TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) — If you need assistance finding or going to a shelter in the Big Bend region as you evacuate you can now call (800) 729-3413. The line is taking messages tonight & team members will be conducting callbacks tomorrow to facilitate shelter coordination.
FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY:
FSU will open a refuge facility at the Donald L. Tucker Civic Center Thursday, Sept. 26 to current registered students who live off-campus who feel unsafe to remain in their current living situation during Hurricane Helene. The facility will remain open until FSU issues the ALL CLEAR. For more info and updates, visit http://alerts.fsu.edu.
FRANKLIN COUNTY:
Due to the projected track and intensity of Potential Tropical Cyclone 9, Franklin County will be issuing a mandatory evacuation for all barrier islands (St. George Island, Dog Island, Bald Point, and Alligator Point), low-lying and flood-prone areas especially along the coast and rivers, mobile homes, and RV parks effective 12:00 PM, Tuesday, September 24, 2024. Additional evacuations may be issued at a later time.
If you feel unsafe, then do not shelter at home; leave until the storm has passed and then return. Remember that if you have health concerns, EMS will not be able to respond if wind speeds reach 40 mph sustained. It is unsafe for ambulances to be dispatched in high winds.
Sandbag distribution locations will open today from 12:00 PM to 5:00 PM and again on Wednesday from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM to allow residents to prepare for the possibility of flooding from a storm. We are no longer providing filled sandbags; we will have empty bags and sand available at each location, bring your own shovel. Sandbag locations are:
- The Old State Yard - 1090 Bluff Rd, Apalachicola, FL
- Vrooman Park - 30 6th St, Eastpoint, FL
- Old Courthouse Annex - 1647 HWY 98, Carrabelle, FL
- SGI Firehouse - 324 E Pine Ave, St. George Island, FL
Franklin County Schools will be closed on 9/25/24 – 9/27/24.
With the rapid charges of this storm, please sign up and monitor Alert Franklin for updates. Be sure to monitor the local news, WOYS, and the Franklin County Emergency Management Facebook page for updates. Use a reliable source.
GADSDEN COUNTY:
Gadsden County Department of Emergency Management Director Tashonda Whaley issued a mandatory evacuation order for residents who reside in flood-prone areas, unsecured structures, and mobile/manufactured homes.
Residents who reside in these areas are encouraged to take shelter in designated Gadsden County Emergency shelters or with friends or family members.
The mandatory evacuation takes effect immediately today. Residents should be in a safe location by 4 p.m. Thursday, September 26.
"Gadsden County residents must take this storm seriously," Whaley emphasized. "Tropical Storm Helene is expected to have a devastating impact Gadsden County and pose a life-threatening and catastrophic threat, similar to Hurricane Michael in 2018. Immediate evacuation is necessary for residents in flood-prone areas, unsecured structures, and mobile/manufactured homes to ensure their safety."
The following shelters will open today at 4 p.m. in Quincy.
Gadsden County High School (General)
27001 Blue Star Highway
Havana, FL 32333
Gadsden County High School (Special Needs and Pets)
27001 Blue Star Highway
Havana, FL 32333
West Gadsden Middle (General)
200 Providence Rd
Quincy, FL 32351
The Gadsden High School Shelter will also serve as a special needs shelter and pet Shelter. Pet owners who bring their pets to the shelter must bring a crate, medication, food, a leash, necessary supplies, and a copy of their pet’s current vaccination records.
If needed, shelter transportation will be provided by Gadsden County School Transportation and Big Bend Transits to Gadsden County residents from 4 p.m. until 7 p.m. today.
Havana
Harvey’s Supermarket
102 1st Avenue East
Midway
Midway City Hall
50 Martin Luther King Blvd
Quincy
Piggly Wiggly
18680 Blue Star Highway (General)
Rose’s and Citi Trends Parking Lot
1323 West Crawford Street
CRMC Gadsden Campus (Hospital)
23186 Blue Star Highway
Greensboro
Sawdust Community Park
3355 Providence Road
Greensboro Elementary School
559 Greensboro Highway
Gretna
Gretna City Hall
14615 Main Street
Oak Grove Church
3510 Atwater Road
Chattahoochee
Chattahoochee Elementary School
335 Maple Street
When preparing to go to an evacuation shelter during a storm, you should bring:
- Food and water: At least one gallon of drinking water per person daily for 14 days and non-perishable food for 14 days. You can also bring high-energy snacks like granola bars, trail mix, and peanut butter. If you have dietary restrictions, bring special diet foods.
- Clothing and bedding: Bring extra clothes and shoes, as well as sleeping materials like a blanket, pillow, and sleeping bag. You can also bring a portable lounge chair or a folding beach chair.
- Important documents: Bring identification, medical records, insurance information, deeds or leases, birth certificates, and utility bills. You can also bring photocopies of crucial documents.
- Personal hygiene items: Bring toiletries such as toothpaste, toothbrush, deodorant, towels, brush, comb, dentures, glasses, eye drops, hearing aids, and batteries.
- Entertainment: Bring quiet games, books, playing cards, or other items for entertainment.
- Medications: Bring prescription and emergency medications.
- Pet supplies: If you have a pet, bring a crate, food, water, litter, treats, cleaning supplies, and medicines. Your pet must be on a leash or in a carrier.
First Responders, including the Gadsden County Sheriff’s Office, Gadsden County Emergency Medical Services, or Gadsden County Fire, will not respond to emergency calls once winds reach 35 miles per hour. Calls will still be accepted by dispatch and the Emergency Operation Center; however, response will only resume once conditions are safe.
