this includes more than 302,000 gallons of water. This will be distributed throughout the affected counties once weather permits.
The SLRC also has currently have a trailer of meals, which includes more than 10,000 meal kits. In addition, more than 178,000 kits are expected to be delivered throughout the weekend.

Anheuser-Busch is donating nine truckloads, more than 450,000 cans, of emergency drinking water in preparation for Hurricane Matthew. Several truckloads are headed to Florida communities including Deerfield Beach, West Palm Beach, Fort Pierce, Orlando, Melbourne and Daytona Beach.
Coca-Cola is donating 10 truckloads, more than 360,000 bottles of Dasani water to the Jacksonville area.
Youfit Health Clubs will be opening their doors to the public today through Sunday to help those who lost power from the storm. Visit their Facebook page for a list of all open locations.
Food Safety Assessment teams remain on standby to monitor power outages and flooding to ensure safety at food establishments once weather conditions improve.
The Division of Real Estate Development and Management continues to provide office space for FEMA in Tallahassee and space in Orlando to assist in response efforts.
The Division of Real Estate Development and Management EOC has transferred to Orlando to coordinate the logistics staging area for equipment in response to the storm.

Volunteer Organizations

Volunteer Florida has established a volunteer registration link for those who are interested in volunteering following Hurricane Matthew. Please visit www.volunteerflorida.org/hurricane-matthew to register. So far, more than 850 volunteers have registered within 24 hours.
Individuals can also volunteer through the Red Cross by visiting RedCross.org
The state is working with Volunteer Florida and other volunteers and donation agencies to identify available volunteers through Florida Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (VOAD) and AmeriCorps to staff shelters if needed.
Volunteer Florida is working with Community Emergency Response Teams that are on standby for possible deployment to impacted areas and is coordinating operations at the Leon County shelter.

Blood Donations

Bloodbanks have an urgent need for platelets and O- red cells and type AB plasma.
After temporarily suspending some operations due to Hurricane Matthew, OneBlood, the local blood center, is resuming operations in select locations effective Friday, October 7th and is urging donors to donate as soon as possible to replenish the blood supply.
For a list of OneBlood Donor Centers and Big Red Bus blood drive locations visit www.oneblood.org.

Agency for Persons with Disabilities (APD)

APD is communicating regularly with staff, providers, waiver support coordinators, and stakeholders about preparedness and response measures.
Mutual Aid support from non-affected Regional Offices have been identified to support Regional Offices that may be impacted by the hurricane.

Group Home Provider Evacuations Include:

Southeast Region: Morning Star Community Home Inc. (Palm Beach Gardens), Poseidon Group Home (Lake Worth), Seagull Place ALF (Riviera Beach), MacTown 1st Avenue Group Home (Boyton Beach), MacTown Edmor Group Home (West Palm Beach), MacTown Redding Rd. (Boyton Beach), one individual from Angel Manor (Ft. Lauderdale)
Central Region: Albion (Palm Bay), Pediatric Pavilion (Orlando), Highland Terrace (Titusville), CFG/Tiwa Lane (Titusville), Gillespie (Melbourne and Palm Bay)
Northeast Region: Hibiscus Group Home (Jacksonville)

Department of Elder Affairs (DOEA)

The Department of Elder Affairs continues to coordinate with Area Agencies on Aging across the state to ensure that services are meeting the needs of elders and adults with disabilities across the state without disruption.
Meals continue to be served to homebound clients, and extra frozen and shelf-stable meals have also been provided.

Florida Department of Veterans Affairs (FDVA)

Three of the state veterans nursing homes operated by the FDVA are on the east coast of Florida: Alexander Sandy Nininger State Veterans Nursing Home (Broward County), Emory L. Bennett State Veterans Nursing Home (Volusia County), Clyde E. Lassen State Veterans Nursing Home (St. Johns County). All of these facilities have permanent generators and administrators are working to ensure staff and supplies are available for residents.
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) operates a number of Florida-based medical centers and outpatient clinics in the watch and warning areas. The following VA clinics will be closed during the listed days:

Viera Outpatient Clinic ï¿½ Today - Saturday
Daytona Beach Outpatient Clinic - Today - Saturday
Port Orange Psychosocial Recovery & Rehabilitation Center (PRRC) - Thursday - Saturday

BUSINESS, INDUSTRY, & ECONOMIC STABILIZATION

The Florida Department of Economic Opportunity (DEO) and DEM have activated the Florida Virtual Business Emergency Operations Center (FLVBEOC) to help identify and alleviate unmet needs between businesses and response partners. They are also working with businesses to make sure they have what they need to prepare for the storm.

The FLVBEOC is available at www.flvbeoc.org
Click HERE for Office and Warehouse space offerings for displaced or damaged businesses

The state has activated the Private Sector Hotline at 850-410-1403. The hotline is available for business inquiries about the storm, preparedness information and post-impact information from 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM ET.
The state is planning for post-impact outreach to major retailers to identify open status of stores, major challenges to reopening and potential timelines.

INSURANCE

In the wake of Hurricane Matthew, Floridians affected by the storm must now begin the process of surveying damages to their property and belongings. If you need help finding your Floridas property insurance companys website and contact information, click HERE. For a list of licensed insurance agents in Florida, click HERE.
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.
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.
OIR will continue to communicate with DFS regarding the establishment of an insurance village, a mobile location for individuals to file insurance claims, if needed following the hurricane. OIR and DFS will also closely track insurance complaints to help protect Floridians.

HOTELS/ LODGING ACCOMMODATIONS

VISIT FLORIDA has activated the Emergency Accommodations Module to keep visitors informed and is working with local tourism partners to collect and share information regarding the open status for major retailers and hotels. More information can be found HERE.
VISIT FLORIDA has also compiled a list of available hotel accommodations for visitors who may be need to evacuate. To view available accommodations, click HERE.
VISIT FLORIDA and Expedia have partnered to identify cities and hotels which are further away from the projected storm path and have availability. Please visit www.expedia.com/florida to find available lodging.
Airbnb expanded activation of the Disaster Response Tool beyond coastal South Carolina to include portions of Florida. Please visit www.airbnb.com/disaster/florida to find available lodging.

Airbnb is asking hosts to aid in this effort by listing their available rooms or homes on the platform to help house the growing number of evacuees.
Local residents impacted by Hurricane Matthew will be able to secure emergency accommodations through the tool free of charge from now through October 12th

TELECOMMUNICATIONS

The Department of Management Services Division of Telecommunications is currently monitoring telecommunication services to ensure first responders, residents and visitors are able to communicate response and recovery needs.
The division is working with telecommunications partners on proactive and protective measures to prepare equipment, facilities and response personnel for Hurricane Matthew, as well as encouraging partners to report any communications outages or affects.
The state is coordinating with state, federal and industry partners, and is prepared to help assess impacts to telecommunications facilities and infrastructure once weather conditions allow.
The division is coordinating communications status reports of outages, affects or unmet needs with telecommunications industry.
The division worked with telecommunications partners to pre-staged resources (personnel and equipment) to prepare for deployment, restoration and recovery efforts post-storm.

SEAPORTS

The state is monitoring conditions at the following seaports:

Miami ï¿½ OPEN
Everglades ï¿½ OPEN
Fort Pierce ï¿½ CLOSED
Palm Beach ï¿½ OPEN
Canaveral ï¿½ CLOSED
Jacksonville ï¿½ CLOSED
Fernandina ï¿½ CLOSED
Saint Petersburg ï¿½ OPEN
Tampa Bay ï¿½ OPEN
Manatee ï¿½ OPEN
Key West ï¿½ OPEN

U.S. ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS (USACE)

Brigadier General David Turner, commander of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, is currently at the State EOC.
A post storm inspection of the Herbert Hoover Dike will occur as soon as the Dike is accessible. Additional routine inspections will begin once the lake exceeds 17 feet. The lake level is currently at 15.93 feet.
Discharges to the east of the Lake are currently ceased to provide area flood protection for residents of Martin and St. Lucie counties. Discharges will resume at 4,000 cubic feet per second to the west and 1,800 cubic feet per second to the east after the storm when it can be done safely.
Working with Water Management Districts to monitor waterways; prepared to adjust flows as necessary.

ST JOHNS WATER MANAGEMENT DISTRICT

Nine water pumps have been identified and readied for mobilization. No requests have been made at this time.
All district lands have been closed to public recreation. People with reservations have been notified.
All hunting areas on district lands have been closed.

SOUTH FLORIDA WATER MANAGEMENT DISTRICT

SFWMD is gradually lowering canals.
Inspecting key parts of the flood control system, critical flood control structures, and canals and levees for any obstructions.
Ensuring adequate fuel supplies for pump stations and other equipment.

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION

DEP is ready to deploy generators to water treatment plants if needed.
Household Hazardous Waste debris and drop off sites have been established in all 67 counties
DEPs Florida Park Service is hosting U.S. Coast Guard vessels at select facilities along the East Coast of Florida to allow them to respond quickly to the areas most affected by the storm and is preparing strike teams to move into affected areas once the storm is passed.
DEP is mobilizing responders to Jacksonville and Orlando areas for Hazardous Waste Assessment teams with EPA.
Some parks are beginning to reopen but more than 60 state parks and campgrounds remain closed. To view the full list, click HERE.

CONTACTS:

The Florida Emergency Information Line (FEIL) has activated and can be reached at 1 (800) 342-3557.
State Emergency Operations Center Media Line: 850-921-0217.
Follow @FLSert or @FLGovScott on Twitter for live updates on Hurricane Matthew.
Visit http://www.floridadisaster.org/info to find information on shelters, road closures, and evacuation routes.

Executive Order #16-230 for Hurricane Matthew

Gov. Scott Issues Updates on Hurricane Matthew Preparedness and Response Efforts as Storm Continues to Impact Florida

10/07/16 - Gov. Scott Issues Updates on Hurricane Matthew Preparedness and Response Efforts as Storm Continues to Impact Florida

SHELTERS

As of this morning, more than 145 shelters were open throughout Florida with a total population of more than 22,360 individuals. This number will be updated at midnight. Shelters are open in the following counties:

Baker: 1 shelter (special needs)
Bradford: 2 shelters (1 special needs)
Brevard: 17 shelters (7 special needs)
Broward: 12 shelters (3 special needs)
Clay: 4 shelters (1 special needs)
Colombia: 3 shelters
Duval: 11 shelters (4 special needs)
Flagler: 2 shelters (1 special needs)
Glades: 2 shelters (special needs)
Hardy: 1 shelter (1 special needs)
Hendry: 2 shelters
Highlands: 1 shelter
Hillsborough: 4 shelters (1 special needs)
Indian River: 6 shelters (1 special needs)
Lake: 5 shelters (3 special needs)
Lee: 2 shelters
Leon: 1 shelters
Madison: 1 shelter
Manatee: 1 shelter (1 special needs)
Martin: 7 shelters (2 special needs)
Miami-Dade: 5 shelters (1 special needs)
Nassau: 5 shelters (1 special needs)
Okeechobee: 3 shelters (1 special needs)
Orange: 2 shelters
Osceola: 5 shelters
Palm Beach: 15 shelters (1 special needs)
Pinellas: 1 shelter
Polk: 7 shelters (2 special needs)
Putnam: 1 shelter (1 special needs)
St. Lucie: 7 shelters (1 special needs)
Seminole: 6 shelters (2 special needs)
Sumter: 1 shelter
Volusia: 4 (4 special needs)

To find available shelters by county, visit http://www.floridadisaster.org/shelters/
The state continues to work with the American Red Cross to identify shelter capacity both during and following the storm.

POWER

The following counties are currently experiencing power outages:

Alachua ï¿½ 3,216 customers, 2% outage
Baker ï¿½ 264, 2% outage
Bradford ï¿½ 174 customers, 2% outage
Brevard County ï¿½ 186,999, 61% outage
Broward ï¿½ 5,070 customers, 1% outage
Clay ï¿½ 7,485 customers, 5% outage
Duval ï¿½ 4,743 customers, 1% outage
Flagler County ï¿½ 39,261 customers, 69% outage
Franklin County ï¿½ 103 customers, 1% outage
Hamilton ï¿½ 90 customers, 1% outage
Highlands ï¿½ 472 customers, 1%
Indian River County ï¿½ 59,244 customers, 67% outage
Jefferson County ï¿½ 64 customers, 1% outage
Lake County ï¿½ 14,009 customers, 8% outage
Marion County ï¿½ 4,783 customers, 3 % outage
Martin County ï¿½ 44,600 customers, 48% outage
Okeechobee County ï¿½ 1,270 customers, 6% outage
Orange County ï¿½ 49,326 customers, 9% outage
Osceola County ï¿½ 6,172 customers, 5% outage
Palm Beach County ï¿½ 43,160 customers, 6% outage
Putnam County ï¿½ 8,160 customers, 20% outage
Seminole County ï¿½ 40,787 customers, 20% outage
St. Johns County ï¿½ 28,950 customers, 33% outage
St. Lucie County ï¿½ 51,312 customers, 34% outage
Volusia County ï¿½ 218,308 customers, 78% outage

Total without power: 826,920 customers, 8% outage

Governor Scott directed the state to begin setting up housing for utility crews in strategic areas across the state. Camp Blanding in Northeast Florida is now able to house over 1,000 utility workers and their trucks. There are two other locations that are currently being prepared if needed.

FUEL

The state is monitoring for supply, distribution or retail fuel shortages or issues, specifically for isolated incidents of individual retailers experiencing temporary fuel shortages. These individual retailers are being quickly refueled and fuel is readily available across Florida.
The state will continue to monitor and assist with state and local government fuel assistance requests.
The current fuel supply in the state will last for nearly 5 days, even if all ports are temporarily closed.
The state is working with fuel partners and suppliers to increase the number trucks moving fuel from the ports to retail locations.
The state has contacted emergency fuel and equipment providers for status of emergency fuel supply and equipment.

DAMAGE ASSESSMENTS

The east coast is still actively receiving impacts from Hurricane Matthew which will continue through most of the day.
After conditions have improved, individual counties will start their initial damage assessment process.
The state supports this initial damage assessment process through the State Emergency Response Team by providing personnel and resources towards First 72 Hour priorities of law enforcement security, search and rescue, and incident stabilization of Floridas impacted communities.

EVACUATIONS

More than 1.5 million Floridians are currently in evacuation zones.

Brevard County: Mandatory Evacuations of Merritt Island, barrier island, low-lying areas and mobile homes.
Broward County: Voluntary evacuations for mobile homes and low lying areas.
Clay County: Voluntary evacuations.
Duval County: Voluntary evacuations.
Flagler County: Mandatory evacuations.
Indian River: Mandatory evacuations for barrier islands, mobile homes, and low lying areas.
Martin County: Mandatory evacuations.
Miami-Dade County: Voluntary evacuations for mobile homes, low-lying, and unstable structures.
Nassau County: Voluntary evacuations.
Palm Beach County: Mandatory evacuations.
St. Johns County: Mandatory evacuation orders.
St. Lucie County: Mandatory evacuations.
Volusia County: Mandatory evacuations for barrier islands, low-lying areas, and mobile homes.

Floridians and visitors can go to FloridaEvacuates.com or download the Florida-Evacuates app to enter their location and see shelters available in their area.

SCHOOL CLOSURES

The Florida Department of Education (FDOE) activated its emergency contact system for the east coast Florida school districts and colleges, and is monitoring closures made at the district and college levels.
District school closures include:

Alachua County ï¿½ Closed Friday.
Baker County ï¿½ Closed Friday.
Brevard County ï¿½ Closed Friday.
Broward County ï¿½ Closed Friday.
Bradford County Schools - Closed Friday.
Citrus County ï¿½ Closed Friday.
Clay County ï¿½ Closed Friday.
Columbia County ï¿½ Closed Friday.
Dade County ï¿½ Closed Friday.
Desoto County ï¿½ Closed Friday.
Dixie County ï¿½ Closed Friday.
Duval County ï¿½ Closed Friday.
Lake County Schools - Closed Friday.
Flagler County ï¿½ Closed Friday.
Gilchrist County ï¿½ Closed Friday.
Glades County ï¿½ Closed Friday.
Hamilton County ï¿½ Closed Friday.
Hardee County ï¿½ Closed Friday.
Hendry County ï¿½ Closed Friday.
Highlands County ï¿½ Closed Friday.
Hillsborough County ï¿½ Closed Friday.
Indian River County ï¿½ Closed Friday.
Lafayette County ï¿½ Closed Friday.
Lake County ï¿½ Closed Friday.
Levy County ï¿½ Closed Friday.
Madison County ï¿½ Closed early Friday.
Manatee County ï¿½ Closed Friday.
Martin County ï¿½ Closed Friday.
Marion County ï¿½ Closed Friday.
Nassau County ï¿½ Closed Friday.
Okeechobee County - Closed Friday.
Orange County ï¿½ Closed Friday.
Osceola County ï¿½ Closed Friday.
Palm Beach County ï¿½ Closed Friday.
Pasco County ï¿½ Closed Friday.
Pinellas County ï¿½ Closed Friday.
Polk County ï¿½ Closed Friday.
Putnam County ï¿½ Closed Friday.
Seminole County - Closed Friday.
St. Johns County ï¿½ Closed Friday.
St. Lucie County ï¿½ Closed Friday.
Sumter County ï¿½ Closed Friday.
Suwannee County ï¿½ Closed Friday.
Union County ï¿½ Closed Friday.
Volusia County - Closed Friday.
FAU Lab school ï¿½ Closed Friday.
Florida School for Deaf and Blind ï¿½ Closed Friday.
UF Lab School ï¿½ Closed Friday.

Universities/ college closures include:

University of North Florida: Closed today through Saturday.
Embry Riddle University: Closed today.
Florida Atlantic University: Closed today through Sunday.
Florida International University: Closed today.
Florida A&M University satellite campuses (in Jacksonville, Miami, Orlando, and Tampa): Closed today through Sunday.
Nova Southeastern University: Closed today.
University of Central Florida: Closed today through Saturday.
Broward College: Closed today through Sunday.
Daytona State College: Closed today.
Eastern Florida State College: Closed today through Sunday.
Florida State College at Jacksonville: Closed today through Sunday.
Florida Gulf Coast University: Closed today.
Florida Polytechnic University: Closed today.
Lake-Sumter State College: Closed today through Sunday.
Indian River State College: Closed today through Sunday.
Miami Dade College: Closed today.
Palm Beach State College: Closed today through Sunday.
Seminole State College of Florida: Closed today through Sunday.
St. Johns River State College: Closed today through Sunday.
Valencia College: Closed today through Sunday.
Broward College: Closed today through Sunday.
South Florida State College: Closed today.
University of Florida: Closed today.
College of Central Florida: Closed today through Sunday.
Florida Gateway College: Closed today through Sunday.
Florida Southwestern State College: Hendry Glades Curtis Center closed today.
North Florida Community College: Closed today at 2:00pm.
Polk State College: Closed today through Sunday.
Santa Fe College: Closed today through Sunday.
Pasco-Hernando State College: Closed today through Sunday.

