11/11/2022

Florida Responds to Impacts from Tropical Storm Nicole 11/11

Today, Governor Ron DeSantis is traveling the state to survey damage in areas across the east coast of Florida that were impacted by Hurricane Nicole. At the direction of the Governor, FDOT has completed emergency road repairs to the St. Johns County portion of State Road (SR) A1A in under 7.5 hours. With 80 trucks and 1,400 yards of material, the roadway is now open to traffic. Emergency repairs are currently underway to restore portions of SR A1A in Volusia and Flagler counties that sustained substantial damage.

22,000 linemen are currently working to restore power and all accounts that can receive power are expected to be restored within the day. Power has been restored to more than 90% of accounts, with just over 30,000 accounts remaining less than 24 hours after the storm exited the state.

The following Watches and Warnings are in effect:

• Coastal Flood Warnings are in effect for the St. Johns River, as well as from Volusia County through Martin County and along the bayside portion of the upper Florida Keys north of Matecumbe Key.
• A Coastal Flood Advisory is in effect from Flagler County north through Nassau County, from Palm Beach County south through Miami-Dade, and along the middle Florida Keys.
• River Flood Warnings remain in effect for the St. Johns River at Lake Harney, Deland, Sanford and Astor where moderate to major flooding is ongoing or forecast.

The state remains in constant communication with the National Hurricane Center, the National Weather Service and county emergency management officials of all 67 counties following Tropical Storm Nicole. State preparedness and response efforts include:

Search and Rescue

• There are nearly 600 National Guardsmen activated on standby to perform search and rescue once weather clears.

Power

• More than 22,000 linemen from utilities across the state are working to restore power to customers impacted by Hurricane Nicole. Just 24 hours after landfall, over 90% of accounts impacted by Hurricane Nicole have been restored.
• As of 12:00 PM, only 30,500 accounts remain without power and full restoration for all Floridians able to safely receive power is expected to be complete within the day. For a full report on current outages, click here.

Florida Division of Emergency Management

• At Governor DeSantis’ request, FEMA has approved an Emergency Declaration for Tropical Storm Nicole. FEMA Public Assistance Category B (emergency protective measures) has been approved for Alachua, Bradford, Brevard, Broward, Charlotte, Citrus, Clay, Collier, DeSoto, Dixie, Duval, Flagler, Gilchrist, Glades, Hardee, Hendry, Hernando, Highlands, Hillsborough, Indian River, Jefferson, Lake, Lee, Levy, Manatee, Marion, Martin, Miami-Dade, Nassau, Okeechobee, Orange, Osceola, Palm Beach, Pasco, Pinellas, Polk, Putnam, Sarasota, Seminole, St. Johns, St. Lucie, Sumter, Taylor, Volusia and Wakulla counties, as well as the Miccosukee Tribe of Indians of Florida and the Seminole Tribe of Florida.
  • Yesterday, November 10, FEMA approved an Amendment to the Emergency Declaration for Tropical Storm Nicole, adding Baker, Calhoun, Columbia, Franklin, Gadsden, Gulf, Hamilton, Holmes, Jackson, Lafayette, Leon, Liberty, Madison, Suwanee, Union and Washington counties under Public Assistance Category B.
• FDEM is leading the State Emergency Response Team (SERT) for the Tropical Storm Nicole response.
• Floridians impacted by Tropical Storm Nicole in need of assistance with recovery efforts such as cutting fallen trees, removing drywall or flooring, roof tarping and mold mitigation can contact the Crisis Cleanup line at 1-800-451-1954. Crisis Cleanup will be open through Friday, November 25.
• FDEM has activated the State Assistance Information Line (SAIL) to provide an additional resource for Floridians to receive up-to-date information regarding Tropical Storm Nicole, as well as Hurricane Ian recovery resources. Residents and visitors can call this toll-free hotline at 1-800-342-3557.
• FDEM Liaisons are being deployed to Brevard, Indian River, Lake, Martin, Orange, Seminole, St. Lucie and Volusia counties at their request to provide on-site response assistance and to conduct damage assessments after the storm.
• FDEM is deploying shelter support staff to address staffing needs in counties that have opened their public hurricane shelters.
• FDEM has deployed 18 pallets of water to Orange County and is staging additional commodities to ensure food and water are readily available if counties request it.
• Seven Urban Search and Rescue teams remain on standby to assist structural collapse rescue needs, with one USAR team assisting Southwest Florida with Hurricane Ian recovery efforts.

Infrastructure

• The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) issued a memorandum for emergency response vehicles to bypass weigh stations in response to Tropical Storm Nicole and coordinated with Georgia and Tennessee to allow Florida-bound utility convoys to bypass their state’s weigh stations.

