Gov. Scott Releases Updates on Hurricane Michael Response in Liberty County

Today, Governor Rick Scott visited the Liberty County Emergency Operations Center in Bristol and has been in constant communication with local officials and emergency management in Liberty County. The following information has been reported to the State Emergency Response Team and includes specific actions the state has taken to aid the residents of Liberty County impacted by Hurricane Michael.

FEMA Individual Assistance and Public Assistance was approved October 11. Federal re-employment assistance is also now available for individuals in Liberty County.

FOOD AND WATER

• One Point of Distribution for food and water is in Liberty County. It is located at 10979 Spring Street, Bristol, FL.

COMMUNICATIONS

• Currently, 100 percent of cellular service coverage has been restored in Liberty County. This does not include mobile cellular assets augmenting the network.

POWER RESTORATION

• As of noon, 1,917 or 47% of customers in Liberty County do not have power.
• 38 generators were deployed to Liberty County, and more are available to be deployed upon request.

MILITARY SUPPORT

• There are currently 18 National Guard troops deployed to Liberty County. National Guard troops are assisting with conducting reconnaissance, search and rescue, and road clearance missions.

LAW ENFORCEMENT

• Currently, 43 law enforcement officers have been deployed to Liberty County.

• The Florida Highway Patrol is providing traffic control in Bristol and supplementing security patrols throughout county.
• When requested, the Florida Highway Patrol has provided security escorts of relief supplies for point of distribution (POD).
• The Florida Highway Patrol is providing increased law enforcement presence and patrol throughout the county 24 hours.
• The Florida Highway Patrol is providing traffic control support.
• One DHSMV Florida Licensing on Wheels (FLOW) mobile is at the Liberty County Courthouse to provide credentialing services to customers. The FLOW mobile hours are 9am to 4pm EDT.
• FDLE is assisting local law enforcement in Liberty County on missions including patrol and welfare checks.

TRANSPORTATION & PUBLIC WORKS

• All state roads in Liberty County are open.
• FDOT has completed all state bridge inspections in Liberty County.

PUBLIC HEALTH AND MEDICAL

• Three cooling stations and five shower stations have been deployed to Liberty County to help ensure that impacted residents are comfortable and have the services they need.
• The Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA) is in contact with healthcare facilities to ensure they have the resources they need.
• Facilities report their evacuation status to the Agency through the Emergency Status System. An updated evacuation report can be found on the AHCA twitter page: https://twitter.com/AHCA_FL
• 5 ambulances have been deployed to Liberty County.
• Florida continues to communicate and monitor pharmacies in the affected areas and work to restore services with as little disruption to citizens as possible. Currently there are 52 pharmacy locations open and dispensing medication in the following counties: Bay, Calhoun, Gadsden, Gulf, Franklin, Jackson, Liberty, Okaloosa, Wakulla, Walton, and Washington.
• There is currently one Active Boil Water Notice in Liberty County http://www.floridahealth.gov/environmental-health/drinking-water/boil-water-notices.html
• DCF is providing additional SNAP benefits for customers in Liberty County. These benefits are now in the customer’s accounts and accessible on their EBT cards. For more information, click HERE.

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION

• An online tool for the public to report the location of storm debris in waterways has been deployed. 480 reports of debris have been received.
• DEP has completed two mission requests, and has no outstanding request for assistance from water/wastewater utilities through Florida’s Water/Wastewater Agency Response Network (FlaWARN) in Liberty County.
• 235 Disaster Debris Management Sites have been pre-authorized for the counties addressed by the Governor’s Executive Order, with 2 in Liberty County. An additional 2 sites have been approved in Liberty County to further assist with debris removal efforts.
• DEP has deployed wastewater, drinking water and solid waste technical experts to Liberty County to ensure their needs are met.

BUSINESS AND INDUSTRY    

• The Florida SBDC Network and the U.S. Small Business Administration have opened Business Recovery Centers (BRCs) to assist small businesses impacted by Hurricane Michael. Small businesses can get assistance applying for state and federal business disaster loans. A BRC is now open in Liberty County at Veteran Memorial Civic Center – Veteran Memorial Railroad ORG 10561 NW Theo Jacobs Way Bristol, FL 32321. Monday-Saturday 9 am to 6 pm.
• Governor Rick Scott announced that Florida has been awarded federal National Dislocated Worker Grants to provide temporary employment to Floridians affected by Hurricane Michael. This program is administered by the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity (DEO) and provides disaster relief employment in the form of temporary jobs that support storm response and recovery efforts. See the Governor’s press release HERE.
• The Florida Department of Economic Opportunity (DEO) has launched the Small Business Emergency Bridge Loan Program to provide short-term, interest-free loans to affects businesses at www.floridadisasterloan.org.
• The Florida Department of Economic Opportunity is working with CareerSource North Florida and CareerSource Northeast Florida to send mobile units, along with staff and resources, including water, gas, generators, flashlights and satellite phones to allow CareerSource partners in the Panhandle to begin assisting jobseekers and businesses as a part of the recovery efforts.
• Disaster cleanup and other related job openings are now available at https://disasterrecovery.employflorida.com for businesses to post job openings and for individuals to find job opportunities.
• DEO has opened the Business Damage Assessment Survey for businesses impacted by Hurricane Michael. Businesses with damage should complete the survey at https://www.floridadisaster.biz/BusinessDamageAssessments.
• Businesses can also visit FloridaDisaster.biz to view tips for assessing storm damage and to register to receive updates on storm recovery.

EDUCATION

• The Florida Department of Education (FDOE) is in contact with school districts, state colleges and universities for updates and to determine their needs and provide assistance.
• The Department is coordinating with the utility companies that serve Liberty County to ensure power is restored to the remaining Liberty County buildings where power has not been restored.
• Liberty County schools will reopen Wednesday, October 24, for staff and Monday, October 29, for students.
• Chipola College, which serves Liberty County, will reopen Monday, October 22.
• FDOE will be posting up-to-date information regarding closures and meeting cancellations at www.fldoe.org/hurricaneinfo.

VOLUNTEER EFFORTS

• At Governor Scott’s direction, Volunteer Florida has activated the Florida Disaster Fund, the State of Florida’s official private fund established to assist Florida’s 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. To donate, visit, www.volunteerflorida.org/donatefdf/.

STATE EMERGENCY OPERATION CENTER/ CONTACTS

• The State Emergency Operations Center remains activated at a level one, which is a full-scale, 24-hours-a-day activation.
• The State Assistance Information Line (SAIL) contact number is 1-800-342-3557.
• The State Emergency Operations Center Media Line: 850-921-0217.
• Follow @FLSert or @FLGovScott on Twitter for live updates on Hurricane Michael.
• Visit http://www.floridadisaster.org/info to find information on shelters, road closures, and evacuation routes.