GOVERNMENT CLOSURES

County and state offices are closed Friday in the following counties:

Alachua, Baker, Bradford, Brevard, Broward, Citrus, Clay, Columbia, DeSoto, Dixie, Duval, Flagler, Gilchrist, Glades, Hamilton, Hardee, Hendry, Highlands, Hillsborough, Indian River, Lake, Levy, Manatee, Marion, Martin, Miami-Dade, Monroe, Nassau, Okeechobee, Orange, Osceola, Palm Beach, Pasco, Pinellas, Polk, Putnam, Seminole, St. Johns, St. Lucie, Sumter, Suwannee, Union, and Volusia

MILITARY SUPPORT

This morning, the National Guard will conduct an assessment on South Florida. Once they complete any recovery missions, they will join the troops deployed in Central and North Florida.
Governor Scott has directed the Florida National Guard to activate a total of 3,500 National Guard members to support hurricane preparedness and response. This is over half of the available troops that may be activated.
In addition to this, Florida has over 3,000 National Guard members ready to be deployed if needed.
The National Guard moved helicopters from Duval County to Hernando County and are receiving additional aircraft, including heavy lift Boeing CH-47 Chinooks, through the Emergency Mutual Aid Compact.

LAW ENFORCEMENT, FIRE FIGHTING AND SEARCH & RESCUE

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE), the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), Florida Highway Patrol (FHP), and other partnering agencies have identified resources for deployment to respond to the storm and are preparing to assist with search and rescue efforts.
FWC has deployed three advanced reconnaissance teams to perform search and rescue operations in Brevard and Martin Counties. A fourth team is on standby to respond to Northeast Florida as soon as conditions allow. These teams, made up of a total of 90 members, have partnered with fire and rescue members. FWC also has more than 70 personnel, more than 90 water vessels and nine aircrafts placed strategically throughout affected areas for public safety patrol and search and rescue efforts.
FHP has 150 Quick Action Force members deployed for public safety patrol across affected areas. FHP also has more than 100 personnel on standby. FHP is also continuing to use aircraft to monitor road conditions when weather permits.
State Emergency Response Plan (SERP) Coordinator and Regional Coordinators have been notified so staffers and resources can be prepared for deployment.

PUBLIC HEALTH AND MEDICAL

There are currently three boil water notices in effect:

Vero Beach (Indian River County)
Port Orange (Volusia County)
Melbourne (Brevard County)

DOH is monitoring and supporting special needs shelter activations.
The state is preparing personnel for deployment, such as State Medical Response Teams and Special Needs Sheltering Teams, to provide assistance to counties affected by the storm.
The following hospitals have evacuated patients:

Baptist Medical Center Beaches, Jacksonville Beach
Health First Cape Canaveral Hospital, Cocoa Beach
Florida Hospital Oceanside, Ormond Beach
Florida Hospital New Symrna, New Symrna Beach
Baptist Medical Center Nassau, Fernandina Beach
Wuesthoff Medical Center, Rockledge
Indian River Medical Center, Sebastian
Florida Hospital Flagler, Bunnell

DOH will be updating hospital evacuation information at FLHealth.gov

AHCA will continue to communicate with healthcare facilities over the weekend for updates and support. After hours contact information has been provided to over 8,000 nursing home and assisted living providers, and hospitals in the affected areas.
Statewide contact has been made with 2,897 providers, including the majority of providers in affected areas. Those unable to be reached will continue to be pursued until contacted.
Post impact reporting instructions have been shared including providing power status, generator status, and re-entry post evacuation.

TOLLS

Governor Scott directed DOT to suspend all tolls in the affected areas of the state, which includes the entire Florida Turnpike, Alligator Alley, Central Florida Expressway Authority and the Miami-Dade Expressway Authority. All toll suspensions remain in effect and will remain suspended for at least 24 hours. After the storm passes, county DOT officials will review this on a case by case basis.

AIRPORTS

The state is monitoring conditions at the following airports:

Tampa International Airport ï¿½ OPEN
Orlando Sanford Airport ï¿½ OPEN
Fort Lauderdale Hollywood Airport ï¿½ CLOSED
Orlando International Airport ï¿½ CLOSED
Jacksonville International Airport ï¿½ OPEN (Limited service) ï¿½ 10/04/16
Daytona Beach International Airport ï¿½ OPEN (No commercial activity)
Destin ï¿½ Fort Walton Beach / Eglin AFB - OPEN
Gainesville Regional Airport ï¿½ OPEN
Key West International Airport ï¿½ OPEN
Melbourne International Airport ï¿½ CLOSED
Miami International Airport ï¿½ OPEN (No commercial activity)
Northeast Florida Regional Airport ï¿½ CLOSED
Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport ï¿½ OPEN
Orlando Sanford International Airport ï¿½ CLOSED
Orlando International Airport ï¿½ CLOSED
Palm Beach International Airport ï¿½ OPEN (No commercial activity)
Pensacola International Airport ï¿½ OPEN
Punta Gorda Airport ï¿½ OPEN
Sarasota / Bradenton International Airport ï¿½ OPEN
Southwest Florida International Airport ï¿½ OPEN
St. Pete-Clearwater International Airport ï¿½ OPEN
Tallahassee International Airport ï¿½ OPEN
Tampa International Airport ï¿½ OPEN

TRANSPORTATION & PUBLIC WORKS

Due to high winds from Hurricane Matthew, all the bridges in St. Johns County are closed. Dames Point Bridge is also closed.
The State Rd 16 over St. Johns River in Clay County is also closed. Atlantic Blvd. at the Intercostal Waterway is closed to due downed power lines.
The State Road 200 Bridge to Amelia Island is closed due to high winds.
All other major roads and interstates in Florida are currently open.
FDOT is investigating roadways in Miami and West Palm Beach. There are no issues to report at this time.
FDOT will continue to halt construction work on all FDOT projects on Interstates, Limited Access facilities, coastal and evacuation route roadways. Contractors are have been instructed to open all travel lanes by removing unnecessary barricades, signs and drums.
FDOT District offices have emergency crews on standby. FDOT will continue to reach out to county emergency operations centers directly to coordinate any necessary response actions.
Tri-Rail service remains suspended in Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach Counties. Service will be opened as conditions allow.
More information on road and bridge closures can be found at www.fl511.com.
Florida Highway Patrol traffic incidents by region can be found here.

HUMAN SERVICES

Resources and Supplies

150 truckloads of water are being prepositioned around the state and 63 truckloads of water are holding in the in State Logistics Response Center (SLRC). In total, this includes more than 302,000 gallons of water. This will be distributed throughout the affected counties once weather permits.
The SLRC also has currently have a trailer of meals, which includes more than 10,000 meal kits. In addition, more than 178,000 kits are expected to be delivered throughout the weekend.

Anheuser-Busch is donating nine truckloads, more than 450,000 cans, of emergency drinking water in preparation for Hurricane Matthew. Several truckloads are headed to Florida communities including Deerfield Beach, West Palm Beach, Fort Pierce, Orlando, Melbourne and Daytona Beach.
Food Safety Assessment teams remain on standby to monitor power outages and flooding to ensure safety at food establishments once weather conditions improve.
The Division of Real Estate Development and Management continues to provide office space for FEMA in Tallahassee and space in Orlando to assist in response efforts.
The Division of Real Estate Development and Management EOC has transferred to Orlando to coordinate the logistics staging area for equipment in response to the storm.

Volunteer Organizations

Volunteer Florida has established a volunteer registration link for those who are interested in volunteering following Hurricane Matthew. Please visit www.volunteerflorida.org/hurricane-matthew to register. So far, more than 600 volunteers have registered within 24 hours.
Individuals can also volunteer through the Red Cross by visiting RedCross.org
The state is working with Volunteer Florida and other volunteers and donation agencies to identify available volunteers through Florida Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (VOAD) and AmeriCorps to staff shelters if needed.
Volunteer Florida is working with Community Emergency Response Teams that are on standby for possible deployment to impacted areas and is coordinating operations at the Leon County shelter.

Blood Donations

After temporarily suspending some operations due to Hurricane Matthew, OneBlood, the local blood center, is resuming operations in select locations effective Friday, October 7th and is urging donors to donate as soon as possible to replenish the blood supply.
OneBlood Locations Open on Friday, October 7th are:

Miami-Dade and Monroe Counties - Open
Broward County ï¿½ Open
Palm Beach County - Boca Raton, Delray and Lantana donor centers open
Tampa Bay ï¿½ Open, except Polk County is closed
Manatee County and surrounding areas - Open
Panhandle, including Tallahassee, Pensacola and Panama City areas ï¿½ Open
Ft. Myers ï¿½ Open, (except Sebring)

For more information, please visit www.oneblood.org.

Agency for Persons with Disabilities (APD)

APD is communicating regularly with staff, providers, waiver support coordinators, and stakeholders about preparedness and response measures.
Mutual Aid support from non-affected Regional Offices have been identified to support Regional Offices that may be impacted by the hurricane.
Group Home Provider Evacuations Include:

Southeast Region: Morning Star Community Home Inc. (Palm Beach Gardens), Poseidon Group Home (Lake Worth), Seagull Place ALF (Riviera Beach), MacTown 1st Avenue Group Home (Boyton Beach), MacTown Edmor Group Home (West Palm Beach), MacTown Redding Rd. (Boyton Beach)
Central Region: Albion (Palm Bay), Pediatric Pavilion (Orlando, FL), Highland Terrace (Titusville)
Northeast Region: Hibiscus Group Home (Jacksonville)

Department of Elder Affairs (DOEA)

DOEA is coordinating with Area Agencies on Aging across the state to communicate with clients, including elders and individuals with disabilities, and assist with evacuation coordination or transportation to local special needs shelters.
Meals continue to be served to homebound clients, and in preparation for the storm, extra frozen and shelf-stable meals have also been provided.

Florida Department of Veterans Affairs (FDVA)

Three of the state veterans nursing homes operated by the FDVA are on the east coast of Florida: Alexander Sandy Nininger State Veterans Nursing Home (Broward County), Emory L. Bennett State Veterans Nursing Home (Volusia County), Clyde E. Lassen State Veterans Nursing Home (St. Johns County). All of these facilities have permanent generators and administrators are working to ensure staff and supplies are available for residents.
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) operates a number of Florida-based medical centers and outpatient clinics in the watch and warning areas. The following VA clinics will be closed during the listed days:

All Miami VA Medical Center primary care and community based clinics, with the exception of Key West - Thursday and Friday
Miami Vet Center ï¿½ Thursday and Friday
Fort Lauderdale Vet Center ï¿½ Thursday and Friday
All West Palm Beach VA Medical Center primary care and community based clinics - Thursday and Friday
West Palm Beach VA Medical Center elective surgeries or procedures ï¿½ Thursday Friday
Palm Beach (Freenacres) Vet Center ï¿½ Thursday and Friday
Melbourne Vet Center ï¿½ Thursday and Friday
Jupiter Vet Center ï¿½ Thursday and Friday
Pompano Vet Center ï¿½ Thursday and Friday
Viera Outpatient Clinic ï¿½ Thursday - Saturday
Daytona Beach Outpatient Clinic - Thursday - Saturday
Port Orange Psychosocial Recovery & Rehabilitation Center (PRRC) - Thursday - Saturday
Orange City VA Clinic ï¿½ Noon Thursday and Friday
Orlando VM Medical Center elective surgeries or procedures ï¿½ Thursday and Friday
Lake Baldwin Clinic ï¿½ Noon Thursday and Friday
Clermont Clinic ï¿½ Noon Thursday and Friday
Tavares Clinic ï¿½ Noon Thursday and Friday
Kissimmee Clinic ï¿½ Noon Thursday and Friday
Daytona Vet Center ï¿½ Thursday and Friday
St. Augustine Clinic - Thursday - Friday
Jacksonville (all locations) ï¿½ Thursday - Friday
St. Marys (GA) Clinic ï¿½ Thursday ï¿½ Friday
Palatka Clinic ï¿½ Thursday ï¿½ Friday
The Villages Clinic ï¿½ Friday
Ocala Clinic ï¿½ Friday
Lecanto Clinic ï¿½ Friday
Jacksonville Vet Center ï¿½ Thursday and Friday
Lake City VAMC and Gainesville VAMC Outpatient Clinic- Appointments cancelled Friday

BUSINESS, INDUSTRY, & ECONOMIC STABILIZATION

The Florida Department of Economic Opportunity (DEO) and DEM have activated the Florida Virtual Business Emergency Operations Center (FLVBEOC) to help identify and alleviate unmet needs between businesses and response partners. They are also working with businesses to make sure they have what they need to prepare for the storm.

The FLVBEOC is available at www.flvbeoc.org
Click HERE for Office and Warehouse space offerings for displaced or damaged businesses

The state has activated the Private Sector Hotline at 850-410-1403. The hotline is available for business inquiries about the storm, preparedness information and post-impact information from 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM ET.
The state is planning for post-impact outreach to major retailers to identify open status of stores, major challenges to reopening and potential timelines.

INSURANCE

In the wake of Hurricane Matthew, Floridians affected by the storm must now begin the process of surveying damages to their property and belongings. If you need help finding your Floridas property insurance companys website and contact information, click HERE. For a list of licensed insurance agents in Florida, click HERE.
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.
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.
OIR will continue to communicate with DFS regarding the establishment of an insurance village, a mobile location for individuals to file insurance claims, if needed following the hurricane. OIR and DFS will also closely track insurance complaints to help protect Floridians.

HOTELS/ LODGING ACCOMMODATIONS

VISIT FLORIDA has activated the Emergency Accommodations Module to keep visitors informed and is working with local tourism partners to collect and share information regarding the open status for major retailers and hotels. More information can be found HERE.
VISIT FLORIDA has also compiled a list of available hotel accommodations for visitors who may be need to evacuate. To view available accommodations, click HERE.
VISIT FLORIDA and Expedia have partnered to identify cities and hotels which are further away from the projected storm path and have availability. Please visit www.expedia.com/florida to find available lodging.
Airbnb is expanding activation of the Disaster Response Tool beyond coastal South Carolina to include portions of Florida. Please visit https://www.airbnb.com/disaster/florida to find available lodging.

Airbnb is asking hosts to aid in this effort by listing their available rooms or homes on the platform to help house the growing number of evacuees.
Local residents impacted by Hurricane Matthew will be able to secure emergency accommodations through the tool free of charge from now through October 12th

TELECOMMUNICATIONS

The Department of Management Services Division of Telecommunications is currently monitoring telecommunication services to ensure first responders, residents and visitors are able to communicate response and recovery needs.
The division is working with telecommunications partners on proactive and protective measures to prepare equipment, facilities and response personnel for Hurricane Matthew, as well as encouraging partners to report any communications outages or affects.
The state is coordinating with state, federal and industry partners, and is prepared to help assess impacts to telecommunications facilities and infrastructure once weather conditions allow.
The division is coordinating communications status reports of outages, affects or unmet needs with telecommunications industry.
The division worked with telecommunications partners to pre-staged resources (personnel and equipment) to prepare for deployment, restoration and recovery efforts post-storm.

SEAPORTS

The state is monitoring conditions at the following seaports:

Miami ï¿½ CLOSED
Everglades ï¿½ CLOSED
Fort Pierce ï¿½ CLOSED
Palm Beach ï¿½ CLOSED
Canaveral ï¿½ CLOSED
Jacksonville ï¿½ CLOSED
Fernandina ï¿½ CLOSED
Saint Petersburg ï¿½ OPEN (Limited operations)
Tampa Bay ï¿½ OPEN (Limited operations)
Manatee ï¿½ OPEN (Limited operations)
Key West ï¿½ OPEN

U.S. ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS (USACE)

Brigadier General David Turner, commander of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, is currently at the State EOC.
A post storm inspection of the Herbert Hoover Dike will occur as soon as the Dike is accessible. Additional routine inspections will begin once the lake exceeds 17 feet. The lake level is currently at 15.93 feet.
Discharges to the east of the Lake are currently ceased to provide area flood protection for residents of Martin and St. Lucie counties. Discharges will resume at 4,000 cubic feet per second to the west and 1,800 cubic feet per second to the east after the storm when it can be done safely.
Working with Water Management Districts to monitor waterways; prepared to adjust flows as necessary.

ST JOHNS WATER MANAGEMENT DISTRICT

75% percent of the district is currently subject to hurricane force winds.
SJWMD is actively monitoring the effects of the storm.

SOUTH FLORIDA WATER MANAGEMENT DISTRICT

SFWMD is gradually lowering canals.
Inspecting key parts of the flood control system, critical flood control structures, and canals and levees for any obstructions.
Ensuring adequate fuel supplies for pump stations and other equipment.

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION

DEP is ready to deploy generators to water treatment plants if needed.
Household Hazardous Waste debris and drop off sites have been established in all 67 counties
DEPs Florida Park Service is hosting U.S. Coast Guard vessels at select facilities along the East Coast of Florida to allow them to respond quickly to the areas most affected by the storm and is preparing strike teams to move into affected areas once the storm is passed.
Some parks are beginning to reopen but more than 80 state parks and campgrounds remain closed. To view the full list, click HERE.

CONTACTS:

The Florida Emergency Information Line (FEIL) has activated and can be reached at 1 (800) 342-3557.
State Emergency Operations Center Media Line: 850-921-0217.
Follow @FLSert or @FLGovScott on Twitter for live updates on Hurricane Matthew.
Visit http://www.floridadisaster.org/info/ to find information on shelters, road closures, and evacuation routes.

