Coastal communities along Florida’s Big Bend are preparing for potential storm impacts as Isaias moves north from the Gulf. Wakulla County is one of 25 counties that have been issued a state of emergency ahead of the storm.
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Isaias sparks state of emergency in 25 Florida counties as Big Bend coastal communities prepare
We are in peak hurricane season, and officials warn that Isaias will affect more places than just where it makes landfall. The Wakulla County Emergency Operations Center has been partially activated to respond to the approaching system.
“So currently our emergency operations center is considered activated to a level 2. That’s a partial activation for us. Really, it’s a little bit limited at this point. We just have some extra staffing here doing the preparedness pieces, making sure that the county is ready,” Jennifer Nagy, Wakulla County Emergency Management Director, said.
Local businesses have also begun taking action. The Panacea RV Park and Seabreeze Cafe have already notified guests about the potential for evacuation. Owner Linda Marshall said she starts planning days before a storm makes landfall so she has a game plan when it’s time to act.
“It wasn’t raining when Noah built the ark. So you should always be prepared,” Marshall said.
Marshall’s storm preparations include securing loose items on the grounds and coordinating the movement of RVs off the property.
“I have to secure all the things that can blow off around the grounds. Picnic tables have to move to where they can be secured. RVs have to be moved out of the area because we have a law in the state of Florida that requires us, when we’re required to evacuate, that we have to get these RVs out of harm’s way and the people who live in them and move them to safer locations,” Marshall said.
Within 24 hours of expected landfall, Marshall also moves refrigeration equipment from the property.
“My 24 hours when I know it’s going to have landfall, I bring three trailers down here. I pack up as much of my refrigeration equipment, and I haul it back to Tallahassee because I will flood here,” Marshall said.
Marshall encourages everyone to make sure they are prepared, because conditions can change at any time.
In Franklin County, emergency management is urging residents to stay connected to Alert Franklin for evacuation orders, especially those living along the coastline. Franklin County Emergency Management Director Jennifer Daniels said evacuation orders are issued to protect residents when emergency services can no longer safely operate.
“The main reason a lot of times we do issue that evacuation order is because we don’t want the winds to hit a that sustain mile per hour of 45 miles an hour. Once that happens, EMS is not able to respond because their ambulances are grounded. They can’t come across the bridges at that rate,” Daniels said.
Wakulla County Emergency Management is also urging residents to watch for updates, as this remains a changing situation. Anyone with questions is encouraged to reach out to their local emergency management office.
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