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

Governor Rick Scott has been in constant communication with local emergency management officials 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.

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.gov for more information on TSA and to find participating hotels and motels. This program has also been approved for Bay and Gulf counties.

Following Governor Scott’s request, FEMA approved Direct Housing Assistance for Jackson County. This assistance includes recreational vehicles, mobile homes, direct lease, multi-family lease and repair and group sites.

FEMA Individual Assistance and Public Assistance was approved October 11. Federal re-employment assistance is also now available for individuals in Jackson County. Nearly 10,000 people in Jackson County have already registered for FEMA individual assistance.

DISASTER RECOVERY CENTERS

• A Disaster Recovery Center or DRC is a readily accessible facility or mobile office where survivors may go for information about our programs or other disaster assistance programs, and to ask questions related to your case. Representatives from FDEM, FEMA, U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), volunteer groups and other agencies are at the centers to answer questions about disaster assistance and low-interest disaster loans for homeowners, renters and businesses. They can also help survivors apply for federal disaster assistance.
• There is currently one DRC open in Jackson County at 2737 Penn Ave., Marianna, FL 32448, this center is open from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. CDT.

FOOD AND WATER

• There are two points of distribution for food and water open in Jackson County:
  • 3172 Main Street, Cottondale, FL 32431
  • 6918 E Hwy 90, Grand Ridge, FL 32442

COMMUNICATIONS

• Currently, 95 percent of cellular service coverage has been restored in Jackson County. This does not include mobile cellular assets augmenting the network.

POWER RESTORATION

• Current power outage as of 3 p.m. is 3,343 or 13 percent. This means that 87 percent of customers that had lost power in Jackson County and are able to receive power have had their power restored.

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 95 National Guard troops deployed to Jackson County.

LAW ENFORCEMENT

• Currently, FHP troopers are deployed in Jackson County to provide traffic control on I-10 to assist with debris removal.
• The Florida Highway Patrol also has Troopers escorting utility vehicles and providing security for power restoration efforts.

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
• DOH-Jackson is open and providing services to the public.
• 3 ambulances 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.
• There are currently four active boil water notices in Jackson County. To view boil water notices in your area, please visit http://www.floridahealth.gov/environmental-health/drinking-water/boil-water-notices.html.

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION

• DEP has completed 13 mission requests, and is assisting with an additional 12 long term recovery missions, 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 32 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    

• 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 Jackson County Business Recovery Center is co-located with the Disaster Recovery Center at  2737 Penn Avenue, Marianna, FL. The center is open Monday – Saturday 9 am to 6 pm.
• Executive Director Cissy Proctor and members of the DEO Leadership Team met with area businesses and CareerSource in Jackson County this week to discuss resources available for businesses impacted by Hurricane Michael.
• DEO has launched the Small Business Emergency Bridge Loan Program to provide short-term, interest-free loans to affected businesses 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.
• 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

EDUCATION

• The Florida Department of Education (FDOE) remains in contact with school districts, state colleges and universities for updates and to determine their needs and provide assistance.
• FDOE issued an emergency order to extend the Best and Brightest scholarships’ deadlines as outlined below. The emergency order is posted HERE.
  • The deadline provided in section 1012.731(4), F.S., for school district submission of information related to both the Best and Brightest Teacher and Principal Scholarship programs to the department has been extended to January 7, 2019; and
  • The deadline provided in section 1012.731(5), F.S., for the department to disburse scholarship funds to each school district has been extended to March 1, 2019.
• FDOE coordinated with the utility providers that serve Jackson County Schools. All Jackson County schools now have power, and all but two have internet connectivity (Malone High School and Marianna High School have damaged fibers. Repairs are ongoing).
• Jackson County schools reopened Monday, October 29.

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.