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

Today, following Governor Scott's request, FEMA approved Direct Housing Assistance for Bay, Calhoun, Jackson, Gadsden and Gulf counties. This assistance includes recreational vehicles, mobile homes, direct lease, multi-family lease and repair and group sites. For more information on FEMA Direct Housing Assistance, click HERE.

Also at Governor Scott’s direction, the Florida Department of Education has assisted Bay County schools in their efforts to reopen. Bay County has announced that all schools will reopen by the week of November 12^th, with at least 14 schools reopening on Monday November 5^th.

Last week, 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. The tour followed 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.

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 4 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
  • 4800 Co Rd 2321, Panama City, FL 32404
• For a map of open grocery stores and pharmacies click HERE.
• There are also several Salvation Army Kitchens/Canteens open in Bay County. For a constantly updated list of sites, visit https://salvationarmyflorida.org/response.

FUEL

• There is one fueling station set up for first responders and utility crews to rapidly refuel so they can continue working.

COMMUNICATIONS

• Currently, 86% percent of cellular service coverage has been restored in Bay County. This does not include mobile cellular assets augmenting the network.

POWER RESTORATION

• Current power outage as of 3 p.m. is 3,994 or 3%.

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 402 National Guard troops deployed to Bay County. National Guard troops are assisting with conducting reconnaissance, search and rescue, and road clearance missions.
• The Florida National Guard is supporting 5 security missions in support of local law enforcement agencies in Bay County

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 Department of Law Enforcement is continuing to assist with local law enforcement missions.
• The Florida Highway Patrol is providing security at various storm recovery and emergency response locations throughout the county.
• The Florida Highway Patrol continues to provide escorts for utility trucks and line crews 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 nearly 900 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:
  • 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

• The Department of Children and Families (DCF) waived restrictions on purchasing hot prepared food with SNAP benefits through October 31^st statewide to assist customers who evacuated to another area or suffered storm damage to their home.

• 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.
• The Department of Children and Families (DCF), in partnership with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), has initiated the federal Disaster Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (D-SNAP) in 12 counties to assist communities impacted by Hurricane Michael.
  • Telephone applications for the first five counties began on October 27^th and will end on October 30^th at 8 p.m. EDT/ 7p.m. CDT. Applicants should pre-register on www.MyFLFamilies.com/DSNAP.
  • DSNAP is now active in Bay County by phone at 1-855-278-7136.
• For the comfort of impacted residents, the state has deployed additional showers, cooling stations, laundry stations and toilets to Bay County.
• There are currently five active boil water notices in Bay County. Click HERE for more information.
• 43 ambulances have been deployed and continue to operate in Bay County.

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    

• Cissy Proctor, Executive Director of the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity attended a roundtable discussion with more than 150 businesses, community leaders and officials from the Florida SBDC, US Small Business Administration and Federal Emergency Management Agency. A second business roundtable will be held in Lynn Haven this afternoon.
• 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 a.m. to 6 p.m.
• 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 coordinating with Bay District Schools to offer the assistance and resources needed to reopen schools as quickly as possible.
• FDOE is assisting Bay District Schools in their efforts to restore Internet access on their campuses.
• All Bay County schools have power and functioning phones.
• The following schools will reopen Monday, November 5:
  • Hutchinson Beach Elementary School
  • Callaway Elementary School (Tyndall Elementary displaced students will report here)
  • Deer Point Elementary School
  • Lucille Moore Elementary School
  • Lynn Haven Elementary School
  • New Horizons Learning Center
  • Northside Elementary School
  • Oakland Terrace Elementary School
  • Parker Elementary School (Patterson Elementary displaced students here)
  • Patronis Elementary School
  • Southport Elementary School
  • Waller Elementary School
  • Tommy Smith Elementary School
  • West Bay Elementary School
• The following schools will have split schedules:
  • Arnold High School students will attend class from 7 a.m. – noon at Surfside Middle School.
  • Surfside Middle School students will attend class from 1 – 6 p.m. at Surfside Middle School.
  • Bay High School students will attend class from 7 a.m. – noon at Jinks Middle School.
  • Jinks Middle School students will attend class from 1 – 6 p.m. at Jinks Middle School.
  • Rutherford High School students will attend class from 7 a.m. – noon at Rutherford High School.
  • Everitt Middle School students will attend class from 1 – 6 p.m. at Rutherford High School.
  • Mosley High School students will attend class from 7 a.m. – noon at Mosley High School.
  • Merritt Brown Middle School students will attend class from 1 – 6 p.m. at Mosley High School.
• The following charter schools have announced tentative reopening dates:
  • Bay Haven Elementary/Middle School – Nov. 12
  • Central High School – Nov. 12
  • North Bay Haven Charter School – Nov. 5; in order to plan appropriately for students’ return, the school is asking parents to complete a survey outlining their needs. The survey is available HERE.
  • Palm Bay Preparatory Academy – Nov. 12; in order to plan appropriately for students’ return, the school is asking parents to complete a survey HERE.
  • Rising Leaders Academy- Nov. 5
• Any school (except Springfield, Tyndall and Patterson) that was not listed above will reopen no later than the week of November 12.
• All Bay District Schools students will receive two free meals each day until January 7, 2019.
• Bay District Schools is hosting a job fair to hire temporary daycare workers to provide emergency child care for district employees. Interested candidates can apply online HERE or in person Tuesday, October 30th 2018 10:00 am – 2:00 pm at the Bay District School Board Office: 1311 Balboa Avenue, Panama City.
• 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 reopened today, 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 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.
• Two of Volunteer Florida’s ESF-15 representatives from West Virginia have deployed to the Emergency Operations Center in Bay County. The representatives are mobilizing registered volunteers and coordinating incoming donations, while serving as a liaison between Volunteer Florida and Bay County. Today, they will be opening a volunteer reception center to match individuals with opportunities to help.
• This week, registered volunteers from Volunteer Florida’s database are being made available to assist with shelter transitions. They will be relocating furniture and supplies, while managing the transportation of shelter inhabitants.
• Volunteer Florida’s partners with Florida Voluntary Organizations Active in Disasters (VOAD) are assisting with sheltering, feeding and tarping in 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.