Nassau County's Emergency Management update on Hurricane Michael... looks like our local beaches are closed.
Press Release: Governor Rick Scott issued an executive order declaring a state of emergency yesterday Oct. 7th, urging Floridians in the Panhandle, the Big Bend area and all across our state to prepare for Hurricane Michael. At this time, although this storm is not projected for a Nassau County direct hit, our county will experience effects associated with the storm. Possible tornadoes, flash flooding, power outages, extremely high tides and beach erosion are expected. Periods of possible Tropical Storm Force winds are being forecast. Nassau County Emergency Management (NCEM), will be updating the NassauEM web page, Facebook page, and our Twitter account with the most updated information. NCEM’s Citizen Information Center has been activated. For questions or concerns please call 904-548-0900.
The National Hurricane Center advises for additional information specific to your area; please monitor products issued by the Jacksonville National Weather Service Office. For local road closures monitor the Nassau County web page and throughout the state visit www.floridadisaster.org. This site is a good tool to find information on emergency preparedness, shelters, and evacuation routes.
The State Emergency Operations Center in Tallahassee has been activated to a Level 1 as of today, which means the State Emergency Response Team (SERT) has been activated, enhancing coordination between federal, state and local Emergency Management agencies. Nassau County’s Emergency Management has been elevated to a level 2, in anticipation of the effects of the storm. This means all hands on deck for pre-planning and protective actions only. NCEM is preparing for any response required for Nassau County residents.
During the State briefing today, NCEM was advised that the state is preparing for a possible Category 4 storm at landfall, expected to impact the panhandle of the state late Tuesday night or early Wednesday morning. This storm has been titled “a moving target”, by Nassau County Emergency Management Director William Estep. “The models are currently indicating a 50/50 % chance of the direction the storm will take, suggesting it could track either East or West”. There are too many unknowns at this time to have a definitive direction. However, meteorologists with the Jacksonville office of the National Weather Service explained that… the slower the forward movement of the storm the more easterly the storm track it may take. The models are simply uncertain at this time.
Take action… Prepare yourself and your family – including all pets. Stay alert and be informed as we continue to monitor this threatening storm approaching our state.