Executive Order #16-230 for Hurricane Matthew

Gov. Scott Issues Updates on Hurricane Matthew Preparedness and Response Efforts as Storm Continues to Impact Florida

10/07/16 - Gov. Scott: As Hurricane Impacts Florida, Additional Requests Made To Federal Government

As Hurricane Matthew impacts Florida, Governor Scott has requested President Obama to declare a Major Disaster for Florida as a result of the storm. If approved by President Obama, this will provide federal resources to support recovery efforts in Florida. This request is for both individual assistance for families and public assistance to help state agencies and local governments. Yesterday, the federal government approved Governor Scotts request for a pre-landfall emergency declaration. Cumulatively, Governor Scott has asked FEMA to provide the following:

Food
Water
Tarps
Generators
Water pumps
Search and rescue teams
Hazmat assessment teams
Cots and blankets
Food distribution vehicles
Helicopters

Governor Scott has also directed the state to begin setting up housing for utility crews in strategic areas across the state. Camp Blanding in Northeast Florida is ready to house over 1,000 utility workers and their trucks. Two other locations are currently being prepared across the state should utility companies need it.

Governor Rick Scott said, As this massive category three hurricane impacts Florida, I have continued to make requests to the federal government for resources based on the needs of communities across our state. This storm has now impacted a little over half of our east coast, and we expect to see severe impacts as it approaches Northeast Florida. We will not hesitate to get our communities the resources they need to respond to families and we will continue to make requests to the federal government as needed.

I have also directed the state to set up strategic housing for utility crews across the state so workers can quickly restore power. Power saves lives and getting it restored will be a top priority as the storm passes. In advance of this storm, I activated 3,500 members of the Florida National Guard. They have already started conducting assessments in South Florida. Once they complete any recovery missions, they will join the troops we have positioned in Central and North Florida and help with any search and rescue efforts.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission currently has 90 officers performing search and rescue operations, and another 70 on standby. Florida Highway Patrol has 150 troopers on public safety patrol right now, and another 100 on standby. They are all ready to help people in our state impacted by this severe storm.

Executive Order #16-230 for Hurricane Matthew

Gov. Scott: As Hurricane Impacts Florida, Additional Requests Made To Federal Government

10/06/16 - Gov. Scott Issues Updates on Hurricane Matthew Preparedness Efforts as Storm Approaches Florida

Today, Governor Rick Scott met with emergency management officials in Tallahassee and Stuart and St. Augustine as the state prepares for Hurricane Matthew, a life-threatening category four storm. Florida remains under both tropical storm and hurricane watches and warnings. Governor Scott has remained in constant communication with state and local leaders, utility companies, sheriffs, and volunteer organizations who are working to ensure the state is prepared for the storm.

EVACUATIONS

More than 1.5 million Floridians are currently in evacuation zones.
Brevard County: Mandatory Evacuations of Merritt Island, barrier island, low-lying areas and mobile homes.
Broward County: Voluntary evacuations have begun for mobile homes and low lying areas.
Citrus County: Voluntary evacuations have begun.
Clay County: Voluntary evacuations have begun.
DeSoto County: Voluntary evacuations have begun for manufactured homes, RVs and low lying areas.
Duval County: Voluntary evacuations have begun.
Flagler County: Mandatory evacuations have begun.
Glades County: Voluntary evacuations have begun.
Hendry County: Voluntary evacuations have begun.
Indian River: Mandatory evacuations have begun for barrier islands, mobile homes, and low lying areas.
Lake County: Voluntary evacuations have begun.
Manatee County: Voluntary evacuations have begun.
Martin County: Mandatory evacuations have begun.
Miami-Dade County: Voluntary evacuations have begun for mobile homes, low-lying, and unstable structures.
Nassau County: Voluntary evacuations have begun.
Okeechobee County: Voluntary evacuation orders have begun for mobile homes and low lying areas.
Orange County: Voluntary evacuations have begun.
Palm Beach County: Mandatory evacuations have begun.
Pasco County: Voluntary evacuations have begun.
Putnam County: Voluntary evacuations have begun.
Seminole County: Voluntary evacuations have begun.
Johns County: Mandatory evacuation orders have begun.
Lucie County: Mandatory evacuations have begun.
Sumter County: Voluntary evacuations have begun.
Volusia County: Mandatory evacuations have begun for barrier islands, low-lying areas, and mobile homes.

Floridians and visitors can go to FloridaEvacuates.com or download the Florida-Evacuates app to enter their location and see shelters available in their area.

SHELTERS

As of 6:00 PM, 130 shelters were open throughout Florida. There are not any capacity issues at shelters at this time. Shelters are open in the following counties:
Baker County: 1 general, 1 special needs (2 total)
Bradford County: 1 general
Brevard County: 8 general, 3 special needs, 4 pet friendly (16 total)
Broward County: 7 general, 2 special needs, 1 pet (10 total)
Clay County: 3 general
Duval County: 1 special needs (3 total)
Flagler County: 1 general, 1 special needs, 1 pet friendly (3 total)
Glades County: 2 general, 1 special needs (3 total)
Hendry County: 1 general, 1 special needs (2 total)
Highlands County: 2 general
Indian River County: 5 general
Lake County: 5 general, 4 special needs (9 total)
Marion County: 1 general
Martin County: 5 general, 1 special needs (5 total)
Miami-Dade County: 3 general, 1 pet friendly (3 total)
Nassau County: 3 general, 1 special needs, 1 pet friendly (5 total)
Okeechobee County: 1 general, 1 special needs (2 total)
Orange County: 3 general, 2 special needs, 1 pet friendly (6 total)
Osceola County: 1 general, 1 special needs, 3 pet friendly (5 total)
Palm Beach County: 8 general, 1 special needs, 1 pet friendly (10 total)
Putnam County: 5 general
Seminole County: 1 general, 1 special needs, 1 pet friendly (3 total)
Johns County: 4 general
Lucie County: 4 general, 1 special needs (5 total)
Sumter County: 5 general, 1 special needs (6 total)
Volusia County: 11 general
Coastal counties are working on opening additional shelters this morning, including shelters for people with special needs, pets and general populations. To find available shelters by county, visit http://www.floridadisaster.org/shelters/
The state continues to work with the American Red Cross to identify shelter capacity both during and following the storm.

POWER

The following counties are currently experiencing power outages:
Miami ï¿½ around 6,800 people without power. (1%)
Brevard County ï¿½ 2,200 people are without power. (1%)
Broward County ï¿½ 5,600 people are without power. (1%)
Palm Beach County ï¿½ 4,800 are without power. (1%)
Outage reporting will continue this evening.
Power companies have pre-positioned personnel such as linemen, transmission, substation and vegetation staff to assist with potential power outages. This includes staff members from Duke Energy, Florida Public Utilities, TECO Energy Company, electric co-ops, and municipal utilities.
Utilities are contacting their mutual aid partners to determine availability if external resources are needed to restore services.
The state is monitoring the power grid for sufficient power in the state and the natural gas infrastructure for any damages that can cause a loss of service to power plants.
Governor Scott has spoken with utilities across the state to ensure utilities are pre-positioned and there are no unmet needs.

FUEL

The state is monitoring for supply, distribution or retail fuel shortages or issues, specifically for isolated incidents of individual retailers experiencing temporary fuel shortages. These individual retailers are being quickly refueled and fuel is readily available across Florida.
The state will continue to monitor and assist with state and local government fuel assistance requests.
The current fuel supply in the state will last for nearly 6 days, even if all ports are temporarily closed.
The state is working with fuel partners and suppliers to increase the number trucks moving fuel from the ports to retail locations.
The state has contacted emergency fuel and equipment providers for status of emergency fuel supply and equipment.

SCHOOL CLOSURES

The Florida Department of Education (FDOE) activated its emergency contact system for the east coast Florida school districts and colleges, and is monitoring closures made at the district and college levels.

District school closures include:

Alachua County ï¿½ Closed Friday.
Baker County ï¿½ Closed Friday.
Brevard County ï¿½ Closed Friday.
Broward County ï¿½ Closed Friday.
Bradford County Schools ï¿½ Closed Friday.
Citrus County ï¿½ Closed Friday.
Clay County ï¿½ Closed Friday.
Columbia County ï¿½ Closed Friday.
Dade County ï¿½ Closed Friday.
Desoto County ï¿½ Closed Friday.
Dixie County ï¿½ Closed Friday.
Duval County ï¿½ Closed Friday.
Lake County Schools ï¿½ Closed Friday.
Flagler County ï¿½ Closed Friday.
Gilchrist County ï¿½ Closed Friday.
Glades County ï¿½ Closed Friday.
Hamilton County ï¿½ Closed Friday.
Hardee County ï¿½ Closed Friday.
Hendry County ï¿½ Closed Friday.
Highlands County ï¿½ Closed Friday.
Hillsborough County ï¿½ Closed Friday.
Indian River County ï¿½ Closed Friday.

Lafayette County ï¿½ Closed Friday.
Lake County ï¿½ Closed Friday.
Levy County ï¿½ Closed Friday.
Madison County ï¿½ Closed early Friday.
Manatee County ï¿½ Closed Friday.
Martin County ï¿½ Closed Friday.
Marion County ï¿½ Closed Friday.
Nassau County ï¿½ Closed Friday.
Okeechobee County ï¿½ Closed Friday.
Orange County ï¿½ Closed Friday.
Osceola County ï¿½ Closed Friday.
Palm Beach County ï¿½ Closed Friday.
Pasco County ï¿½ Closed Friday.
Pinellas County ï¿½ Closed Friday.
Polk County ï¿½ Closed Friday.
Putnam County ï¿½ Closed Friday.
Seminole County ï¿½ Closed Friday.
Johns County ï¿½ Closed Friday.
Lucie County ï¿½ Closed Friday.
Sumter County ï¿½ Closed Friday.
Suwannee County ï¿½ Closed Friday.
Union County ï¿½ Closed Friday.
Volusia County ï¿½ Closed Friday.
FAU Lab school ï¿½ Closed Friday.
Florida School for Deaf and Blind ï¿½ Closed Friday.
UF Lab School ï¿½ Closed Friday.

Universities/ college closures include:

University of North Florida: Closed Thursday through Saturday.
Embry Riddle University: Closed Thursday and Friday.
Florida Atlantic University: Closed Thursday through Sunday.
Florida International University: Closed Thursday through Friday.
Florida A&M University satellite campuses (in Jacksonville, Miami, Orlando, and Tampa): Closed Thursday through Sunday.
Nova Southeastern University: Closed Thursday and Friday.
University of Central Florida: Closed Thursday through Saturday.
Broward College: Closed Thursday through Sunday.
Daytona State College: Closed Thursday and Friday.
Eastern Florida State College: Closed Thursday through Sunday.
Florida State College at Jacksonville: Closed Thursday through Sunday.
Florida Gulf Coast University: Closed Thursday and Friday.
Florida Polytechnic University: Closed Thursday and Friday.
Lake-Sumter State College: Closed Thursday through Sunday.
Indian River State College: Closed Thursday through Sunday.
Miami Dade College: Closed Thursday through Friday.
Palm Beach State College: Closed Thursday through Sunday.
Seminole State College of Florida: Closed Thursday through Sunday.
Johns River State College: Closed Thursday through Sunday.
Valencia College: Closed Thursday through Sunday.
Broward College: Closed Thursday through Sunday.
South Florida State College: Closed Thursday and Friday.
University of Florida: Closed Friday.
Florida Keys Community College Middle Keys and Upper Keys Center: Closed Thursday.
College of Central Florida: Closed Friday through Sunday.
Florida Gateway College: Closed Friday through Sunday.
Florida Southwestern State College: Hendry Glades Curtis Center closed Thursday and Friday.
North Florida Community College: Closed Friday starting at 2:00pm.
Polk State College: Closed Thursday through Sunday.
Santa Fe College: Closed Thursday through Sunday.

GOVERNMENT CLOSURES

County and state offices are closed Friday in the following counties:

Alachua, Baker, Bradford, Brevard, Broward, Citrus, Clay, Columbia, DeSoto, Dixie, Duval, Flagler, Gilchrist, Glades, Hamilton, Hardee, Hendry, Highlands, Hillsborough, Indian River, Lake, Levy, Manatee, Marion, Martin, Miami-Dade, Monroe, Nassau, Okeechobee, Orange, Osceola, Palm Beach, Pasco, Pinellas, Polk, Putnam, Seminole, St. Johns, St. Lucie, Sumter, Suwannee, Union, and Volusia

MILITARY SUPPORT

As of this afternoon, Governor Scott has directed the Florida National Guard to activate a total of 3,500 National Guard members to support hurricane preparedness and response, especially to assist with staffing shelters. This is over half of the available troops that may be activated.
In addition to this, Florida has over 3,000 National Guard members ready to be deployed if needed.
The National Guard is moving helicopters from Duval County to Hernando County and receiving additional aircraft, including heavy lift Boeing CH-47 Chinooks, through the Emergency Mutual Aid Compact.

LAW ENFORCEMENT, FIRE FIGHTING AND SEARCH & RESCUE

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE), the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), Florida Highway Patrol (FHP), and other partnering agencies have identified resources for deployment to respond to the storm and are preparing to assist with evacuations.
FWC has 164 personnel ready to deploy. In addition, there are 96 vessels staged for search and rescue and pre/post storm rec. FWC also has nine aircrafts available for public safety patrol.
FHP has 49 personnel assisting with evacuations in affected areas. FHP also has more than 300 troopers on standby for deployment if needed. FHP is also using aircraft monitoring for public safety patrol and road condition assessments.
State Emergency Response Plan (SERP) Coordinator and Regional Coordinators have been notified so staffers and resources can be prepared for deployment.
30 Bureau of Fire and Arson Investigations (Department of Financial Services), Florida Fish and Wildlife Special Operations Group boat teams, and members of the Florida National Guard are staging outside of affected areas for deployment to perform search and rescue missions.
Three Urban Search and Rescue Task Force teams will be immediately available to assist with search and rescue based on the current track of the storm. More have been requested. Multiple specialized support teams with equipment are being staged to assist efforts.
State firefighting representative have worked with DOH to assist with tracking and patient movement if needed.

PUBLIC HEALTH AND MEDICAL

DOH is working with healthcare facilities on potential evacuations and preparing for storm impacts.
DOH is also standing monitoring and supporting special needs shelter activations.
DOH has established daily calls with County Health Departments to ensure all needs are met.
DOH is preparing to assist with the activation of Rx Open, an online interactive map that provides information on the status of pharmacies for citizens and first responders.
The state is preparing personnel for deployment, such as State Medical Response Teams and Special Needs Sheltering Teams, to provide assistance to counties affected by the storm.
AHCA is supporting the emergency preparedness efforts for hospitals, nursing homes, assisted living facilities and other health care facilities by monitoring evacuation efforts and needs, as well as working with providers to ensure patients are receiving any necessary care and medication.
The following hospitals have evacuated patients:
Baptist Medical Center Beaches, Jacksonville Beach
Health First Cape Canaveral Hospital, Cocoa Beach
Florida Hospital Oceanside, Ormond Beach
Florida Hospital New Symrna, New Symrna Beach
Baptist Medical Center Nassau, Fernandina Beach
Wuesthoff Medical Center, Rockledge
Indian River Medical Center, Sebastian
Florida Hospital Flagler, Bunnell

DOH will be updating hospital evacuation information at FLHealth.gov

TOLLS

Governor Scott directed DOT to suspend all tolls in the affected areas of the state, which includes the entire Florida Turnpike, Alligator Alley, Central Florida Expressway Authority and the Miami-Dade Expressway Authority.

AIRPORTS

The state is monitoring conditions at the following airports:

Tampa International Airport ï¿½ Open
Orlando Sanford Airport ï¿½ All Flights Cancelled
Fort Lauderdale Hollywood Airport ï¿½ All Flights Cancelled
Orlando International Airport ï¿½ All Flights Cancelled Beginning at 8:00PM
Jacksonville International Airport ï¿½ Open with limited service
Daytona Beach International Airport ï¿½ Open with limited service
Miami International ï¿½ all flights cancelled

TRANSPORTATION & PUBLIC WORKS

The state has held teleconferences with the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) districts and agency partners ï¿½ Army Corps of Engineers, Water Management Districts, Civil Air Patrol and Federal Highway Administration to ensure all infrastructure needs are met.
FDOT halted construction work on all FDOT projects on Interstates, Limited Access facilities, coastal and evacuation route roadways effective immediately in preparation for the approaching Hurricane Matthew. Contractors are being instructed to secure all equipment and open travel lanes by removing all unnecessary barricades, signs and drums.
FDOT District offices have placed emergency crews on standby, and are continuing to test and inventory equipment and monitor 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, providing local evacuation support and providing maintenance of traffic and other assistance.
FDOT is coordinating with the U.S. Coast Guard to lock down Intracoastal Waterway bridges along the eastern Florida coast prior to sustained winds of 40 mph.
Tri-Rail is suspending service in Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach Counties.
Experiencing heavy congestion on the following roads:
I-10 WB pockets of congestion West of Jacksonville, West of Macclenny, and both sides of I-75 in Lake City (several mile long gaps of no congestion in that area). Motorists appear to be using US-90 from I-75 heading west and then getting back on I-10 at Exit 275 (US-90). 131 minute drive for that 45 mile stretch (I-10 WB: US-441 to SR-53).
Intermittent Congestion on I-10 WB from US-301 back to I-295 is much improved with a 21 minute travel time from I-295 out to US 301.
US 17 SB from NAS JAX headed towards I-295
I-75 NB and SB south of Ocala from CR 484 to US 27. A SB crash at MP 350 is contributing to the delays.
I-4 WB from the Celebration area into Polk County.
SR 44 WB in Deland.
SR 40 WB East of Ocala at CR 314
SR 417 (Central FL Greeneway) SB from MP 3 to I-4 ï¿½ related to the I-4 WB congestion
SR 429 (Western Beltway) SB from MP 1 to I-4 ï¿½ related to the I-4 WB congestion
SR 589 (Veterans Expy) NB from I-275/SR 60 to Hillsborough Ave (MP 0 to 3). This is similar to typical PM peak hour recurring conditions.
Additional Major Road Closures/Updates
The Miami Tunnel remains closed.
Intracoastal bridges in Palm Beach County have been locked down. Drawbridges along the Miami River and the Intracoastal Waterway in Miami-Dade County have locked down. Lock-down of bridges on the Intracoastal Waterway (ICWW) began this morning. During lockdowns which the bridge spans are locked in the down position and will not open for marine traffic. This will not affect vehicular traffic crossing the bridges.
To ensure the safety of plaza workers, Floridas Turnpike will begin the phased closure of at least seven Turnpike service plazas, beginning with the southernmost facilities Snapper Creek (Milepost 19) and Pompano Beach (Milepost 65). Others will close in succession moving north in advance of Hurricane Matthew. For a schedule of closures, click HERE.
More information on road and bridge closures can be found at fl511.com.
Florida Highway Patrol traffic incidents by region can be found here.