Roadways and Bridges

• Over 250 crews are staged and ready to deploy in areas once the winds have lessened to allow safe operations to assess damage, flooding, and power outages at traffic signals as well as perform bridge inspections and cut and toss operations to clear roadways.
• Drawbridges in South Florida have been restored to normal operation. Central Florida and Northeast Florida drawbridges are in the process of being restored to normal operations.
• 50 bridge inspector crews have been deployed. To date, inspectors have cleared over 1,100 state-owned bridges statewide.
• 34 Cut and Toss teams have been deployed to clear the way for emergency responders, utility services, and supply deliveries.
• Thousands of traffic signals have been assessed throughout the state. Work to restore non-operational traffic signals is underway.
• State Road A1A experienced significant damage in scattered parts of the roadway through Flagler, St. John’s, and Volusia Counties.
• Emergency work for temporary repairs on State Road A1A in St. John’s County are now complete and the roadway is open to traffic. Crews worked around the clock and completed repairs within 8 hours.
• Emergency work at multiple sites through Volusia and Flagler Counties are underway performing temporary road repairs to reopen the roadway as quickly as possible.

Roadway and Bridge Closures

BREVARD

• SR 405/NASA Causeway Bridge at US 1

DUVAL

• SR-A1A Southbound at Broad Street- All Lanes Closed

FLAGLER

• S. Oceanshore Blvd./ S.R. A1A from S Central Avenue to High Bridge Road- All Lanes Closed in both directions
• S. Oceanshore Blvd./ S.R. A1A from S. 7^th St. to S. 28^th St.- All Lanes Closed in both directions.

VOLUSIA

• Dunlawton Bridge Eastbound over Halifax River- All Lanes Closed
• International Speedway Boulevard at North Beach Street- All Lanes Closed in both directions
• Main Street at Halifax River- All lanes closed in both directions
• Ocean Shore Boulevard from Sunny Beach Drive to Wisteria Drive- All Lanes Closed in both directions
• S. Atlantic Avenue Southbound from Old Trail Road to S.R. 421- Southbound Lane Closed
• SR-A1A at San Jose Drive- All lanes closed in both directions

o   West International Speedway Boulevard at Halifax River- All Lanes Closed in both directions

Seaports

• All ports currently have ample fuel supplies and are staging appropriate measures to be well-positioned after the storm to quickly reinstate operations and keep fuel supplies moving.
• The following seaports are CLOSED:
• Port Canaveral
• Port Fernandina

Airports

• The following airports are CLOSED:
• Northeast Florida Regional

Rail

• Passenger Rail:
• Amtrak-
  • Silver Star #91 & 92 cancelled from Jacksonville to Miami
  • Auto Train #52 & 53 cancelled
  • Silver Meteor #97 cancelled
  • Silver Meteor #98 cancelled from Miami to Jacksonville
  • SunRail- Service suspended
• Freight Rail:
  • CSX- monitoring storm and performing routine storm prep
  • FEC- monitoring storm and performing routine storm prep
  • Seminole Gulf Railway- Returned to Normal Service
  • SCFE- Returned to Normal Service
  • Port Manatee railroad, Florida Central Railroad, Florida Midland Railroad & Florida Northern Railroad closed

Transit

• The following agencies are CLOSED:
• Putnam County/Ride Solution
• Sun Tran (City of Ocala)

Spaceport

• Space Wing Weather Squadron issued ALL CLEAR

Health and Human Services

• The State Surgeon General signed Emergency Order 22-253 which allows pharmacists to dispense up to a 30-day emergency prescription refill of maintenance medication to persons who reside in an area or county covered under this Executive Order and to emergency personnel who have been activated by their state or local agency but who do not reside in an area or county covered by this Executive Order.
• The State Surgeon General signed Emergency Order 22-007 suspending the requirement for licensed basic life support service providers, licensed advanced life support service providers, and licensed air ambulance services to obtain certificates of public convenience and necessity from the counties in which they operate.
• DOH has coordinated with the Office of Insurance Regulation to distribute an alert regarding permitted early prescription refills during a State of Emergency. This alert was sent to health insurers, managed care organizations, health entities, and licensed health care providers. The alert can be found here.
• DOH is supporting 6 Special Needs Shelter operations, sheltering 90 individuals, in areas impacted by Tropical Storm Nicole.
• The Regional Poison Control Centers are available to provide poison call center services, data collection, and reporting in response to the storm. If an individual suspects carbon monoxide poisoning, call 911 or the Florida Poison Information Center at 1-800-222-1222.
• In Volusia County, DOH has 25 ambulances and 10 paratransit busses staged to respond to needs in areas impacted by Tropical Storm Nicole.
• The State Surgeon General has signed a letter to allow staff of the Department and Agency for Health Care Administration to travel past curfews across state lines to conduct any necessary health and safety actions, this can be found here.
• AHCA has activated reporting in the Health Facility Reporting System (HFRS) and is requesting all health care providers report their census, available beds, evacuation status and generator status information. This information allows AHCA to assist health care providers in transferring patients if needed and ensure health care providers in impacted areas have the necessary resources and adequate power.
• As of Friday morning, there are currently 29 healthcare facilities reported on generator power.
• The Emergency Patient Look-Up System (E-PLUS) has been activated and staff is assisting with end user credentialing and training.
• The Agency for Persons with Disabilities (APD) contacted its APD-licensed group homes around the state to ensure they were prepared for Tropical Storm Nicole and to find out if any homes were evacuating.  3 group homes have temporarily relocated inland due to Tropical Storm Nicole.

