Gov. Scott Releases Updates on Hurricane Michael Recovery in Jackson County

Today, Governor Rick Scott is visiting the Jackson County Emergency Operations Center and has been in constant communication with local officials and emergency management in Jackson County following the impact of Hurricane Michael. 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 Jackson County impacted by Hurricane Michael.

Yesterday, FEMA Transitional Sheltering Assistance (TSA) was approved for families in Jackson County following a request from Governor Rick Scott. TSA provides FEMA-funded lodging in hotels and motels for eligible disaster survivors who are unable to return home for an extended period due to disaster-related damages. FEMA is currently notifying eligible families in Jackson County of their sheltering options under TSA. Families in Jackson County looking to confirm their TSA eligibility should call 1-800-621-FEMA (3362). You can also visit www.DisasterAssistance.govfor more information on TSA and to find participating hotels and motels. This program has also been approved for Bay and Gulf counties.

Additionally, a FEMA Disaster Recovery Center is now open in Jackson County. This center offers in-person support to individuals and businesses in Jackson County. Representatives from the State of Florida, FEMA, the U.S. Small Business Administration and other organizations are at the center to explain available assistance and connect impacted residents with the resources they need. This center is located at 2737 Penn Ave., Marianna, FL 32448 and is open from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. CDT.

FEMA Individual Assistance and Public Assistance was approved October 11. Federal re-employment assistance is also now available for individuals in Jackson County. More than 8,000 people in Jackson County have already registered for FEMA individual assistance.

FEMA has dispatched teams of representatives to assist residents with applications and registrations for individual assistance in areas affected by Hurricane Michael.

FOOD AND WATER

• There are three points of distribution in Jackson County:
  • 3172 Main Street, Cottondale, FL 32431
  • 5182 9^th Avenue, Malone, FL 32445
  • 3004 Hwy. 71 N., Marianna, FL 32446
• There are two Salvation Army Kitchens/Canteens open in Jackson County:
  • 4445 Lafayette St, Marianna, FL 32446
  • 4534 Lafayette St, Marianna, FL 32446

COMMUNICATIONS

• Currently, 92.77% percent of cellular service coverage has been restored in Jackson County. This does not include mobile cellular assets augmenting the network. This does not include mobile cellular assets augmenting the network.

POWER RESTORATION

• Seven push crews were deployed to work with utility crews to restore power for utilities that provide service for Jackson County.
• 38 generators were deployed to Jackson County. Additional generators will be made available upon request.
• Current power outage as of 9:00 a.m. is 14,953 or 62%.

SHELTERS

• Currently one shelter is open in Jackson County at the Jackson County Agriculture Center, 3627 Hwy 90, Marianna, FL 32448.
• Visit https://www.floridadisaster.org/shelter-status/ to find information on shelters in your area. This site is being updated as shelters open throughout the day.

MILITARY SUPPORT

• There are currently 295 National Guard troops deployed to Jackson County.
• The National Guard has dispatched a communications support package to Jackson County.

LAW ENFORCEMENT

• More than 98 law enforcement officers have been deployed to Jackson County.
• FWC officers and support staff, with appropriate equipment assets, continue to work recovery efforts in Jackson County on 12-hour shifts to provide 24-hour coverage.
• Officers proactively patrolled schools, neighborhoods and businesses in Marianna, Grand Ridge, Two Egg, Greenwood and Sneads, cleared homes of debris and trees, checked on fuel depots, rounded up escaped cattle, delivered over 22 trucks full of ice, food and water to rural families, provided aid to motorists and assisted with medical calls.
• FWC officers continue performing welfare checks, reconnaissance, public safety missions and assisting with debris removal in Jackson County.
• Currently, 28 FHP troopers have been deployed to Jackson County.
• The Florida Highway Patrol is supplementing local law enforcement agency efforts to assist with traffic control throughout the county.
• One Florida Licensing on Wheels (FLOW) mobile is in Marianna at the Marianna Driver License Office. Hours of operation are Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 9am-4pm, CDT.
• FDLE agents are at the Jackson County Emergency Operations Center coordinating local law enforcement needs with the resources to fulfil the needs.
• FDLE agents are working in Jackson County verifying local law enforcement requests are being met and completed.