HUMAN SERVICES

Resources and Supplies

150 truckloads of water are being prepositioned around the state and 63 truckloads of water are holding in the in State Logistics Response Center (SLRC). In total, this includes more than 302,000 gallons of water. The SLRC also has a trailer of meals, which includes more than 10,000 meal kits.
Food Safety Assessment teams on standby to monitor power outages and flooding to ensure safety at food establishments.
The Division of Real Estate Development and Management continues to provide office space for FEMA in Tallahassee and space in Orlando to assist in response efforts.
The Division of Real Estate Development and Management EOC has transferred to Orlando to coordinate the logistics staging area for equipment in response to the storm.

Volunteer Organizations

The state is establishing local points of contact with mass care organizations and volunteer agencies for potentially impacted counties.
The state is working with Volunteer Florida and other volunteers and donation agencies to identify available volunteers through Florida Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (VOAD) and AmeriCorps to staff shelters if needed. Thirty-nine AmeriCorps teams statewide are on call for anticipated response to Hurricane Matthew. Volunteer Florida grantee Literacy Coalition of Palm Beach deployed AmeriCorps to the Palm Beach County EOC and Special Needs Shelter. Community Emergency Response Teams (CERT) are also available.
The state is assessing available housing for responders and volunteers.
Volunteer Florida is identifying fixed kitchens from potentially impacted counties in anticipation of feeding needs.
Volunteer Florida is working with Community Emergency Response Teams that are on standby for possible deployment to impacted areas, with the Florida Baptist Convention to identify an in-kind warehouse space for multi-agency warehouse, and with Salvation Army and Red Cross for food distribution.
Volunteer Florida has established a volunteer registration link for those who are interested in volunteering following Hurricane Matthew. Please visit volunteerflorida.org/hurricane-matthew to register.

Agency for Persons with Disabilities (APD)

APD is communicating regularly with staff, providers, waiver support coordinators, and stakeholders about the hurricane and preparedness measures.
All group homes and individuals in Supported Living have their own disaster plans.
Regional Residential Planning Coordinators are assessing all available open beds in group homes statewide in case they are needed during or after the storm. Supported Living Coaches are checking on their customers in independent living to ensure they are safe and prepared. If someone needs to go to a group home during the storm, APD will authorize Respite and pay for the service.
Mutual Aid support from non-affected Regional Offices have been identified to support Regional Offices that may be impacted by the hurricane.
Group Home Provider Evacuations Include:
Southern Region: None at this time
Southeast Region: Morning Star Community Home Inc. (Palm Beach Gardens), Seagull Place ALF (Riviera Beach), MacTown 1st Avenue Group Home (Boyton Beach), MacTown Edmor Group Home (West Palm Beach), MacTown Redding Rd. (Boyton Beach)
Central Region: Albion (Palm Bay), Pediatric Pavilion (Orlando, FL), Highland Terrace (Titusville)
Northeast Region: Hibiscus Group Home (Jacksonville)

Department of Elder Affairs (DOEA)

DOEA is coordinating with Area Agencies on Aging across the state to communicate with clients, including elders and individuals with disabilities, and assist with evacuation coordination or transportation to local special needs shelters.
Meals continue to be served to homebound clients, and in preparation for the storm, extra frozen and shelf-stable meals have also been provided.
Staff from DOEAs CARES program is ready and available to serve at Special Needs Shelters in affected areas.

Florida Department of Veterans Affairs (FDVA)

Three of the state veterans nursing homes operated by the FDVA are on the east coast of Florida: Alexander Sandy Nininger State Veterans Nursing Home (Broward County), Emory L. Bennett State Veterans Nursing Home (Volusia County), Clyde E. Lassen State Veterans Nursing Home (St. Johns County)
All of these facilities have permanent generators and administrators are working to ensure staff and supplies are available for residents.
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) operates a number of Florida-based medical centers and outpatient clinics in the watch and warning areas. The following VA clinics will be closed during the listed days:
All Miami VA Medical Center primary care and community based clinics, with the exception of Key West ï¿½ Thursday and Friday
Miami Vet Center ï¿½ Thursday and Friday
Fort Lauderdale Vet Center ï¿½ Thursday and Friday
All West Palm Beach VA Medical Center primary care and community based clinics ï¿½ Thursday and Friday
West Palm Beach VA Medical Center elective surgeries or procedures ï¿½ Thursday Friday
Palm Beach (Freenacres) Vet Center ï¿½ Thursday and Friday
Melbourne Vet Center ï¿½ Thursday and Friday
Jupiter Vet Center ï¿½ Thursday and Friday
Pompano Vet Center ï¿½ Thursday and Friday
Viera Outpatient Clinic ï¿½ Thursday ï¿½ Saturday

Daytona Beach Outpatient Clinic ï¿½ Thursday ï¿½ Saturday
Port Orange Psychosocial Recovery & Rehabilitation Center (PRRC) ï¿½ Thursday ï¿½ Saturday
Orange City VA Clinic ï¿½ Noon Thursday and Friday
Orlando VM Medical Center elective surgeries or procedures ï¿½ Thursday and Friday
Lake Baldwin Clinic ï¿½ Noon Thursday and Friday
Clermont Clinic ï¿½ Noon Thursday and Friday
Tavares Clinic ï¿½ Noon Thursday and Friday
Kissimmee Clinic ï¿½ Noon Thursday and Friday
Daytona Vet Center ï¿½ Thursday and Friday
Augustine Clinic ï¿½ Thursday ï¿½ Friday
Jacksonville (all locations) ï¿½ Thursday ï¿½ Friday
Marys (GA) Clinic ï¿½ Thursday ï¿½ Friday
Palatka Clinic ï¿½ Thursday ï¿½ Friday
The Villages Clinic ï¿½ Friday
Ocala Clinic ï¿½ Friday
Lecanto Clinic ï¿½ Friday
Jacksonville Vet Center ï¿½ Thursday and Friday
Lake City VAMC and Gainesville VAMC Outpatient Clinic- Appointments cancelled Friday

BUSINESS, INDUSTRY, & ECONOMIC STABILIZATION

The Florida Department of Economic Opportunity (DEO) and DEM have activated the Florida Virtual Business Emergency Operations Center (FLVBEOC) to help identify and alleviate unmet needs between businesses and response partners. They are also working with businesses to make sure they have what they need to prepare for the storm.
The FLVBEOC is available at www.flvbeoc.org
The state has activated the Private Sector Hotline at 850-410-1403. The hotline is available for business inquiries about the storm, preparedness information and post-impact information from 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM ET.
The state is planning for post-impact outreach to major retailers to identify open status of stores, major challenges to reopening and potential timelines.
If you need help finding your Floridas property insurance companys 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.
OIR will continue to communicate with DFS regarding the establishment of an insurance village, a mobile location for individuals to file insurance claims, if needed following the hurricane. OIR and DFS will also closely track insurance complaints to help protect Floridians.

HOTELS/ LODGING ACCOMMODATIONS

VISIT FLORIDA has activated the Emergency Accommodations Module to keep visitors informed and is working with local tourism partners to collect and share information regarding the open status for major retailers and hotels. More information can be found HERE.
VISIT FLORIDA has also compiled a list of available hotel accommodations for visitors who may be need to evacuate. To view available accommodations, click HERE.
VISIT FLORIDA and Expedia have partnered to identify cities and hotels which are further away from the projected storm path and have availability. Please visit expedia.com/florida to find available lodging.
Airbnb is expanding activation of the Disaster Response Tool beyond coastal South Carolina to include portions of Florida. Please visit https://www.airbnb.com/disaster/florida to find available lodging.
Airbnb is asking hosts to aid in this effort by listing their available rooms or homes on the platform to help house the growing number of evacuees.
Local residents impacted by Hurricane Matthew will be able to secure emergency accommodations through the tool free of charge from now through October 12th

TELECOMMUNICATIONS

The Department of Management Services Division of Telecommunications is currently monitoring telecommunication services to ensure first responders, residents and visitors are able to communicate response and recovery needs.
The division is working with telecommunications partners on proactive and protective measures to prepare equipment, facilities and response personnel for Hurricane Matthew, as well as encouraging partners to report any communications outages or affects.
The state is coordinating with state, federal and industry partners, and is prepared to help assess impacts to telecommunications facilities and infrastructure following the storm. The state is also monitoring fuel assistance requests; currently there are no requests for assistance.
The division is coordinating staging areas for telecommunications mobile vehicles and additional wireless equipment for emergency response efforts.
The division is coordinating communications status reports of outages, affects or unmet needs with telecommunications industry.
Telecommunications partners are reviewing fuel contracts, topping off generators and assuring back-up power assets are ready.

SEAPORTS

The state is monitoring conditions at the following seaports:

Duval ï¿½ JAXPORT (*Seaport Access Closed)
Nassau ï¿½ Port of Fernandina (*Seaport Access Closed)
Broward ï¿½ Port Everglades (*Seaport Access Closed)
Palm Beach ï¿½ Port of Palm Beach (*Seaport Access Closed)
Saint Lucie ï¿½ Port of Ft. Pierce (*Seaport Access Closed)
Brevard ï¿½ Port Canaveral (*Seaport Access Closed)
Miami-Dade ï¿½ Port Miami (*Seaport Access Closed)
Monroe ï¿½ Port of Key West (*Seaport Access Restricted: Closed North of Seven Mile Bridge)
Pinellas ï¿½ Port St. Petersburg (*Seaport Access Restricted)
Hillsborough ï¿½ Port Tampa (*Seaport Access Restricted)
Manatee ï¿½ Port Manatee (*Seaport Access Restricted)

U.S. ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS (USACE)

Brigadier General David Turner, commander of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, is currently at the State EOC.
A pre-storm inspection of the Herbert Hoover Dike has been completed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. A post storm inspection will occur as soon as the Dike is accessible. Additional routine inspections will begin once the lake exceeds 17 feet. The lake level is currently at 15.90 feet.
Discharges to the east of the Lake are currently ceased to provide area flood protection for residents of Martin and St. Lucie counties. Discharges will resume at 4,000 cubic feet per second to the west and 1,800 cubic feet per second to the east after the storm when it can be done safely.
Working with Water Management Districts to monitor waterways; prepared to adjust flows as necessary.
Jacksonville District staff also began the drawdown of water levels in the St. Lucie Canal in accordance with standard pre-storm procedures.

SOUTH FLORIDA WATER MANAGEMENT DISTRICT

SFWMD is gradually lowering canals.
Inspecting key parts of the flood control system and critical flood control structures.
Inspecting canals and levees for any obstructions.
Inspecting heavy equipment.
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 completed all pre-storm beach erosion surveys.
DEP is ready to deploy generators to water treatment plants if needed.
Household Hazardous Waste debris and drop off sites have been established in all 67 counties
DEPs Florida Park Service hosting U.S. Coast Guard vessels at select facilities along the East Coast of Florida, to allow them to respond quickly to the areas most affected by the storm, relocating displaced campers and evacuees to non-impacted parks in Northwest Florida, preparing overnight accommodations for volunteer support workers, preparing strike teams to move into affected areas once the storm is passed, and have fully executed emergency action plans are currently active in all parks.
More than 90 state parks and campgrounds are closed. To view the full list, click HERE.

CONTACTS:

The Florida Emergency Information Line (FEIL) has activated and can be reached at 1 (800) 342-3557.
State Emergency Operations Center Media Line: 850-921-0217.
Follow @FLSert or @FLGovScott on Twitter for live updates on Hurricane Matthew.

Visit http://www.floridadisaster.org/info to find information on shelters, road closures, and evacuation routes.

Executive Order #16-230 for Hurricane Matthew

Gov. Scott Issues Updates on Hurricane Matthew Preparedness Efforts as Storm Approaches Florida

10/06/16 - Gov. Scott: Over Half Of The National Guard Activated; Additional Requests To President

Following the most recent update from the National Hurricane Center on Hurricane Matthew, Governor Scott has activated an additional 1,000 National Guard members. 3,500 members have now been activated. This is over half of the available troops that may be activated. Governor Scott has continued to activate more members to help with important life-saving operations, including evacuations and preparing for search and rescue missions. Governor Scott is requesting President Obama to send additional federal resources to Florida, including generators and pumps, that the state can preposition to help impacted areas.

Governor Rick Scott said, Protecting lives remains our number one priority and that is why I have now activated over half of the National Guard who will play a big role in important life-saving missions. I have directed them to focus on prepositioning resources, assist with helping people evacuate safely and our sheltering operations. In the immediate aftermath of the storm, they will be involved in recovery efforts including search and rescue missions. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission also has high-water vehicles prepositioned across the state to help with these efforts.

While the federal government has just approved our request for a pre-landfall emergency declaration for food, water and tarps, I am asking the President for additional generators and pumps to help with power outages and flooding once the storm hits. Following the most recent weather briefing from the National Hurricane Center, we can expect to have a lot of flooding, especially in Northeast Florida, and we will need additional pumping equipment from the federal government.

Executive Order #16-230 for Hurricane Matthew

Gov. Scott: Over Half Of The National Guard Activated; Additional Requests To President

10/06/16 - Gov. Scott: Time Is Up, Evacuate

Activating Another 1,000 National Guard Members

Today, Governor Rick Scott announced that he is activating an additional 1,000 National Guard members to help with Hurricane Matthew response and recovery efforts. There are 2,500 members now activated. There are over 4,000 National Guard members ready to be deployed if needed. Around 1.5 million Floridians are currently under evacuation orders.

Governor Rick Scott said, Time is up. You have to evacuate now if you are in an evacuation zone. To everyone on Floridas east coast, if you are reluctant to evacuate, just think of all the people the Hurricane has already killed. You and your family could be among these numbers if you dont take this seriously.
I have activated another 1,000 members of the National Guard. Per my direction, there are over 2,500 National Guard members who are helping with evacuations and sheltering, and are positioned to help with response as soon as the storm hits. We are adding more troops due to the severity and magnitude of this storm.
Based on the current forecast, the heights of storm surge will be above ground. Waves will be crashing on roofs. Homes will be destroyed. This is deadly. We have suspended tolls, doubled the amount of shelters and are making sure we keep the roads as clear as possible. There is absolutely no reason not to leave. If you chose to stay and try to ride the storm out, your life is at risk.

CURRENT EVACUATIONS

Brevard County: Mandatory Evacuations of Merritt Island, barrier island, low-lying areas and mobile homes.
Broward County: Voluntary evacuations have begun for mobile homes and low lying areas.
Clay County: Voluntary evacuations have begun.
DeSoto County: Voluntary evacuations have begun for manufactured homes, RVs and low lying areas.
Duval County: Voluntary evacuations have begun.
Flagler County: Mandatory evacuations have begun.
Indian River: Mandatory evacuations have begun for barrier islands, mobile homes, and low lying areas.
Martin County: Voluntary evacuations have begun for barrier islands, low-lying areas, and mobile homes.
Miami-Dade County: Voluntary evacuations have begun for mobile homes, low-lying, and unstable structures.
Nassau County: Voluntary evacuations have begun.
Palm Beach County: Voluntary evacuations have begun for barrier islands, mobile homes, substandard housing, flood prone areas, and those living in high rises close to the Intracoastal Waterway. Mandatory evacuations begin today.
Johns County: Mandatory evacuation orders have begun.
Lucie County: Voluntary evacuations have begun for barrier islands, mobile homes, and low lying areas. Mandatory evacuations begin today.
Volusia County: Mandatory evacuations have begun for barrier islands, low-lying areas, and mobile homes.

Floridians and visitors can go to FloridaEvacuates.com or download the Florida-Evacuates app to enter their location and see shelters available in their area.

Executive Order #16-230 for Hurricane Matthew

Gov. Scott: Time Is Up, Evacuate

10/06/16 - Gov. Scott Issues Updates on Hurricane Matthew Preparedness Efforts as Storm Approaches Florida

Today, Governor Rick Scott met with emergency management officials in Tallahassee and Stuart, and is continuing to travel the state to meet with emergency management officials and National Guardsmen as the state prepares for Hurricane Matthew, a life-threatening category three storm. Florida remains under both tropical storm and hurricane watches and warnings. Governor Scott has remained in constant communication with state and local leaders, utility companies, sheriffs, and volunteer organizations who are working to ensure the state is prepared for the storm.

EVACUATIONS

More than 1.5 million Floridians are currently in evacuation zones.

Brevard County: Mandatory Evacuations of Merritt Island, barrier island, low-lying areas and mobile homes.
Broward County: Voluntary evacuations have begun for mobile homes and low lying areas.
Clay County: Voluntary evacuations have begun.
DeSoto County: Voluntary evacuations have begun for manufactured homes, RVs and low lying areas.
Duval County: Voluntary evacuations have begun.
Flagler County: Mandatory evacuations have begun.
Indian River: Mandatory evacuations have begun for barrier islands, mobile homes, and low lying areas.
Martin County: Voluntary evacuations have begun for barrier islands, low-lying areas, and mobile homes.
Miami-Dade County: Voluntary evacuations have begun for mobile homes, low-lying, and unstable structures.
Nassau County: Voluntary evacuations have begun.
Palm Beach County: Voluntary evacuations have begun for barrier islands, mobile homes, substandard housing, flood prone areas, and those living in high rises close to the Intracoastal Waterway. Mandatory evacuations begin today.
Johns County: Mandatory evacuation orders have begun.
Lucie County: Voluntary evacuations have begun for barrier islands, mobile homes, and low lying areas. Mandatory evacuations begin today.
Volusia County: Mandatory evacuations have begun for barrier islands, low-lying areas, and mobile homes.

Floridians and visitors can go to FloridaEvacuates.com or download the Florida-Evacuates app to enter their location and see shelters available in their area.

