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

Today, Governor Rick Scott was joined by Vice President Mike Pence and Second Lady Karen Pence to receive a briefing from officials at Tyndall Air Force Base. Governor Scott, Vice President Pence and Second Lady Pence also visited the Hiland Park Baptist Church to thank first responders and volunteers, as well as meet with families impacted by Hurricane Michael.

Today’s tour follows Governor Scott’s visit to Tyndall AFB on October 18^th, after which he sent a letter to President Trump requesting that he direct immediate action to dedicate resources, manpower and funding to return Tyndall AFB to full operations as soon as possible. To see the letter, click HERE.

Governor Scott has been in constant communication with local officials and emergency management in Bay 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 Bay County impacted by Hurricane Michael. A dedicated team of federal and state emergency managers is in Mexico Beach and Bay County to support ongoing locally-led response and recovery efforts. They will remain until all operational needs are met.

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

FOOD AND WATER

• There are 5 points of distribution in Bay County.
  • 1011-943 Co Rd 386, Mexico Beach, FL 32410
  • 2700 Lisenby Ave., Panama City, FL 32405
  • 924 Bay Ave, Panama City, FL 32401
  • 7124 FL-22, Panama City, FL 32404
  • 4800 Co Rd 2321, Panama City, FL 32404
• For a map of open grocery stores and pharmacies click HERE.
• There are 18 Salvation Army Kitchens/Canteens open in Bay County:
  • 6227 Highway 2301, Panama City, FL 32404
  • Cedar Grove Elementary, 2825 15th St, Panama City, FL 32405
  • Cove Shopping Center 929 Cherry St, Panama City, FL 32401
  • Jinks Middle School 600 W 11th St, Panama City, FL 32401
  • MLK Rec Center 705 E 14th St, Panama City, FL 32401
  • 7040 US 98, Panama City Beach, FL 32407
  • Parker Fire Dept. 4534 E Business 98, Panama City Beach, FL 32407
  • Piggly Wiggly 8012 Hwy 2301, Panama City, FL 32404
  • Northstar Church, 2379 St, Andrew Blvd., Panama City, FL 32405
  • 1824 W. 15th St, Panama City, FL 32401
  • Wal-Mart 725 N Tyndale Parkway, Callaway, FL 32404
  • Wal-Mart 2101 S Highway 77, Lynn Haven, FL 32444
  • Wal-Mart 513 W 23rd St, Panama City, FL 32405
  • Winn Dixie 3157 W 23rd St. Panama City, FL 32405
  • Springfield Elementary, 520 School Ave., Panama City, FL 32401
  • Winn Dixie 1812 Lynn Haven Pkwy, Lynn Haven, FL 32444
  • Dollar General 12610 US 231, Youngstown, FL 32409
  • 13610 Hwy. 77, Southport, FL 32409

FUEL

• There are two fueling stations set up for first responders and utility crews to rapidly refuel so they can continue working.

COMMUNICATIONS

• Currently, 85.89% percent of cellular service coverage has been restored in Bay County. This does not include mobile cellular assets augmenting the network.

POWER RESTORATION

• Three push crews are working with utility crews to restore power for utilities that provide service for Bay County.
• Current power outage as of noon is 7,492 or 6%.
• The state has provided 11 generators to Bay County.

SHELTERS

• Currently three shelters are open:
  • Dean Bozeman High School 13410 Highway 77, Panama City, FL 32409
  • Surfside Middle School 300 Nautilus St, Panama City Beach, FL 32413
  • Breakfast Point Academy 601 Richard Jackson Blvd, Panama City Beach, FL 32407
• Visit https://www.floridadisaster.org/shelter-status/ to find information on shelters in your area. This site is being updated throughout the day.
• On October 15, FEMA Transitional Sheltering Assistance (TSA) was approved for families in Bay County. TSA provides FEMA-funded short-term lodging in hotels and motels for eligible disaster survivors who are unable to return home for an extended period due to disaster-related damages or inaccessibility of their communities. FEMA is currently notifying eligible families in Bay County of their sheltering options under TSA. Families in Bay County looking to confirm their TSA eligibility should call 1-800-621-FEMA (3362). You can also visit www.DisasterAssistance.gov for more information on TSA and to find participating hotels and motels.

MILITARY SUPPORT

• There are currently 733 National Guard troops deployed to Bay County. National Guard troops are assisting with conducting reconnaissance, search and rescue, and road clearance missions.

LAW ENFORCEMENT

• FWC officers continue to provide public safety support and assist with debris removal in Bay County.
• Local officers continue their land patrol efforts and additional support officers assist with water patrol to enhance public safety.
• Officers and staff also prepared FWC’s Panama City Beach office for transition back to use by local staff.
• The Florida Highway Patrol is providing security at various storm recovery and emergency response locations throughout the county.
• DHSMV’s Florida Licensing on Wheels (FLOW) mobiles continue to be in Bay County to offer driver license and motor vehicle services and have assisted more than 400 customers since Tuesday, October 16.