TRANSPORTATION & PUBLIC WORKS

• All state roads in Jackson County are open.
• FDOT has completed all state bridge inspections and all state bridges are open in Jackson County.

PUBLIC HEALTH AND MEDICAL

• The Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA) is in contact with healthcare facilities to ensure they have the resources they need.
• Assisted living facility, Chipola Health and Rehabilitation Center has been completely evacuated and remains closed.
• Jackson Hospital in Marianna has reopened and has power.
• 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
• The DOH Jackson County office is open and providing services to the public.
• 9 ambulances and 2 paratransit vehicles have been deployed to Jackson County.
• DCF is providing additional SNAP benefits for customers Jackson County. These benefits are now in the customer’s accounts and accessible on their EBT cards. For more information, click HERE.
• Florida continues to communicate and monitor pharmacies in the affected areas and work to restore services with as little disruption to citizens as possible. There are 4 open pharmacies and 1 mobile pharmacy open in Jackson County. To find an open pharmacy in Jackson County, go to RxOpen.org, which maps open and closed pharmacies during disasters. The site also has locations of American Red Cross shelters and infusion centers in the affected communities.
• There is currently one active boil water notices in Jackson County.

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION

• An online tool for the public to report the location of storm debris in waterways has been deployed. 477 reports of debris have been received.
• DEP has completed 10 mission requests, and is assisting with an additional six, submitted through Florida’s Water/Wastewater Agency Response Network (FlaWARN) in Jackson County.
• Hazardous Area Response Teams (HART) have completed assessments at all high priority hazardous waste facilities in Jackson County.
• 235 Disaster Debris Management Sites have been pre-authorized for the counties addressed by the Governor’s Executive Order, with four in Jackson County. An additional nine sites have been approved for Jackson County.
• DEP has deployed wastewater, drinking water and solid waste technical experts to Jackson County to ensure their needs are met.

BUSINESS AND INDUSTRY    

• 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.
• Executive Director Cissy Proctor and members of the DEO Leadership Team are meeting with area businesses and CareerSource in Jackson County this week.
• The Florida Department of Economic Opportunity, CareerSource North Florida, CareerSource Northeast Florida and CareerSource Okaloosa-Walton have provided mobile units with staff and resources, including laptops, satellite phones, and other supplies to allow CareerSource partners in the panhandle to begin assisting jobseekers and businesses as a part of the recovery efforts.
• The CareerSource Florida Board Executive Committee approved the allocation of an additional $1 million to help coordinate and continue the work of the CareerSource Florida network to respond to and help Floridians and businesses recover from Hurricane Michael.
• The Florida Department of Economic Opportunity has made the Disaster Reemployment Assistance program available for Florida businesses and residents whose employment or self-employment was lost or interrupted as a result of Hurricane Michael. To file a DUA claim go to www.FloridaJobs.org or call 1-800-385-3920. Customer service representatives are available Monday through Friday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturdays 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Eastern Standard Time to assist claimants.
• DEO has launched the Small Business Emergency Bridge Loan Program to provide short-term, interest-free loans to affects businesses at www.floridadisasterloan.org.
• Disaster cleanup and other related job openings are now available at http://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.
• DBPR Division of Regulation investigators are conducting sweeps in impacted counties/areas along Highway 98, including Carrabelle, Apalachicola and Port St. Joe. They are also covering parts of Jackson, Gadsden and Wakulla counties. Sweeps include looking for unlicensed contractors and distributing signs warning that unlicensed contracting is a felony at this time

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 providers that power Jackson County to prioritize schools for power restoration.
• Jackson County schools will reopen for staff Friday, October 26, and for students Monday, October 29.
• The Division of Vocational Rehabilitation office in Jackson County is closed until further notice, and clients are being directed to open locations for services.
• FDOE will be posting up-to-date information regarding closures and meeting cancellations at www.fldoe.org/hurricaneinfo.

VOLUNTEER EFFORTS

• An ESF-15 representative deployed from the State Emergency Operations Center to Jackson County. The representative is actively mobilizing volunteers and coordinating incoming donations.
• 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 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.