SHELTERS

As of 6:00 AM this morning, more than 3,000 people were in more than 60 open shelters throughout Florida. The amount of available shelters is expected to more than double today. Currently Open Shelters:

Atlantic High School: Delray Beach, FL
Anderson Middle School (Special Needs): Stuart, FL
Arthur Ashe Middle School: Fort Lauderdale, FL
Bayside High School: Palm Bay, FL
Booker T. Washington Senior Center: City of Miami, FL
Boyton Beach High School: Boyton Beach, FL
Boynton Beach Community High School: Boynton Beach, FL
Bryceville Elementary School: Callahan, FL
Callahan Intermediate Bldg.: Callahan, FL
Coral Glades High School: Coral Springs, FL
Darwin Fuchs Pavilion (Pet Friendly): Miami, FL
Everglades High School: Miramar, FL
Falcon Cove Middle School: Weston, FL
Forest Hill High School: West Palm Beach, FL
Fox Trail Elementary School: Davie, FL
Pierce Central: Ft. Pierce, FL
Havert L. Fenn Center (Special Needs): West Palm Beach, FL
Hidden Oaks Middle School: Palm City, FL
Hillard Elementary School: Hillard, FL
Hillard Middle/High School: Hillard, FL
Imperial Estates Elementary School: Titusville, FL
Indian Ridge Middle School (Special Needs): Ft. Lauderdale, FL
Jensen Beach High School: Jensen Beach, FL
John Ferguson High School (Special Needs): Miami, FL
Keystone Heights High School: Jacksonville, FL
Kindred Hospital (Special Needs): Melbourne, FL
Lake Asbury Junior High School (Special Needs): Green Cove Springs, FL
Lake Shore Middle School: Belle Glade, FL
Lakewood Park Elementary School: St. Lucie, FL
Landmark Middle School (Special Needs): Jacksonville, FL
Lyons Creek Middle School: Coconut Creek, FL
Manatee Elementary School: Melbourne, FL
Mandarin Middle School Middle/High School: Jacksonville, FL
Meadowlane Intermediate Elementary School: Melbourne, FL
Michael M. Krop Senior Center: North Miami-Dade, FL
Millennium Middle School (Pet Friendly): Tamarac, FL
Mims Elementary: Mims, FL
New Renaissance Middle School: Miramar, FL
Oak Park Elementary (Special Need): Titusville, FL
Orange Park High School: Orange Park, FL
Pahokee Middle High School: Pahokee, FL
Palm Beach Central High School: West Palm Beach, FL
Palm Beach Gardens High School: Palm Beach Gardens, FL
Park Vista Community High School: Boynton Beach, FL
Parrish Med Hospital (Special Needs): Melbourne, FL
Port Salerno Elementary School: Palm City, FL
Port St John Community Center: Cocoa, FL
Quest Elementary (Special Needs), Melbourne, FL
Ralph Williams Elementary (Special Needs): Melbourne, FL
Robert Morgan Senior Center: Miami, FL
Rock Island Elementary: Ft. Lauderdale, FL
Samuel Gaines Elementary: Ft. Pierce, FL
Sherwood Elementary: Melbourne, FL
South Florida Fairgrounds (Special Needs): West Palm Beach, FL
South Mainland Community Center: Sebastian, FL
Starke Elementary: Starke, FL
Sunrise Elementary (Special Needs): Palm Bay, FL
Sunset School (Special Needs): Ft. Lauderdale, FL
Treasure Coast High School: St. Lucie, FL
Viera Regional Park Community Center: Melbourne, FL
Walter Butler Community Center/Bernice G. Jackson Park, FL
Warfield Elementary School: Indiantown, FL
West Boynton Recreation Center (Pet Friendly): Lake Worth, FL
West Glades School Bldg 300 (Special Needs): Labelle, FL

Coastal counties are working on opening additional shelters this morning, including shelters for people with special needs, pets and general populations. A list of all open shelters will be available at http://floridadisaster.org/shelters/summary.htm
The state is working with the American Red Cross to identify shelter capacity both during and following the storm.
The state has a 110,000 meal capacity a day, which can be delivered using 24 Emergency Response Vehicles, 31 canteens, and mobile trailers

POWER

There are currently no power outages in Florida due to Hurricane Matthew.
Utilities have been put on notice to be prepared to quickly report outage and restoral information once applicable. The outage reporting is expected to begin today.
Power companies have pre-positioned personnel such linemen, transmission, substation and vegetation staff to assist with potential power outages. This includes staff members from Duke Energy, Florida Public Utilities, TECO Energy Company, and electric co-ops.
Utilities are contacting their mutual aid partners to determine availability if external resources are needed to restore services.
The state is monitoring the power grid for sufficient power in the state and the natural gas infrastructure for any damages that can cause a loss of service to power plants.
Governor Scott has spoken with utilities across the state to ensure utilities are pre-positioned and there are no unmet needs.

FUEL

The state is monitoring for supply, distribution or retail fuel shortages or issues, specifically for isolated incidents of individual retailers experiencing temporary fuel shortages. These individual retailers are being quickly refueled and fuel is readily available across Florida.

The state will continue to monitor fuel assistance requests; currently there are no requests for assistance.
The current fuel supply in the state will last for at least 6 days, even if all ports close.
The state is working with fuel partners and suppliers to increase the number trucks moving fuel from the ports to retail locations.

The state has contacted emergency fuel and equipment providers for status of emergency fuel supply and equipment.

SCHOOL CLOSURES

The Florida Department of Education (FDOE) activated its emergency contact system for the east coast Florida school districts and colleges, and is monitoring closures made at the district and college levels.

District school closures include:

Alachua County ï¿½ Closed Friday
Brevard County ï¿½ Closed Thursday and Friday.
Broward County ï¿½ Closed Thursday and Friday.
Bradford County Schools ï¿½ Closed Thursday and Friday.
Clay County ï¿½ Closed Thursday and Friday.
Dade County ï¿½ Closed Thursday and Friday.
Duval County ï¿½ Closed Thursday and Friday.
Lake County Schools ï¿½ Closed Thursday and Friday.
Flagler County ï¿½ Closed Thursday and Friday.
Glades County ï¿½ Closed Thursday and Friday.
Hardee County ï¿½ Closed Thursday and Friday
Hendry County ï¿½ Closed Thursday and Friday.
Highlands County ï¿½ Closed Friday.
Indian River County ï¿½ Closed Thursday and Friday.
Lake County ï¿½ Closed Thursday and Friday.
Martin County ï¿½ Closed Thursday and Friday.
Marion County ï¿½ Closed Friday.
Monroe County ï¿½ Partially Closed Thursday.
Nassau County ï¿½ Closed Thursday and Friday.
Okeechobee County ï¿½ Closed Thursday and Friday.
Orange County ï¿½ Closed Thursday and Friday.
Osceola County ï¿½ Closed Thursday and Friday.
Palm Beach County ï¿½ Closed Thursday and Friday.
Polk County ï¿½ Closed Thursday and Friday.
Putnam County ï¿½ Closed Thursday and Friday.
Johns County ï¿½ Closed Thursday and Friday.
Seminole County Schools ï¿½ Closed Thursday and Friday.
Lucie County ï¿½ Closed Thursday and Friday.
Sumter County ï¿½ Closing early tomorrow and closed Friday.
Union County ï¿½ Closed on Friday.
Volusia County Schools ï¿½ Closed Thursday and Friday.
Sumter County ï¿½ Closing early Thursday. Closed Friday.
FAU Lab school ï¿½ Closed Thursday and Friday.
Florida School for Deaf and Blind ï¿½ Closed Thursday and Friday.

Universities/ college closures include:

University of North Florida: Closed Thursday through Saturday.
Embry Riddle University: Closed Thursday and Friday.
Florida Atlantic University: Closed Thursday through Sunday.
Florida International University: Closed Thursday through Friday.
Florida A&M University satellite campuses (in Jacksonville, Miami, Orlando, and Tampa): Closed Thursday through Sunday.
Nova Southeastern University: Closed Thursday and Friday.
University of Central Florida: Closed Thursday through Saturday.
Broward College: Closed Thursday through Sunday.
Daytona State College: Closed Thursday and Friday.
Eastern Florida State College: Closed Thursday through Sunday.
Florida State College at Jacksonville: Closed Thursday through Sunday.
Florida Gulf Coast University: Closed Thursday and Friday.
Florida Polytechnic University: Closed Thursday and Friday.
Lake-Sumter State College: Closed Thursday through Sunday.
Indian River State College: Closed Thursday through Sunday.
Miami Dade College: Closed Thursday through Friday.
Palm Beach State College: Closed Thursday through Sunday.
Seminole State College of Florida: Closed Thursday through Sunday.
Johns River State College: Closed Thursday through Sunday.
Valencia College: Closed Thursday through Sunday.
Broward College: Closed Thursday through Sunday.
South Florida State College: Closed Thursday and Friday.
University of Florida: Closed Friday.
Florida Keys Community College Middle Keys and Upper Keys Center: Closed Thursday

GOVERNMENT CLOSURES

County and state offices are closed Thursday and Friday in the following counties:

Baker, Bradford, Brevard, Broward, Clay, Duval, Flagler, Glades, Hendry, Highlands, Indian River, Lake, Marion, Martin, Miami-Dade, Monroe, Nassau, Okeechobee, Orange, Osceola, Palm Beach, Polk, Putnam, Seminole, St. Johns, St. Lucie, Sumter and Volusia

MILITARY SUPPORT

As of this morning, Governor Scott has directed the Florida National Guard to activate a total of 2,500 National Guard members to support hurricane preparedness and response, especially to assist with staffing shelters.
In addition to this, Florida has over 4,000 National Guard members ready to be deployed if needed.
The National Guard is moving helicopters from Duval County to Hernando County and receiving additional aircraft, including heavy lift Boeing CH-47 Chinooks, through the Emergency Mutual Aid Compact.

LAW ENFORCEMENT, FIRE FIGHTING AND SEARCH & RESCUE

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE), the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), Florida Highway Patrol (FHP), and other partnering agencies have identified resources for deployment to respond to the storm and are preparing to assist with evacuations.
FWC has 164 personnel ready to deploy. In addition, there are 96 vessels staged for search and rescue and pre/post storm rec. FWC also has nine aircrafts available for public safety patrol.
FHP has 49 personnel assisting with evacuations in affected areas. FHP also has more than 300 troopers on standby for deployment if needed. FHP is also using aircraft monitoring for public safety patrol and road condition assessments.
State Emergency Response Plan (SERP) Coordinator and Regional Coordinators have been notified so staffers and resources can be prepared for deployment.
30 Bureau of Fire and Arson Investigations (Department of Financial Services), Florida Fish and Wildlife Special Operations Group boat teams, and members of the Florida National Guard are staging outside of affected areas for deployment to perform search and rescue missions.
Three Urban Search and Rescue Task Force teams will be immediately available to assist with search and rescue based on the current track of the storm. More have been requested. Multiple specialized support teams with equipment are being staged to assist efforts.
State firefighting representative have worked with DOH to assist with tracking and patient movement if needed.
Consulting with federal partners to identify any assets that may be needed as state assets become committed during response activities.

PUBLIC HEALTH AND MEDICAL

DOH is working with healthcare facilities on potential evacuations and preparing for storm impacts.
DOH is also standing monitoring and supporting special needs shelter activations.
DOH has established daily calls with County Health Departments to ensure all needs are met.
DOH is preparing to activate Rx Open, an online interactive map that provides information on the status of pharmacies for citizens and first responders.
The state is preparing personnel for deployment, such as State Medical Response Teams and Special Needs Sheltering Teams, to provide assistance to counties affected by the storm.
AHCA is supporting the emergency preparedness efforts for hospitals, nursing homes, assisted living facilities and other health care facilities by monitoring evacuation efforts and needs, as well as working with providers to ensure patients are receiving any necessary care and medication.
The following hospitals are evacuating patients:

Baptist Medical Center Beaches, Jacksonville Beach
Health First Cape Canaveral Hospital, Cocoa Beach
Florida Hospital Oceanside, Ormond Beach
Florida Hospital New Symrna, New Symrna Beach
Baptist Medical Center Nassau, Fernandina Beach
Wuesthoff Medical Center, Rockledge, FL

DOH will be updating hospital evacuation information at FLHealth.gov

TOLLS

Governor Scott directed DOT to suspend all tolls in the affected areas of the state, which includes the entire Florida Turnpike, Alligator Alley, Central Florida Expressway Authority and the Miami-Dade Expressway Authority.

TRANSPORTATION & PUBLIC WORKS

The state has held teleconferences with the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) districts and agency partners ï¿½ Army Corps of Engineers, Water Management Districts, Civil Air Patrol and Federal Highway Administration to ensure all infrastructure needs are met.
FDOT halted construction work on all FDOT projects on Interstates, Limited Access facilities, coastal and evacuation route roadways effective immediately in preparation for the approaching Hurricane Matthew. Contractors are being instructed to secure all equipment and open travel lanes by removing all unnecessary barricades, signs and drums.
FDOT District offices have placed emergency crews on standby, and are continuing to test and inventory equipment and monitor 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, providing local evacuation support and providing maintenance of traffic and other assistance.
FDOT is coordinating with the U.S. Coast Guard to lock down Intracoastal Waterway bridges along the eastern Florida coast prior to sustained winds of 40 mph. Intracoastal bridges in Palm Beach County will be locked down by 8 p.m. Wednesday.
The Miami Tunnel remains closed. Tri-Rail is suspending service in Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach Counties. Drawbridges along the Miami River and the Intracoastal Waterway in Miami-Dade County have locked down, during which the bridge spans are locked in the down position and will not open for marine traffic. This will not affect vehicular traffic crossing the bridges. Lock-down of bridges on the Intracoastal Waterway (ICWW) will began this morning.
Additional road and bridge closure information can be found at www.fl511.com.
Florida Highway Patrol traffic incidents by region can be found here.
The Florida Turnpike Enterprise has ensured service plazas along the Florida Turnpike have Road Rangers and fuel. Additional fuel, Road Rangers and resources such as variable message boards to guide evacuees are on standby.
Army Corps of Engineers and Water Management Districts are monitoring waterways and are prepared to adjust flows as necessary.
FDOT is monitoring live traffic counters in South Florida, Central Florida, and along the East Coast of Florida.

HUMAN SERVICES

Resources and Supplies

150 truckloads of water are being prepositioned around the state and 63 truckloads of water are holding in the in State Logistics Response Center (SLRC). In total, this includes more than 302,000 gallons of water. The SLRC also has a trailer of meals, which includes more than 10,000 meal kits.

Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR), Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) and DEM Logistics are running projection models for human-services needs (food and sheltering) based on major hurricane impacts to Miami Dade County to Duval County, and Seminole County to Nassau County.
Food Safety Assessment teams on standby to monitor power outages and flooding to ensure safety at food establishments.
The Division of Real Estate Development and Management continues to provide office space for FEMA in Tallahassee and space in Orlando to assist in response efforts.
The Division of Real Estate Development and Management EOC has transferred to Orlando to coordinate the logistics staging area for equipment in response to

Volunteer Organizations

The state is establishing local points of contact with mass care organizations and volunteer agencies for potentially impacted counties.
The state is working with Volunteer Florida and other volunteers and donation agencies to identify available volunteers through Florida Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (VOAD) and AmeriCorps to staff shelters if needed. Thirty-nine AmeriCorps teams statewide are on call for anticipated response to Hurricane Matthew. Volunteer Florida grantee Literacy Coalition of Palm Beach deployed AmeriCorps to the Palm Beach County EOC and Special Needs Shelter. Community Emergency Response Teams (CERT) are also available.

The state is assessing available housing for responders and volunteers.
Volunteer Florida is identifying fixed kitchens from potentially impacted counties in anticipation of feeding needs.

Volunteer Florida is working with Community Emergency Response Teams that are on standby for possible deployment to impacted areas, with the Florida Baptist Convention to identify an in-kind warehouse space for multi-agency warehouse, and with Salvation Army and Red Cross for food distribution

Agency for Persons with Disabilities (APD)

APD is communicating regularly with staff, providers, waiver support coordinators, and stakeholders about the hurricane and preparedness measures.
All group homes and individuals in Supported Living have their own disaster plans.
Regional Residential Planning Coordinators are assessing all available open beds in group homes statewide in case they are needed during or after the storm. Supported Living Coaches are checking on their customers in independent living to ensure they are safe and prepared. If someone needs to go to a group home during the storm, APD will authorize Respite and pay for the service.
Mutual Aid support from non-affected Regional Offices have been identified to support Regional Offices that may be impacted by the hurricane.

Department of Elder Affairs (DOEA)

DOEA is coordinating with Area Agencies on Aging across the state to communicate with clients, including elders and individuals with disabilities, and assist with evacuation coordination or transportation to local special needs shelters.
Meals continue to be served to homebound clients, and in preparation for the storm, extra frozen and shelf-stable meals have also been provided.
Staff from DOEAs CARES program is ready and available to serve at Special Needs Shelters in affected areas.

Florida Department of Veterans Affairs (FDVA)

Three of the state veterans nursing homes operated by the FDVA are on the east coast of Florida.
All of these facilities have permanent generators and administrators are working to ensure staff and supplies are available for residents.
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) operates a number of Florida-based medical centers and outpatient clinics in the watch and warning areas. The following VA clinics will be closed during the listed days:

All Miami VA Medical Center primary care and community based clinics, with the exception of Key West ï¿½ Thursday and Friday

All West Palm Beach VA Medical Center primary care and community based clinics ï¿½ Thursday and Friday
Viera Outpatient Clinic ï¿½ Thursday ï¿½ Saturday

Daytona Beach Outpatient Clinic ï¿½ Thursday ï¿½ Saturday
Port Orange Psychosocial Recovery & Rehabilitation Center (PRRC) ï¿½ Thursday ï¿½ Saturday
Orange City VA Clinic ï¿½ Friday
Augustine Clinic ï¿½ Thursday ï¿½ Friday
Jacksonville (all locations) ï¿½ Thursday ï¿½ Friday
Marys (GA) Clinic ï¿½ Thursday ï¿½ Friday
Palatka Clinic ï¿½ Thursday ï¿½ Friday.

BUSINESS, INDUSTRY, & ECONOMIC STABILIZATION

The Florida Department of Economic Opportunity (DEO) and DEM have activated the Florida Virtual Business Emergency Operations Center (FLVBEOC) to help identify and alleviate unmet needs between businesses and response partners. They are also working with businesses to make sure they have what they need to prepare for the storm.

The FLVBEOC is available at www.flvbeoc.org

The state has activated the Private Sector Hotline at 850-410-1403. The hotline is available for business inquiries about the storm, preparedness information and post-impact information from 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM ET.
If you need help finding your Floridas property insurance companys 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.
OIR will continue to communicate with DFS regarding the establishment of an insurance village, a mobile location for individuals to file insurance claims, if needed following the hurricane. OIR and DFS will also closely track insurance complaints to help protect Floridians.