TRANSPORTATION & PUBLIC WORKS

• All state roads in Bay County are open. US 98 has reopened.
• FDOT has completed all bridge inspections in Bay County.
• FDOT is in the process of repairing and restoring damaged traffic signals in Bay County and the surrounding area.

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.
• The following assisted living facilities have been completely evacuated and remain closed:
  • Charter Senior Living of Panama City;
  • Lisenby on Lake Caroline, Mathison Retirement Community Inc.;
  • Robinsons Residential Care, Summer’s Landing LLC; and
  • Southern Assisted Care LLC.
• The following hospitals have been completely evacuated and remain closed:
  • Emerald Coast Behavioral Hospital;
  • Encompass Health Rehabilitation Hospital of Panama City; and
  • Select Specialty Hospital- Panama City.
• The following nursing homes have been completely evacuated and remain closed:
  • Bay Center;
  • Community Health and Rehabilitation Center;
  • Glencove Health and Rehabilitation Center;
  • Lisenby on Lake Caroline;
  • Panama City Health and Rehabilitation Center; and
  • Sea Breeze Health Care.
• The following hospitals in-patient services remain closed, but their emergency departments are open:
  • Bay Medical Center & Sacred Heart Health System; and
  • Gulf Coast Regional Medical Center.
• Power has been restored and re-entry has been completed for assisted living facility, Superior Residences of Panama City.
• 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
• DCF is providing additional SNAP benefits for customers in Bay County. These benefits are now in the customer’s accounts and accessible on their EBT cards. For more information, click HERE.
• For the comfort of impacted residents, the state has deployed additional showers, cooling stations, laundry stations and toilets to Bay County.
• There are currently seven active boil water notices in Bay County. Click HERE for more information.
• Two Disaster Medical Assistance Teams are supporting two area hospitals in Bay County.
• 32 ambulances and 2 paratransit vehicles have been deployed and continue to operate in Bay County.
• Two firefighting task forces are deploying to Bay County this week. Each task force consists of two water tender tankers, two fire engines and one ambulance.

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION

• An online tool for the public to report the location of storm debris in waterways has been deployed. 469 reports of debris have been received.
• DEP has completed seven requests for assistance and has 19 additional requests in progress submitted through Florida’s Water/Wastewater Agency Response Network (FlaWARN) in Bay County.
• 235 Disaster Debris Management Sites have been pre-authorized for the counties addressed by the Governor’s Executive Order, with 26 in Bay County.
• DEP has deployed wastewater, drinking water and solid waste technical experts to Bay County to ensure their needs are met.
• In collaboration with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, a mobile sampling lab has been deployed to Bay County to fulfill water sampling needs through November 8^th.

BUSINESS AND INDUSTRY    

• The Florida Department of Economic Opportunity (DEO) will be holding a business roundtable on Monday, October 29 in Bay County.
• DEO is working to identify strategies for temporary housing in Bay County for those impacted by the storm.
• DEO is working with FDEM to identify potential solutions related to homeowners who may not be able to afford to pay for electricians to assist in repairs and connecting to the utility line from the homes, including utilizing funding from the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP).
• 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. The Bay County Business Recovery Center is co-located with CareerSource Bay County City Job Center at 625 Highway 231, Panama City, FL 32405. The center is open Monday – Saturday 9 am to 6 pm.
• DEO has launched the Small Business Emergency Bridge Loan Program to provide short-term, interest-free loans to affected businesses at www.floridadisasterloan.org. Eligibility changes to the program now allow for small business owners with fewer than two employees located in any of Florida’s 35 counties impacted by Hurricane Michael to qualify.
• 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 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.
• 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.

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 Gulf Power and Gulf Coast Electric Cooperative to prioritize schools and college campuses for power restoration.
• Bay County schools will reopen no later than the week of Nov. 12 according to the School District. The state of Florida has worked with the district to purchase mobile classrooms. The Governor stated today that he will continue to work to get Bay County schools open as soon as possible.
• Gulf Coast State College, which is based in Panama City, will reopen November 5^th.(This includes the Panama City Campus, North Bay Campus and Gulf/Franklin Campus). The Tyndall Education Center remains closed.
• Florida State University’s Panama City Campus is expected to reopen on Monday, October 29.
• The Division of Blind Services and Division of Vocational Rehabilitation office in Bay 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

• Governor Scott announced, in partnership with FEMA and the US Army Corps of Engineers, the launch of Operation Blue Roof, which temporarily repairs roofs at no cost to families. Operation Blue Roof is available in Bay County.
• Volunteer Florida’s ESF-15 representative from New Mexico has deployed to the Emergency Operations Center in Bay County. The representative is mobilizing registered volunteers and coordinating incoming donations, while serving as a liaison between Volunteer Florida and Bay County.
• Volunteer Florida’s partners with Florida Voluntary Organizations Active in Disasters (VOAD) are assisting with sheltering, feeding and tarping in Bay County. These partners include the American Red Cross, the Salvation Army, Team Rubicon, the United Way, Catholic Charities, Southern Baptist Disaster Relief and Goodwill.
• More than 20,000 tarps were delivered to Bay County.
• 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.