Education

• The Florida Department of Education is consistently updating their website with school district closures, as well as State University System and Florida College System Closures.

Law Enforcement

• FDLE members continue to staff the State Emergency Operations Center and are responding to missions related to Hurricane’s Ian and Nicole.
• FWC officers in all 67 Florida counties have been placed on heightened alert status, in anticipation of wind damage, beach erosion, heavy rains and flooding because of Tropical Storm Nicole.
• FWC officers have a variety of specialized equipment, including shallow draft boats, ATVs, airboats and four-wheel drive vehicles ready to assist in the recovery effort.
• FHP continues to monitor roadways and bridges and is in communication with law enforcement, transportation, and emergency management partners to identify and assist with any response efforts.
• FHP has deployed a mobile command center to the impacted area to provide enhanced communication capabilities and additional resources.
• More than 1,700 sworn FHP members are ready to assist with enhanced response efforts.
• FHP’s unmanned aerial vehicle teams are prepared to assist in search and rescue and damage assessment efforts.
• FWC is directing the public to myfwc.com/notices/ for information about wildlife management areas, fish management areas, shooting ranges and FWC office closures due to the forecasted effects of Tropical Storm Nicole.
• FHP is maintaining high visibility on interstate systems, bridges, and rest areas. Motorists can report disabled vehicles or dangerous driving conditions to *FHP (*347).
• FLHSMV has issued Emergency Order 110722, which:
• Waives specific requirements for commercial motor vehicles providing emergency relief; and
• Waives the replacement fees for driver’s license and identification credentials, vehicle registrations and titles, vessel registrations and titles and temporary parking permits for impacted individuals.

Florida Department of Environmental Protection

• Following the issuance of the Governor’s Executive Order, DEP has issued an Emergency Final Order to expedite necessary repair, replacement and restoration of structures, equipment, surface water management systems, works and other systems made necessary by Subtropical Storm Nicole, as well as setting forth streamlined requirements for the management of storm debris.
• DEP issued an Amended Emergency Final Order to incorporated additional counties included in the Governor’s Amended Executive Order.
• All significant Hazardous Waste facilities within the affected counties were contacted to ensure all pre-storm landfall preparations were made.
• Beach assessment teams are prepared to quickly deploy to evaluate storm impacts as soon as conditions allow.
• Nine disaster debris management sites (DDMSs) have been authorized for Hurricane Nicole. DDMSs are a critical component of expediting clean-up, reducing environmental and public health impacts, and meeting federal reimbursement requirements.
• Florida state park closures can be found here.
• Visitors with existing camping and cabin reservations at impacted parks will be notified of their reservation status.
• National Estuarine Research Reserve and Aquatic Preserve closures can be found at floridadep.gov/rcp/aquatic-preserve.

Business Support

• The Florida Department of Economic Opportunity (DEO) has activated the private sector hotline at 850-815-4925 from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., Eastern Time. Inquiries may also be emailed to ESF18@em.myflorida.com.
• DEO has activated the Business Damage Assessment Survey to gauge the impact of Hurricane Nicole on Florida businesses. To , visit FloridaDisaster.Biz.
• DEO is updating FloridaDisaster.biz with real-time information for business owners to prepare their businesses, families and employees for Tropical Storm Nicole.

Licensing

• DBPR EMERGENCY ORDER 2022-07 removes restrictions to ensure that registered electrical and alarm contractors are not subject to the geographical scope limitations or requirements when providing contracting services for the counties listed in the emergency order.

Elections

• Secretary of State Cord Byrd issued an emergency order suspending important deadlines for those in affected counties to ensure all votes are counted accurately while the state responds to Tropical Storm Nicole. Find more information on this order here.

Closures

• For the latest updates on closures of state facilities, visit Florida Department of Management Services/Building Closures or call the Florida DMS Emergency Information Hotline: 888-FDMS-EIL (888-336-7345).
• The Florida Commission on Offender Review field offices in Bradford, Brevard, DeSoto, Duval, Hillsborough, and Martin counties are closed.
• VA Outpatient Clinics are closed Friday for Veterans Day and will reopen Monday.
• CareerSource Florida Network centers across the state are experiencing changes to their operations as a result of Tropical Storm Nicole. To find out if the CareerSource center nearest you is experiencing a change in operations or a temporary closure, please visit lcd.floridajobs.org/.
• FLHSMV driver license and motor vehicle service center closures can be found here.