HOTELS/ LODGING ACCOMMODATIONS

VISIT FLORIDA has activated the Emergency Accommodations Module to keep visitors informed and is working with local tourism partners to collect and share information regarding the open status for major retailers and hotels. More information can be found HERE.
VISIT FLORIDA has also compiled a list of available hotel accommodations for visitors who may be need to evacuate. To view available accommodations, click HERE.
VISIT FLORIDA and Expedia have partnered to identify cities and hotels which are further away from the projected storm path and have availability. Please visit www.expedia.com/florida to find available lodging.
Airbnb is expanding activation of the Disaster Response Tool beyond coastal South Carolina to include portions of Florida. Please visit https://www.airbnb.com/disaster/florida to find available lodging.

Airbnb is asking hosts to aid in this effort by listing their available rooms or homes on the platform to help house the growing number of evacuees.
Local residents impacted by Hurricane Matthew will be able to secure emergency accommodations through the tool free of charge from now through October 11th.

TELECOMMUNICATIONS

The Department of Management Services Division of Telecommunications is currently monitoring telecommunication services to ensure first responders, residents and visitors are able to communicate response and recovery needs.
The division is working to increase the DEM bandwidth to provide consistent communication services for the state emergency response team.
The division is working with telecommunications partners on proactive and protective measures to prepare equipment, facilities and response personnel for Hurricane Matthew, as well as encouraging partners to report any communications outages or affects.
The state is coordinating with state, federal and industry partners, and is prepared to help assess impacts to telecommunications facilities and infrastructure following the storm. The state is also monitoring fuel assistance requests; currently there are no requests for assistance.
The division is coordinating staging areas for telecommunications mobile vehicles and additional wireless equipment for emergency response efforts.

SEAPORTS

The state is monitoring conditions at the following seaports and all are still open:

Duval ï¿½ JAXPORT (*Seaport Access Closed)
Nassau ï¿½ Port of Fernandina (*Seaport Access Closed)
Broward ï¿½ Port Everglades (*Seaport Access Closed)
Palm Beach ï¿½ Port of Palm Beach (*Seaport Access Closed)
Saint Lucie ï¿½ Port of Ft. Pierce (*Seaport Access Closed)
Brevard ï¿½ Port Canaveral (*Seaport Access Closed)
Miami-Dade ï¿½ Port Miami (*Seaport Access Closed)
Monroe ï¿½ Port of Key West (*Seaport Access Restricted: Closed North of Seven Mile Bridge)
Pinellas ï¿½ Port St. Petersburg (*Seaport Access Restricted)
Hillsborough ï¿½ Port Tampa (*Seaport Access Restricted)
Manatee ï¿½ Port Manatee (*Seaport Access Restricted)

U.S. ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS (USACE)

A pre-storm inspection of the Herbert Hoover Dike has been completed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. A post storm inspection will occur as soon as the Dike is accessible. Additional routine inspections will begin once the lake exceeds 17 feet. The lake level is currently at 15.90 feet.
Discharges to the east of the Lake are currently ceased to provide area flood protection for residents of Martin and St. Lucie counties. Discharges will resume at 4,000 cubic feet per second to the west and 1,800 cubic feet per second to the east after the storm when it can be done safely.
Working with Water Management Districts to monitor waterways; prepared to adjust flows as necessary.

SOUTH FLORIDA WATER MANAGEMENT DISTRICT (SFWMD) (Carla)

SFWMD is gradually lowering canals.
Inspecting key parts of the flood control system and critical flood control structures.
Inspecting canals and levees for any obstructions.
Inspecting heavy equipment.
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 completed all pre-storm beach erosion surveys.
DEP is ready to deploy generators to water treatment plants if needed.
Household Hazardous Waste debris and drop off sites have been established in all 67 counties
More than 50 state parks and campgrounds are closed. To view the full list, click HERE.

CONTACTS:

The Florida Emergency Information Line (FEIL) has activated and can be reached at 1 (800) 342-3557.
State Emergency Operations Center Media Line: 850-921-0217.
Follow @FLSert or @FLGovScott on Twitter for live updates on Hurricane Matthew.
Visit http://www.floridadisaster.org/info to find information on shelters, road closures, and evacuation routes.

Executive Order #16-230 for Hurricane Matthew

Gov. Scott Issues Updates on Hurricane Matthew Preparedness Efforts as Storm Approaches Florida

10/05/16 - Gov. Scott Requests Emergency Declaration From President; Suspends Tolls; Calls Up More National Guard Members

Tonight, Governor Scott was briefed by the National Hurricane Center and spoke to all 67 Florida counties on their evacuation plans and any critical needs. Based on the recent forecast of Hurricane Matthews eye shifting more toward Florida, Governor Scott has:

Requested President Obama to declare a pre-landfall emergency for the State of Florida as a result of Hurricane Matthew. This request includes resources from the federal government such as food, water and tarps (To view the Governors request, click HERE).
Activated another 1,000 National Guard Members. 1,500 members are currently activated and positioned between North, Central and South Florida; and
Suspended all tolls in the affected areas of the state. This includes the entire Florida Turnpike, Alligator Alley, Central Florida Expressway Authority and the Miami-Dade Expressway Authority. This expands Governor Scotts direction from this morning that included suspension of tolls in counties with evacuation orders.

Governor Scott said, Based on the most recent forecast I received from the National Hurricane Center, the eye of Hurricane Matthew is going to be much closer to Florida. There are hurricane watches and warnings along Floridas entire east coast and we now have Tropical Storm warnings on Floridas Gulf Coast. This storm is serious and protecting life remains our number one priority.

I just submitted a request to President Obama for an Emergency Declaration for the state of Florida in 26 counties, as well as Direct Federal Assistance in order to meet pre-landfall critical emergency needs of our communities. It is critical that President Obama quickly approves this request.

I also just directed the Florida National Guard to activate an additional 1,000 members to support Hurricane Matthew response. 1,500 members of the National Guard have now been activated. Florida has more than 5,000 National Guard members ready to be deployed if needed. I am also directing the Florida Department of Transportation to suspend all tolls in the affected areas of the state to keep traffic flowing as residents continue to evacuate.

Storm impacts will begin tomorrow morning in our state. There is still time to evacuate. Get out now if you are in an area with evacuations. If you make a decision not to leave before the storm, we cannot send someone to save you because you made a bad decision. Dont wait until you lose power. You need to leave before it is too late.

A Hurricane Warning is in effect for:

North of Golden Beach to the Flagler/Volusia County line
Lake Okeechobee

A Hurricane Watch is in effect for:

North of the Flagler/Volusia county line to Savannah River

A Tropical Storm Warning is in effect for:

Chokoloskee in Collier County to Golden Beach
Florida Keys from Seven Mile Bridge eastward
Florida Bay

A Tropical Storm Watch is in effect for:

North of Chokoloskee in Collier County to the Suwannee River in Dixie County

The National Hurricane Center reports that Hurricane Matthew is a major Category 3 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 120 miles per hour. Matthew is currently moving Northwest at 12 miles per hour.

Based on the current forecast, the states entire east coast from Monroe to Nassau County will experience tropical storm or hurricane force winds, beach erosion, rip currents and heavy rain. On Monday, Governor Scott signed an Executive Order declaring a State of Emergency in every Florida county to ensure resources for evacuations, sheltering and other logistical needs across our state are readily available.

Executive Order #16-230 for Hurricane Matthew

Gov. Scott Requests Emergency Declaration From President; Suspends Tolls; Calls Up More National Guard Members

10/05/16 - Gov. Scott Issues Updates on Hurricane Matthew Preparedness Efforts as Storm Approaches Florida

Governor Rick Scott this morning visited the Florida State Emergency Operations Center in Tallahassee and will be in Ft. Pierce, Rockledge and Jacksonville today to meet with emergency management officials as the state prepares for Hurricane Matthew, a life-threatening category three storm. Florida remains under both tropical storm and hurricane watches. Governor Scott has remained in constant communication with state and local leaders, utility companies and sheriffs who are working to ensure the state is prepared for the storm.

EVACUATIONS

Brevard County: Mandatory evacuations for barrier islands is at 3 pm today.
Lucie County: Voluntary evacuations have begun.
Flagler County: Voluntary evacuations have begun.
Duval County: Voluntary evacuations have begun.

SHELTERS

Many coastal counties are planning on opening shelters today, including shelters for people with special needs, pets and general populations. A list of all open shelters will be available at http://floridadisaster.org/shelters/summary.htm
The state is working with the American Red Cross to identify shelter capacity both during and following the storm in the potential impact areas.
The state has a 110,000 meal capacity a day, which can be delivered using 24 Emergency Response Vehicles, 31 canteens, and 2 mobile trailers

POWER

There are currently no power outages in Florida due to Hurricane Matthew.
Utilities have been put on notice to be prepared to quickly report outage and restoral information once applicable. The outage reporting is expected to begin Thursday morning.
Utilities are contacting their mutual aid partners to determine availability if external resources are needed to restore services.
The state is monitoring the power grid for sufficient power in the state and the natural gas infrastructure for any damages that can cause a loss of service to power plants.
Governor Scott spoke with utilities across the state yesterday to ensure utilities are pre-positioned and there are no unmet needs.

FUEL

There are no current supply, distribution or retail fuel shortages or issues.

The state will continue to monitor fuel assistance requests; currently there are no requests for assistance. The current fuel supply in the state will last for at least 8 days, even if all ports close.
The state is working with fuel partners and suppliers to increase the number trucks moving fuel from the ports to retail locations.
The state has contacted emergency fuel and equipment providers for status of emergency fuel supply and equipment.

SCHOOL CLOSURES

The Florida Department of Education (FDOE) activated its emergency contact system for the east coast Florida school districts and colleges, and is monitoring closures made at the district and college levels.

District school closures include:

Brevard County Closed Thursday and Friday.
Broward County Closed Thursday and Friday. Eastern Florida State College will be closed until Monday.
Martin County There will be early dismissal today. Schools closed Thursday and Friday.
Indian River County There will be early dismissal today. Schools closed Thursday and Friday.
Okeechobee County Schools closed Thursday and Friday.
Palm Beach County Closed Thursday and Friday.
Lucie County There will be early dismissal today. Schools closed Thursday and Friday.
Florida School for Deaf and Blind Closed today, Thursday and Friday.

Universities/ college closures include:

Florida Atlantic University Classes will be cancelled beginning at 5PM today and remain cancelled Thursday and Friday.
University of North Florida Classes will be cancelled beginning at 3PM today and remain cancelled Thursday and Friday.

GOVERNMENT CLOSURES

DCF offices in Brevard County are closing as of noon today due to mandatory coastal evacuations. They will also be closed Thursday and Friday per Brevard County.

MILITARY SUPPORT

Today, the Governor activated 300 Florida National Guard members who will be staging across the state. This is in addition to the approximately 200 members of the National Guard activated yesterday to support hurricane preparedness and response.
In addition to this, Florida has over 6,000 National Guard members ready to be deployed if needed.
The National Guard will be focused on staging to perform search and rescue efforts as well as providing reconnaissance teams, equipment such as high wheeled vehicles security, and staffing and planning support to assist counties as needed.

LAW ENFORCEMENT, FIRE FIGHTING AND SEARCH & RESCUE

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE), the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (DHSMV), and other partnering agencies are identifying resources for deployment if necessary to respond to the storm and are preparing to assist with evacuations.
FWC has two advance reconnaissance teams actively deploying from Ocala with equipment to move debris from water access points in order to assist search and rescue missions. Additionally, FWCs teams will be partnered with 164 field personnel that are on standby to provide humanitarian aid when needed.
The Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) has made contact with local troops in preparation for supporting evacuations in the major corridors, from south to north and east to west. FHP has also placed all troops on alert and has ten 33-member quick response force teams, for a total of 330 troopers on standby for deployment.
State Emergency Response Plan (SERP) Coordinator and Regional Coordinators have been notified so staffers and resources can be prepared for deployment.
60 Bureau of Fire and Arson Investigations (Department of Financial Services), Florida Fish and Wildlife Special Operations Group boat teams, and members of the Florida National Guard are staging at Florida State Fire College in Ocala tomorrow in preparation for deployment to perform search and rescue missions.
Five Urban Search and Rescue Task Force teams will be available to assist with search and rescue based on the current track of the storm.
State firefighting representative are working with DOH to assist with tracking and patient movement if needed.
Consulting with federal partners to identify any assets that may be needed as state assets become committed during response activities.

PUBLIC HEALTH AND MEDICAL

DOH is working with healthcare facilities on potential evacuations and preparing for storm impacts.
DOH is also standing by to monitor and support special needs shelter activations.
The state is preparing personnel for deployment to help analyze the impacts to vulnerable populations in counties affected by the storm.

TRANSPORTATION & PUBLIC WORKS

The state has held 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.
FDOT halted construction work on all FDOT projects on Interstates, Limited Access facilities, coastal and evacuation route roadways effective immediately in preparation for the approaching Hurricane Matthew. Contractors are being instructed to secure all equipment and open travel lanes by removing all unnecessary barricades, signs and drums.
FDOT District offices have placed emergency crews on standby, and are continuing to test and inventory equipment and monitor 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, providing local evacuation support and providing maintenance of traffic and other assistance.
FDOT is coordinating with the U.S. Coast Guard to lock down Intracoastal Waterway bridges along the eastern Florida coast prior to sustained winds of 40 mph. Intracoastal bridges in Palm Beach County will be locked down by 8 p.m. Wednesday.
Drawbridges along the Miami River and the Intracoastal Waterway in Miami-Dade County will be locked down beginning at 8 p.m. on Wednesday. During lock-down, the bridge is closed, power turned off and the traffic arms may be removed. Closure of bridges on the Intracoastal Waterway (ICWW) will begin at 12:01 a.m. Thursday morning.
Additional road and bridge closure information can be found at www.fl511.com.
Florida Highway Patrol traffic incidents by region can be found here.
The Florida Turnpike Enterprise has ensured service plazas along the Florida Turnpike have Road Rangers and fuel. Additional fuel, Road Rangers and resources such as variable message boards to guide evacuees are on standby. If evacuation orders are given, the Florida Turnpike Enterprise is prepared to suspend tolls.
Army Corps of Engineers and Water Management Districts are monitoring waterways and are prepared to adjust flows as necessary.
FDOT is monitoring live traffic counters in South Florida, Central Florida, and along the East Coast of Florida.

HUMAN SERVICES

Resources and Supplies

Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR), Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (DACS) and DEM Logistics are running projection models for human-services needs (food and sheltering) based on major hurricane impacts to Miami Dade County to Duval County, and Seminole County to Nassau County.
DACS is inventorying school food supplies in schools and state warehouses.
The state is contacting potential vendors for quotes on baby needs and other items.
Food Safety Assessment teams on standby to monitor power outages and flooding to ensure safety at food establishments

Volunteer Organizations

The state is establishing local points of contact with mass care organizations and volunteer agencies for potentially impacted counties.
The state is working with Volunteers and Donation agencies to identify available volunteers through Florida Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (VOAD) and AmeriCorps to staff shelters if needed. Thirty-nine AmeriCorps teams statewide are on call for anticipated response to Hurricane Matthew. Volunteer Florida grantee Literacy Coalition of Palm Beach is deploying AmeriCorps today to the Palm Beach County EOC and Special Needs Shelter. Community Emergency Response Teams (CERT) are also available.
The state is assessing available housing for responders and volunteers.
Volunteer Florida is identifying fixed kitchens from potentially impacted counties in anticipation of feeding needs.

Agency for Persons with Disabilities (APD)

APD is communicating regularly with staff, providers, waiver support coordinators, and stakeholders about the hurricane and preparedness measures.
All group homes and individuals in Supported Living have their own disaster plans.
Regional Residential Planning Coordinators are assessing all available open beds in group homes statewide in case they are needed during or after the storm. Supported Living Coaches are checking on their customers in independent living to ensure they are safe and prepared. If someone needs to go to a group home during the storm, APD will authorize Respite and pay for the service.
Mutual Aid support from non-affected Regional Offices have been identified to support Regional Offices that may be impacted by the hurricane.

Florida Department of Veterans Affairs (FDVA)

Three of the state veterans nursing homes operated by the FDVA are on the east coast of Florida.
All of these facilities have permanent generators and administrators are working to ensure staff and supplies are available for residents.

BUSINESS, INDUSTRY, & ECONOMIC STABILIZATION

The Florida Department of Economic Opportunity (DEO) and DEM have activated the Florida Virtual Business Emergency Operations Center (FLVBEOC) to help identify and alleviate unmet needs between businesses and response partners. They are also working with businesses to make sure they have what they need to prepare for the storm.

The FLVBEOC is available at www.flvbeoc.org

The state has activated the Private Sector Hotline at 850-410-1403. The hotline is available for business inquiries about the storm, preparedness information and post-impact information from 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM ET.
VISIT FLORIDA stands ready to activate the Emergency Accommodations Module to keep visitors informed if major evacuations are ordered.
VISIT FLORIDA will also with local tourism partners to collect and share information regarding the open status for major retailers and hotels. More information can be found HERE.

TELECOMMUNICATIONS

The Department of Management Services Division of Telecommunications is currently monitoring telecommunication services to ensure first responders, residents and visitors are able to communicate response and recovery needs.
The division is working with DEM to provide consistent communication services for the state emergency response team.
The division is working with telecommunications partners on proactive and protective measures to prepare equipment, facilities and response personnel for Hurricane Matthew, as well as encouraging partners to report any communications outages or affects.
The state is coordinating with state, federal and industry partners, and is prepared to help assess impacts to telecommunications facilities and infrastructure following the storm. The state is also monitoring fuel assistance requests; currently there are no requests for assistance

SEAPORTS

The state is monitoring conditions at the following seaports and all are still open:

Duval JAXPORT (*Seaport Access Restricted)
Nassau Port of Fernandina (*Seaport Access Restricted)
Broward Port Everglades (*Seaport Access Restricted)
Palm Beach Port of Palm Beach (*Seaport Access Restricted)
Saint Lucie Port of Ft. Pierce (*Seaport Access Restricted)
Brevard Port Canaveral (*Seaport Access Restricted)
Miami-Dade Port Miami (*Seaport Access Restricted)
Monroe Port of Key West

U.S. ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS (USACE)

Routine inspections of the Herbert Hoover Dike are taking place and additional inspections will begin once the lake exceeds 17 feet. The lake level is currently at 15.86 feet.
Discharges from Lake Okeechobee are currently being maintained at current targets (West: 4,000 cubic feet per second / East: 1,800 cubic feet per second).
Working with Water Management Districts to monitor waterways; prepared to adjust flows as necessary.
USACE maximizing releases from Lake Okeechobee.

SOUTH FLORIDA WATER MANAGEMENT DISTRICT (SFWMD)

SFWMD has elevated its readiness condition to Condition 3. Condition 3 readiness actions include the following:
Upper East Coast: Water managers are gradually lowering canals.

Field Station readiness actions include the following:

Inspecting key parts of the flood control system and critical flood control structures.
Inspecting canals and levees for any obstructions.
Inspecting heavy equipment.
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 completed all pre-storm beach erosion surveys.
DEP has activated FLWARN is are ready to deploy generators to water treatment plants if needed.
Household Hazardous Waste debris and drop off sites have been established in all 67 counties

Partial State Park Closures:

Tomoka campground
Gamble Rogers campground
Anastasia campground
Faver Dykes
Hontoon Island campground
Kissimmee Prairie campground
Cross Fl Greenway (east) Rodman campground
Fort Clinch State Park
Little Talbot Island State Park
Johnathon Dickinson State Park
John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park
Long Key State Park
Curry Hammock State Park
Bahia Honda State Park

Full State Park Closures:

Sebastian Inlet State Park
Okeechobee Battlefield State Park
Avalon State Park
Pierce Inlet State Park
Jack Island State Park
Savannahs State Park
Lucie Inlet State Park

CONTACTS:

The Florida Emergency Information Line (FEIL) has activated and can be reached at 1 (800) 342-3557.
State Emergency Operations Center Media Line: 850-921-0217.
Follow @FLSert or @FLGovScott on Twitter for live updates on Hurricane Matthew.
Visit http://www.floridadisaster.org/info to find information on shelters, road closures, and evacuation routes.

Executive Order #16-230 for Hurricane Matthew

Gov. Scott Issues Updates on Hurricane Matthew Preparedness Efforts as Storm Approaches Florida

10/05/16 - Governor Scott Directs State Office Closures In 26 Counties

Today, Governor Rick Scott directed state offices to be closed on Thursday and Friday in the following counties:
Baker, Brevard, Broward, Clay, Duval, Flagler, Glades, Hendry, Highlands, Indian River, Lake, Marion, Martin, Miami-Dade, Monroe, Nassau, Okeechobee, Orange, Osceola, Palm Beach, Polk, Putnam, Seminole, St. Johns, St. Lucie and Volusia.

Governor Rick Scott said, I am directing all state offices in 26 counties to be closed so people who work there can stay home and prepare for this storm. I encourage everyone to prepare their homes, check on family and friends and evacuate if in an evacuation zone. This storm is deadly and everyone has to take this seriously.

Executive Order #16-230 for Hurricane Matthew

Governor Scott Directs State Office Closures In 26 Counties

10/05/16 - Gov. Scott: Directing Suspension Of Tolls; National Guard Deployments

Today, Governor Scott directed the Florida Department of Transportation to suspend tolls in counties where there are evacuations. Governor Scott activated the National Guard on Monday and today directed members to be stationed in North, Central and South Florida so they can be mobilized immediately. The National Hurricane Center (NHC) has labeled Hurricane Matthew as an extremely dangerous and powerful storm. Florida is expected to feel impacts beginning Thursday and lasting through the weekend.

Governor Rick Scott said, Evacuations have started to be ordered this morning and I expect more counties to order evacuations soon. This is a dangerous storm and it is never too early to evacuate. If you live in a low lying area, on a barrier island, or in an area prone to flooding, you need to make plans to leave now. Protecting life and moving people to safety remains our top priority and today I directed the Florida Department of Transportation to suspend tolls as needed to keep traffic flowing. If there is an evacuation order in a county, all tolls will be suspended in that county.

I have activated 500 National Guard members across the state. Per my direction, they are currently stationed in North, Central and South Florida so they can be mobilized immediately. In addition to this, we have over 6,000 National Guard members ready to be activated if needed. The National Guard will be focused on staging to perform search and rescue efforts and will be ready to assist our counties as they need it. I have directed the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) to preposition high-water vehicles and have search and rescue teams on standby throughout the state.

This morning, I directed state personnel to deploy to every eastern coastal county to help assist with preparation, recovery and response efforts. The state also has water, food, and other lifesaving materials stationed in North Florida, Central Florida and South Florida. These resources will be able to be deployed to affected communities immediately.

Shelters will begin to open today and tomorrow for special needs populations, pets and general populations. The American Red Cross will also be opening 97 shelters across the state over the next two days. There is absolutely no reason not to evacuate and there is shelter available for anyone in our state.

As of this afternoon, Florida is under significant tropical storm and hurricane watches and warnings. A tropical storm watch extends from the Seven Mile Bridge in the Florida Keys eastward and Florida Bay. A hurricane watch extends from the Flagler/Volusia County line north to the Florida/Georgia line. A hurricane warning extends from Golden Beach to the Flagler/Volusia County line and includes Lake Okeechobee.

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.

Executive Order #16-230 for Hurricane Matthew

Gov. Scott: Directing Suspension Of Tolls; National Guard Deployments

10/05/16 - Gov. Scott Issues Updates on Hurricane Matthew Preparedness Efforts as Storm Approaches Florida

EVACUATIONS

Brevard County: Mandatory evacuations for barrier islands is at 3 pm today.
Lucie County: Voluntary evacuations have begun.
Flagler County: Voluntary evacuations have begun.
Duval County: Voluntary evacuations have begun.

SHELTERS

Many coastal counties are planning on opening shelters today, including shelters for people with special needs, pets and general populations. A list of all open shelters will be available at http://floridadisaster.org/shelters/summary.htm
The state is working with the American Red Cross to identify shelter capacity both during and following the storm in the potential impact areas.
The state has a 110,000 meal capacity a day, which can be delivered using 24 Emergency Response Vehicles, 31 canteens, and 2 mobile trailers

POWER

There are currently no power outages in Florida due to Hurricane Matthew.
Utilities have been put on notice to be prepared to quickly report outage and restoral information once applicable. The outage reporting is expected to begin Thursday morning.
Utilities are contacting their mutual aid partners to determine availability if external resources are needed to restore services.
The state is monitoring the power grid for sufficient power in the state and the natural gas infrastructure for any damages that can cause a loss of service to power plants.
Governor Scott spoke with utilities across the state yesterday to ensure utilities are pre-positioned and there are no unmet needs.

FUEL

There are no current supply, distribution or retail fuel shortages or issues.

The state will continue to monitor fuel assistance requests; currently there are no requests for assistance. The current fuel supply in the state will last for at least 8 days, even if all ports close.
The state is working with fuel partners and suppliers to increase the number trucks moving fuel from the ports to retail locations.
The state has contacted emergency fuel and equipment providers for status of emergency fuel supply and equipment.

SCHOOL CLOSURES

The Florida Department of Education (FDOE) activated its emergency contact system for the east coast Florida school districts and colleges, and is monitoring closures made at the district and college levels.

District school closures include:

Brevard County ï¿½ Closed Thursday and Friday.
Broward County ï¿½ Closed Thursday and Friday. Eastern Florida State College will be closed until Monday.
Martin County ï¿½ There will be early dismissal today. Schools closed Thursday and Friday.
Indian River County ï¿½ There will be early dismissal today. Schools closed Thursday and Friday.
Okeechobee County ï¿½ Schools closed Thursday and Friday.
Palm Beach County ï¿½ Closed Thursday and Friday.
Lucie County ï¿½ There will be early dismissal today. Schools closed Thursday and Friday.
Florida School for Deaf and Blind ï¿½ Closed today, Thursday and Friday.

Universities/ college closures include:

Florida Atlantic University ï¿½ Classes will be cancelled beginning at 5PM today and remain cancelled Thursday and Friday.
University of North Florida ï¿½ Classes will be cancelled beginning at 3PM today and remain cancelled Thursday and Friday.

GOVERNMENT CLOSURES

DCF offices in Brevard County are closing as of noon today due to mandatory coastal evacuations. They will also be closed Thursday and Friday per Brevard County.

MILITARY SUPPORT

Today, the Governor activated 300 Florida National Guard members who will be staging across the state. This is in addition to the approximately 200 members of the National Guard activated yesterday to support hurricane preparedness and response.
In addition to this, Florida has over 6,000 National Guard members ready to be deployed if needed.
The National Guard will be focused on staging to perform search and rescue efforts as well as providing reconnaissance teams, equipment such as high wheeled vehicles security, and staffing and planning support to assist counties as needed.

LAW ENFORCEMENT, FIRE FIGHTING AND SEARCH & RESCUE

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE), the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (DHSMV), and other partnering agencies are identifying resources for deployment if necessary to respond to the storm and are preparing to assist with evacuations.
FWC has two advance reconnaissance teams actively deploying from Ocala with equipment to move debris from water access points in order to assist search and rescue missions. Additionally, FWC's teams will be partnered with 164 field personnel that are on standby to provide humanitarian aid when needed.
The Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) has made contact with local troops in preparation for supporting evacuations in the major corridors, from south to north and east to west. FHP has also placed all troops on alert and has ten 33-member quick response force teams, for a total of 330 troopers on standby for deployment.
State Emergency Response Plan (SERP) Coordinator and Regional Coordinators have been notified so staffers and resources can be prepared for deployment.
60 Bureau of Fire and Arson Investigations (Department of Financial Services), Florida Fish and Wildlife Special Operations Group boat teams, and members of the Florida National Guard are staging at Florida State Fire College in Ocala tomorrow in preparation for deployment to perform search and rescue missions.
Five Urban Search and Rescue Task Force teams will be available to assist with search and rescue based on the current track of the storm.
State firefighting representative are working with DOH to assist with tracking and patient movement if needed.
Consulting with federal partners to identify any assets that may be needed as state assets become committed during response activities.

PUBLIC HEALTH AND MEDICAL

DOH is working with healthcare facilities on potential evacuations and preparing for storm impacts.
DOH is also standing by to monitor and support special needs shelter activations.
The state is preparing personnel for deployment to help analyze the impacts to vulnerable populations in counties affected by the storm.

TRANSPORTATION & PUBLIC WORKS

The state has held teleconferences with the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) districts and agency partners ï¿½ Army Corps of Engineers, Water Management Districts, Civil Air Patrol and Federal Highway Administration to ensure all infrastructure needs are met.
FDOT halted construction work on all FDOT projects on Interstates, Limited Access facilities, coastal and evacuation route roadways effective immediately in preparation for the approaching Hurricane Matthew. Contractors are being instructed to secure all equipment and open travel lanes by removing all unnecessary barricades, signs and drums.
FDOT District offices have placed emergency crews on standby, and are continuing to test and inventory equipment and monitor 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, providing local evacuation support and providing maintenance of traffic and other assistance.
FDOT is coordinating with the U.S. Coast Guard to lock down Intracoastal Waterway bridges along the eastern Florida coast prior to sustained winds of 40 mph. Intracoastal bridges in Palm Beach County will be locked down by 8 p.m. Wednesday.
Drawbridges along the Miami River and the Intracoastal Waterway in Miami-Dade County will be locked down beginning at 8 p.m. on Wednesday. During lock-down, the bridge is closed, power turned off and the traffic arms may be removed. Closure of bridges on the Intracoastal Waterway (ICWW) will begin at 12:01 a.m. Thursday morning.
Additional road and bridge closure information can be found at www.fl511.com.
Florida Highway Patrol traffic incidents by region can be found here.
The Florida Turnpike Enterprise has ensured service plazas along the Florida Turnpike have Road Rangers and fuel. Additional fuel, Road Rangers and resources such as variable message boards to guide evacuees are on standby. If evacuation orders are given, the Florida Turnpike Enterprise is prepared to suspend tolls.
Army Corps of Engineers and Water Management Districts are monitoring waterways and are prepared to adjust flows as necessary.
FDOT is monitoring live traffic counters in South Florida, Central Florida, and along the East Coast of Florida.

HUMAN SERVICES

Resources and Supplies

Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR), Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (DACS) and DEM Logistics are running projection models for human-service's needs (food and sheltering) based on major hurricane impacts to Miami Dade County to Duval County, and Seminole County to Nassau County.
DACS is inventorying school food supplies in schools and state warehouses.
The state is contacting potential vendors for quotes on baby needs and other items.
Food Safety Assessment teams on standby to monitor power outages and flooding to ensure safety at food establishments

Volunteer Organizations

The state is establishing local points of contact with mass care organizations and volunteer agencies for potentially impacted counties.
The state is working with Volunteers and Donation agencies to identify available volunteers through Florida Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (VOAD) and AmeriCorps to staff shelters if needed. Thirty-nine AmeriCorps teams statewide are on call for anticipated response to Hurricane Matthew. Volunteer Florida grantee Literacy Coalition of Palm Beach is deploying AmeriCorps today to the Palm Beach County EOC and Special Needs Shelter. Community Emergency Response Teams (CERT) are also available.
The state is assessing available housing for responders and volunteers.
Volunteer Florida is identifying fixed kitchens from potentially impacted counties in anticipation of feeding needs.

Agency for Persons with Disabilities (APD)

APD is communicating regularly with staff, providers, waiver support coordinators, and stakeholders about the hurricane and preparedness measures.
All group homes and individuals in Supported Living have their own disaster plans.
Regional Residential Planning Coordinators are assessing all available open beds in group homes statewide in case they are needed during or after the storm. Supported Living Coaches are checking on their customers in independent living to ensure they are safe and prepared. If someone needs to go to a group home during the storm, APD will authorize Respite and pay for the service.
Mutual Aid support from non-affected Regional Offices have been identified to support Regional Offices that may be impacted by the hurricane.

Florida Department of Veterans' Affairs (FDVA)

Three of the state veterans' nursing homes operated by the FDVA are on the east coast of Florida.
All of these facilities have permanent generators and administrators are working to ensure staff and supplies are available for residents.

BUSINESS, INDUSTRY, & ECONOMIC STABILIZATION

The Florida Department of Economic Opportunity (DEO) and DEM have activated the Florida Virtual Business Emergency Operations Center (FLVBEOC) to help identify and alleviate unmet needs between businesses and response partners. They are also working with businesses to make sure they have what they need to prepare for the storm.

The FLVBEOC is available at www.flvbeoc.org

The state has activated the Private Sector Hotline at 850-410-1403. The hotline is available for business inquiries about the storm, preparedness information and post-impact information from 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM ET.
VISIT FLORIDA stands ready to activate the Emergency Accommodations Module to keep visitors informed if major evacuations are ordered.
VISIT FLORIDA will also with local tourism partners to collect and share information regarding the open status for major retailers and hotels. More information can be found HERE.

TELECOMMUNICATIONS

The Department of Management Services' Division of Telecommunications is currently monitoring telecommunication services to ensure first responders, residents and visitors are able to communicate response and recovery needs.
The division is working with DEM to provide consistent communication services for the state emergency response team.
The division is working with telecommunications partners on proactive and protective measures to prepare equipment, facilities and response personnel for Hurricane Matthew, as well as encouraging partners to report any communications outages or affects.
The state is coordinating with state, federal and industry partners, and is prepared to help assess impacts to telecommunications facilities and infrastructure following the storm. The state is also monitoring fuel assistance requests; currently there are no requests for assistance

SEAPORTS

The state is monitoring conditions at the following seaports and all are still open:

Duval ï¿½ JAXPORT (*Seaport Access Restricted)
Nassau ï¿½ Port of Fernandina (*Seaport Access Restricted)
Broward ï¿½ Port Everglades (*Seaport Access Restricted)
Palm Beach ï¿½ Port of Palm Beach (*Seaport Access Restricted)
Saint Lucie ï¿½ Port of Ft. Pierce (*Seaport Access Restricted)
Brevard ï¿½ Port Canaveral (*Seaport Access Restricted)
Miami-Dade ï¿½ Port Miami (*Seaport Access Restricted)
Monroe ï¿½ Port of Key West

U.S. ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS (USACE)

Routine inspections of the Herbert Hoover Dike are taking place and additional inspections will begin once the lake exceeds 17 feet. The lake level is currently at 15.86 feet.
Discharges from Lake Okeechobee are currently being maintained at current targets (West: 4,000 cubic feet per second / East: 1,800 cubic feet per second).
Working with Water Management Districts to monitor waterways; prepared to adjust flows as necessary.
USACE maximizing releases from Lake Okeechobee.

SOUTH FLORIDA WATER MANAGEMENT DISTRICT (SFWMD)

SFWMD has elevated its readiness condition to Condition 3. Condition 3 readiness actions include the following:
Upper East Coast: Water managers are gradually lowering canals.

Field Station readiness actions include the following:

Inspecting key parts of the flood control system and critical flood control structures.
Inspecting canals and levees for any obstructions.
Inspecting heavy equipment.
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 completed all pre-storm beach erosion surveys.
DEP has activated FLWARN is are ready to deploy generators to water treatment plants if needed.
Household Hazardous Waste debris and drop off sites have been established in all 67 counties

Partial State Park Closures:

Tomoka campground
Gamble Rogers campground
Anastasia campground
Faver Dykes
Hontoon Island campground
Kissimmee Prairie campground
Cross Fl Greenway (east) Rodman campground
Fort Clinch State Park
Little Talbot Island State Park
Johnathon Dickinson State Park
John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park
Long Key State Park
Curry Hammock State Park
Bahia Honda State Park

Full State Park Closures:

Sebastian Inlet State Park
Okeechobee Battlefield State Park
Avalon State Park
Pierce Inlet State Park
Jack Island State Park
Savannahs State Park
Lucie Inlet State Park

CONTACTS:

The Florida Emergency Information Line (FEIL) has activated and can be reached at 1 (800) 342-3557.
State Emergency Operations Center Media Line: 850-921-0217.
Follow @FLSert or @FLGovScott on Twitter for live updates on Hurricane Matthew.
Visit http://www.floridadisaster.org/info to find information on shelters, road closures, and evacuation routes.

Executive Order #16-230 for Hurricane Matthew

Gov. Scott Issues Updates on Hurricane Matthew Preparedness Efforts as Storm Approaches Florida

10/04/16 - Gov. Scott: Cat 4 Matthew Approaching Florida; Stay Alert To Possible Life-Saving Evacuations

Governor Rick Scott today visited the City of Marathon and Volusia County to meet with emergency management officials as the state prepares for Hurricane Matthew, a life-threatening category four storm. Governor Scott will also be in Nassau County today visiting with emergency management officials. Florida is now under both tropical storm and hurricane watches. The tropical storm watch extends from the Seven Mile Bridge in the Florida Keys to Deerfield Beach in Palm Beach County and includes Lake Okeechobee. The hurricane watch extends from Deerfield Beach to the Brevard-Volusia county line.

Governor Scott said, Hurricane Matthew is a deadly storm and has already killed multiple people. Our number one priority is to protect life and we will continue to communicate with all 67 Florida counties to ensure critical needs are met. At this time, we cannot focus on the exact track of this storm. We know that it will be very close to our state and any small deviation from its track could mean a catastrophic change along Floridas east coast. That is why everyone in our state must prepare today for a direct hit.

As Matthew continues to approach Florida, evacuations may be ordered today. If you are on Floridas east coast, you should know today where you will go if you have to evacuate. If you are able to leave early and go now, before there is traffic, please go. No one should take any risks. Many coastal counties are also preparing to open shelters within the next 24 hours if needed and contacting special needs populations. Again, if an evacuation is ordered for your area, leave immediately. First responders cannot rescue you once the storm hits.

Gov. Scott: Cat 4 Matthew Approaching Florida; Stay Alert To Possible Life-Saving Evacuations

10/04/16 - Gov. Scott Issues Updates on Hurricane Matthew Preparedness Efforts as Storm Approaches Florida

Today, Governor Rick Scott visited the City of Marathon to meet with county emergency management officials as the state prepares for Hurricane Matthew, a life-threatening category four storm. Governor Scott has remained in constant communication with state and local leaders who are working to ensure the state is prepared for the storm. Governor Scott will also be at the Volusia County Emergency Management Center and the Nassau County Emergency Operations Center today to meet with emergency management officials to prepare for Hurricane Matthew.

EMERGENCY SUPPORT FUNCTIONS BY STATE EMERGENCY RESPONSE TEAM

MILITARY SUPPORT

Approximately 200 members of the Florida National Guard will be activated to support hurricane preparedness and response. There are also more than 6,000 guardsmen ready to be deployed if needed.

LAW ENFORCEMENT

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.

INFRASTRUCTURE: TRANSPORTATION & PUBLIC WORKS

The state is monitoring the storm and holding teleconferences with the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) districts and agency partners ï¿½ Army Corps of Engineers, Water Management Districts, Civil Air Patrol and Federal Highway Administration to ensure all infrastructure needs are met.

Asset maintenance contractors have been alerted;
FDOT district offices are reaching out to construction vendors to have them remove any materials that block roads to facilitate evacuations;
Florida's Turnpike Enterprise is ensuring that service plazas along the Florida Turnpike have Road Rangers and fuel;
Additional fuel, Road Rangers and resources such as variable message boards to guide evacuees are on standby; and
The Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) has made contact with local troops in preparation for supporting evacuations in the major corridors, south to north and east to west.

Army Corps of Engineers and Water Management Districts are monitoring waterways and are prepared to adjust flows as necessary.
FDOT is preparing evacuation routes, 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, providing local evacuation support and providing maintenance of traffic and other assistance.

HUMAN SERVICES:

Establishing local points of contact with mass care organizations and volunteer agencies for potentially impacted counties starting from Monroe to Orange County, and working up toward the rest of the state.
The state is working with the American Red Cross to identify shelter staffing capacity in potential impact areas.
The state is working with Volunteers and Donation agencies to identify available volunteers through Florida Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (VOAD) and AmeriCorps to staff shelters if needed.
Department of Business and Professional Regulation and Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services is running projection models for human-service's needs (food and sheltering) based on a major hurricane impacting Monroe County to Orange County, and Seminole County to Nassau County.
The Florida Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services is inventorying school food supplies in schools and state warehouses.

BUSINESS, INDUSTRY, & ECONOMIC STABILIZATION

The Florida Department of Economic Opportunity (DEO) and the Division of Emergency Management (DEM) created event in Florida Virtual Business Emergency Operations Center (FLVBEOC) for Hurricane Matthew and currently updating with up to date storm info, including press releases/situation reports. Providing situational awareness to private sector partners.

FLVBEOC is available at www.flvbeoc.org

Activated Private Sector Hotline: 850-410-1403. 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.

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.
Monitoring fuel assistance requests; currently there are no requests for assistance.
The state has contacted emergency fuel and equipment provider for status of emergency fuel supply and equipment.

TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Coordinating with telecommunications partners to monitor the situation and remain on standby to respond if required.
At this point, no out of ordinary reports of any major outages.
Monitoring fuel assistance requests; currently there are no requests for assistance.

SEAPORTS

Monitoring conditions at the following seaports:

Duval ï¿½ JAXPORT: Open
Nassau ï¿½ Port of Fernandina: Open
Broward ï¿½ Port Everglades: Open, sustained gale force winds predicted within 48 hours
Palm Beach ï¿½ Port of Palm Beach: Open, sustained gale force winds predicted within 48 hours
Saint Lucie ï¿½ Port of Ft. Pierce: Open, sustained gale force winds predicted within 48 hours
Brevard ï¿½ Port Canaveral: Open
Miami-Dade ï¿½ Port Miami: Open, sustained gale force winds predicted within 48 hours
Monroe ï¿½ Port of Key West: Open, sustained gale force winds predicted within 48 hours

U.S. ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS

Inspections of the Herbert Hoover Dike are taking place at fifteen-day intervals. Daily inspections begin once the lake exceeds 17 feet.
Discharges from Lake Okeechobee are currently being maintained at current targets (West: 4,000 cubic feet per second / East: 1,800 cubic feet per second).

SOUTH FLORIDA WATER MANAGEMENT DISTRICT

SFWMD has elevated its readiness condition to Condition 4. Condition 4 readiness actions include the following:
Upper East Coast: Water managers are gradually lowering canals as their current discharges are moderate.
Discharge through S-38 will continue until Monday as long as the forecast for Matthew rain is Tuesday or later. Supplemental flow to the Florida Bay is being reduced to provide capacity for pre-storm draw down.

Field Station readiness actions include the following:

Inspecting key parts of the flood control system and critical flood control structures.
Inspecting canals and levees for any obstructions.
Inspecting heavy equipment.
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 east coast and is reaching out to state parks to assess needs.
No state parks are closed at this time.

LOGISTICS:

The State Logistics Response Center (SLRC) will be opening today at 12:00 noon to manage the deployment of resources to counties.

Identifying potential State Logistical Staging Areas to preposition materials and resources if needed.
Running Logistics Forecast Models for each coastal and first inland county (Jacksonville to Miami).
Have received update from FEMA Logistics on available assets.

Will begin to poll in-state resources available from unaffected counties.

Contacted South Florida Fairgrounds, Homestead Air Reserve Base as potential staging sites.
Monitoring government, school and infrastructure closures.

CONTACTS:

The Florida Emergency Information Line (FEIL) has activated and can be reached at 1 (800) 342-3557.
State Emergency Operations Center Media Line: 850-921-0217.
Follow @FLSert or @FLGovScott on Twitter for live updates on Hurricane Matthew.
Visit http://www.floridadisaster.org to find information on shelters, road closures, and evacuation routes.

Gov. Scott Issues Updates on Hurricane Matthew Preparedness Efforts as Storm Approaches Florida

10/03/16 - Gov. Scott: Cat 4 Hurricane Matthew Is Life Threatening And Approaching Florida

Governor Rick Scott today visited the City of Hialeah Emergency Operations Center to meet with emergency management officials as the state prepares for Hurricane Matthew, a life-threatening category four storm. Governor Scott also signed Executive Order 16-230 declaring a state of emergency for every Florida county due to the severity and magnitude of Hurricane Matthew.

Governor Scott said, Hurricane Matthew is a life-threatening category four hurricane and we must all take it seriously. If Hurricane Matthew directly impacts Florida, there could be massive destruction which we havent seen since Hurricane Andrew devastated Miami-Dade County in 1992. That is why we cannot delay and must prepare for direct impact now. Today, I signed an Executive Order declaring a State of Emergency in every Florida county to ensure we have resources for evacuations, sheltering and other logistical needs across our state. We are preparing for the worst, but hoping for the best and we will not take any chances to ensure our state is prepared.

Hurricane Matthew has already killed four people and nobody wants that number to rise. As I said during Hurricane Hermine, we can rebuild a home or a business, but we cannot rebuild your life. The best way to prevent further loss is to get prepared now and take this storm seriously. Having a plan in place could mean the difference between life and death during severe weather, especially a major category four hurricane.

Although Matthew is not currently projected to directly impact Florida, we all know how quickly the track of these storms can change. While there are no evacuation orders currently in place, this storm could threaten our state with very little notice and no one should be caught off guard. If an evacuation order is activated in your area, leave immediately. Once severe weather comes, our first responders will not be able to rescue you until the weather subsides.

Our National Guard stands ready to be deployed if needed. I am also in contact with the utilities across the state and will stay in communication with them regarding their plans if there are any power outages. We are taking steps to move additional fuel to the states east coast. On the Florida Turnpike, we also have extra fuel trucks on standby to get anywhere in our state. Again, while we are preparing for the worst, we are hoping for the best and will not take any chances with a storm of this magnitude.

The National Hurricane Center (NHC) reports that Hurricane Matthew is a major category four hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 140 miles per hour. Although the NHC official forecast continues to show a track east of Florida, Governor Rick Scott and the Florida Division of Emergency Management continue to actively monitor Hurricane Matthew and urge everyone in Florida to remain vigilant and take all necessary precautions as it moves through the Caribbean. The State Emergency Operations Center (SEOC) today activated to Level 2. Based on the current forecast, the states entire east coast from Monroe to Nassau counties could experience tropical storm force winds, beach erosion, rip currents and heavy rain. This is a slow moving storm and could impact Florida as early as Wednesday and last through Saturday.

State Coordinating Officer Bryan Koon said, Hurricane Matthew is a strong and very dangerous storm. Residents should not delay and begin preparing for the worst now. This morning, the State Emergency Operations Center (SEOC) upgraded our activation to a Level 2. As always, we stand ready to respond to any potential impacts this storm may have on Florida communities and continue to encourage residents to visit Floridadisaster.org to create an emergency plan.

Cat 4 Hurricane Matthew Is Life Threatening And Approaching Florida

10/02/16 - Cat 4 Hurricane Matthew May Threaten Florida; Stay Alert And Prepare Now

Today, Governor Rick Scott was briefed by the Florida Division of Emergency Management (DEM) and the National Hurricane Center (NHC) on Hurricane Matthew, a major category 4 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 140 miles per hour. The state will continue to hold twice daily calls with the NHC and all 67 Florida counties as the storm approaches to ensure every local community has all available resources to prepare and respond to Hurricane Matthew.

Governor Rick Scott said, "This is a serious and life threatening storm. I was just briefed on the developments of Hurricane Matthew as it moves through the Caribbean Sea. I also just spoke with county emergency management officials who are working in our local communities to ensure our state is prepared for the potential impacts of this major hurricane. This storm is catastrophic, and if it hits our state, we could see impacts that we have not seen in many years. Even though the storms projected path is just east of our state, no one should take this lightly. Storms change fast and Hurricane Matthew could hit Florida as early as Wednesday. At this time, there have been no evacuations ordered in Florida, but that could change quickly. Please stay alert and watch your local news and listen to your local officials for protective actions and emergency messages. I urge everyone to visit FLGetAPlan.com to get prepared before the weekend is over. Make sure to have three days of food and water, flashlights, batteries and a battery powered radio."

Florida Division of Emergency Management Director Bryan Koon said, "Hurricane Matthew continues to pose a significant threat to Florida. I encourage everyone to take this potential threat seriously. Even if this storm does not make direct landfall, the significant risks of rip currents and severe weather will still exist. Take this time to ensure you and your family have a plan to remain safe, by visiting FLGetAPlan.com to assist in preparing for any possible impacts from this very dangerous storm."

Cat 4 Hurricane Matthew May Threaten Florida; Stay Alert And Prepare Now

10/01/16 - Gov. Scott: Cat 4 Hurricane Matthew Is Life Threatening; Floridians Must Remain Vigilant

Today, Governor Scott was briefed by the Florida Division of Emergency Management on Hurricane Matthew, a major category 4 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 140 miles per hour.

Governor Rick Scott said, "As Hurricane Matthew moves through the Caribbean this weekend, its a very dangerous storm and life threatening. We havent seen a storm of this magnitude approach our state in a very long time. While the National Hurricane Centers forecast continues to show the track of the storm east of our state, its too soon to rule out impacts to Florida. We know how fast the track of a storm can change, and I urge everyone in Florida to prepare this weekend for any impacts this storm may bring. Even if it does not directly hit our state, we will likely see strong winds, rip currents and beach erosion all along the east coast of our state. I will continue to monitor this storm throughout the weekend to ensure Florida is prepared and ready to respond. If you dont have a plan, please visit FLGetAPlan.com so that you and your family can get prepared."

Florida Division of Emergency Management Director Bryan Koon said, "Hurricane Matthew's exact pathway is continuing to develop, but we know this is a large and especially powerful storm which is expected to remain a major hurricane as it nears Florida. Do not get complacent. Understand that this storm is large enough and powerful enough for it produce strong rip currents and severe weather, even without making direct landfall in Florida. Visit FLGetAPlan.com to ensure you and your family are prepared."

Gov. Scott: Cat 4 Hurricane Matthew Is Life Threatening; Floridians Must Remain Vigilant

09/30/16 - Gov. Scott: As Hurricane Matthew Strengthens to Cat 4, Residents Must Be Prepared

The National Hurricane Center today (NHC) upgraded Hurricane Matthew to a major category four hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 140 miles per hour. Although the NHC official forecast continues to show a track east of Florida, Governor Rick Scott and the Florida Division of Emergency Management continue to actively monitor Hurricane Matthew and urge everyone in Florida to remain vigilant and take all necessary precautions as it moves through the Caribbean over the weekend. The State Emergency Operations Center (SEOC) remains activated to Level 3.

Governor Scott said, "With Hurricane Matthew now being upgraded to a major category four hurricane, we all must remain vigilant and be prepared for any impacts this storm may have on our state. While the National Hurricane Center's current forecast predicts Matthew traveling east of Florida, we all know that the track of these storms can quickly change which is why it is imperative that all Floridians and visitors continue to monitor Hurricane Matthew and make sure to have a plan in place in the event of severe weather. If you don't have a plan, please visit FLGetAPlan.com so that you and your family can get prepared.

"I will continue to get briefed on this storm throughout the weekend. We are working closely with the NHC and will make sure to keep Floridians informed as we learn more about the track of this storm and its potential impacts on Florida."

Florida Division of Emergency Management Director Bryan Koon said, "With Hurricane Matthew now a major category four storm, it is critically important for residents and visitors to prepare and have a plan. Although Hurricane Matthew is not currently projected to directly impact our state, we stand ready to respond to any potential impacts this storm may have on Florida communities and continue to encourage residents to visit FLGetAPlan.com to create an emergency plan."

Gov. Scott: As Hurricane Matthew Strengthens to Cat 4, Residents Must Be Prepared

Updated:
April 19, 2017 9:24

Hurricane Matthew News Archive

11/16/16 - USDA Designates 4 Counties in Florida as Primary Natural Disaster Areas

11/03/16 - SBA Disaster Assistance Available in Additional Counties for Private NonProfit Organizations in Florida

10/26/16 - SBA Disaster Assistance Available to Private NonProfit Organizations in Florida Affected by Hurricane Matthew

10/25/16 - Nassau and Seminole Declared for Individual Assistance

10/25/16 - SBA Disaster Assistance for Businesses and Residents Affected by Hurricane Matthew Expands to Additional Florida Counties

10/19/16 - Brevard and Indian River Declared for Individual Assistance

10/19/16 - Brevard and Indian River Declared for Individual Assistance

10/17/16 - Flagler, Putnam, St. Johns, and Volusia Declared for Individual Assistance

10/19/16 - Gov. Scott: Disaster Unemployment Assistance Now Available

10/17/16 - Flagler, Putnam, St. Johns, and Volusia Declared for Individual Assistance

10/10/16 - Gov. Scott Issues Updates on Hurricane Matthew Response and Recovery Efforts

10/10/16 - Governor Scott Activates Florida Disaster Fund Following Hurricane Matthew

10/10/16 - Gov. Scott Activates Emergency Bridge Loan Program for Small Businesses Damaged by Hurricane Matthew

10/09/16 - Gov. Scott Issues Updates on Hurricane Matthew Response and Recovery Efforts

10/08/16 - Gov. Scott Issues Updates on Hurricane Matthew Response and Recovery Efforts

10/07/16 - Gov. Scott Issues Updates on Hurricane Matthew Preparedness and Response Efforts as Storm Continues to Impact Florida

10/07/16 - Gov. Scott Issues Updates on Hurricane Matthew Preparedness and Response Efforts as Storm Continues to Impact Florida

10/07/16 - Gov. Scott Issues Updates on Hurricane Matthew Preparedness and Response Efforts as Storm Continues to Impact Florida

10/07/16 - Gov. Scott: As Hurricane Impacts Florida, Additional Requests Made To Federal Government

10/06/16 - Gov. Scott Issues Updates on Hurricane Matthew Preparedness Efforts as Storm Approaches Florida

10/06/16 - Gov. Scott: Over Half Of The National Guard Activated; Additional Requests To President

10/06/16 - Gov. Scott: Time Is Up, Evacuate

10/06/16 - Gov. Scott Issues Updates on Hurricane Matthew Preparedness Efforts as Storm Approaches Florida

10/05/16 - Gov. Scott Requests Emergency Declaration From President; Suspends Tolls; Calls Up More National Guard Members

10/05/16 - Gov. Scott Issues Updates on Hurricane Matthew Preparedness Efforts as Storm Approaches Florida

10/05/16 - Governor Scott Directs State Office Closures In 26 Counties

10/05/16 - Gov. Scott: Directing Suspension Of Tolls; National Guard Deployments

10/05/16 - Gov. Scott Issues Updates on Hurricane Matthew Preparedness Efforts as Storm Approaches Florida

10/04/16 - Gov. Scott: Cat 4 Matthew Approaching Florida; Stay Alert To Possible Life-Saving Evacuations

10/04/16 - Gov. Scott Issues Updates on Hurricane Matthew Preparedness Efforts as Storm Approaches Florida

10/03/16 - Gov. Scott: Cat 4 Hurricane Matthew Is Life Threatening And Approaching Florida

10/02/16 - Cat 4 Hurricane Matthew May Threaten Florida; Stay Alert And Prepare Now

10/01/16 - Gov. Scott: Cat 4 Hurricane Matthew Is Life Threatening; Floridians Must Remain Vigilant

09/30/16 - Gov. Scott: As Hurricane Matthew Strengthens to Cat 4, Residents Must Be Prepared

Florida Division of Emergency Management

Weather Outlook