Residents requiring more information or assistance should call Gadsden County Emergency Management at (850) 875-8903 or 850 875-8930. Additionally, residents can sign up for emergency text alerts at Text AlertGadsden to 888777 for accurate and up-to-date weather and emergency alerts.
JEFFERSON COUNTY:
As you may know, we have an unprecedented hurricane (Helene) that is projected to make landfall in the Big Bend area. Jefferson County is currently dangerously close to the center of this impact. So far, winds in the 120mph range are projected, with sustained winds of 110mph forecast to areas near Interstate 10. These are potentially catastrophic winds that will undoubtedly cause power and communication outages, as well as leave our roads clogged with debris, which will hinder the ability of emergency personnel and first responders to emergency calls. With this new storm information, Jefferson County will issue a mandatory evacuation for those living near the coast, in low-lying areas prone to flood, mobile homes, RVs or homes that are not built with hurricane safety specifications. We still STRONGLY encourage all citizens to evacuate out of the path of the storm. You have a window of approximately 18 hours before strong tropical storm winds begin to move into our area; please use that time to make the best decision for you and your families.
LAFAYETTE COUNTY:
Lafayette County Board of County Commissioners and Division of Emergency Management has issued a mandatory evacuation order for all residents living in mobile homes, travel trailers, structurally compromised housing and low lying areas for the entire county.
All of Lafayette County mat experience sustained Category 1 force winds (74-95 mph), with higher gusts, and some areas may experience sustained Category 2 (96-110 mph) winds, dependent upon the storm’s exact track.
The mandatory evacuations will go into effect on Thursday, September 26, 2024, at 8:00 AM.
If you have any questions, please contact the Division of Emergency Management at (386)294-1950.
LEON COUNTY:
Leon County, in coordination with Leon County Schools, will open seven risk shelters on Wednesday, September 25, at 6 p.m. These shelters will provide safe places for citizens ahead of Helene.
In coordination with Leon County Schools, the following seven risk shelters will open on Wednesday, September 25, at 6 p.m.:
- Chiles High School, 7200 Lawton Chiles Lane
- Lincoln High School, 3838 Trojan Trail
- Godby High School, 1717 W. Tharpe Street
- Leon High School, 550 E. Tennessee Street
- SAIL High School, 2006 Jackson Bluff Road
- Fort Braden School, 15100 Blountstown Hwy
- Fairview Middle School, 3415 Zillah Street
Helene continues to be projected to intensify with Leon County anticipated to experience impacts beginning early Thursday morning.
WATCH VIDEO TO SEE HOW LEON COUNTY SCHOOLS SERVE AS SHELTERS BELOW:
A Hurricane Warning has been issued for Leon County in anticipation of Category 3 winds reaching up to 110 MPH. The storm is expected to bring dangerous conditions, including heavy rainfall, damaging winds, and coastal flooding.
Citizens seeking shelter are encouraged to bring essential supplies to ensure the comfort and safety of themselves and their pets.
Recommended Supplies for Individuals:
- Identification and important documents
- Cash
- Clothing for several days
- Non-perishable food and water
- First aid kit and prescription medications
- Personal hygiene items
- Flashlights and extra batteries
- Communication devices with backup batteries
- Blankets or sleeping bags
- Local maps in case GPS is unavailable
- Entertainment items (books, games, etc.)
- Face masks and hand sanitizer
- Baby supplies, if applicable
- Special items for elderly or disabled family members
Recommended Supplies for Pets:
- Identification tags, microchip information, and a recent photo
- Leash, collar, and carrier or cage
- Food, water, and bowls (at least three days' worth)
- Bedding and waste bags
- Pet medications and first aid kit
- Toys to reduce stress
- Vaccination records (some shelters require proof)
- Special needs items for pets
For more information, visit the County’s Emergency Information Portal at LeonCountyFL.gov/ei [leoncountyfl.us20.list-manage.com], or call the Citizens Information Line at 850-606-3700.
LOWNDES COUNTY:
Lowndes County Emergency Management has worked with Park Avenue Church, Corinth Baptist Church, and Valdosta State University to provide a safe location for those individuals living in mobile homes or substandard housing who need a location to provide shelter during the storm. These shelters are being provided as a short-term, safe place to shelter from wind. Those seeking shelter should bring supplies such as medicine, diapers, bedding, food, water and any other comfort supplies that might help pass the time.
Park Avenue Church
- Shelter will open sometime Thursday morning, September 26, 2024, and will remain open until Tropical Storm conditions subside. Official shelter opening time will be announced as we continue to monitor the storm.
- Individuals coming to the shelter should park in parking lot A, which is on the corner of East Park Avenue and Patterson Street. The shelter entrance will be through the double doors facing Patterson Street.
- This shelter is available for individuals who have medical equipment requiring electricity, such as oxygen concentrators.
Corinth Baptist Church
- Shelter will open on Thursday, September 26, at 4 p.m. Corinth Baptist Church is located at 4089 Corinth Road, Lake Park, Georgia 31636
Valdosta State University Continuing Education Building
- Shelter will open on Thursday, September 26, at 2 pm. The VSU Continuing Education building is located at 903 North Patterson Street, Valdosta, Georgia.
- This shelter will be pet-friendly. Residents with animals needing shelter must bring a crate, food, leash, bottled water, and medications. Owners must provide a rabies vaccination certificate and a proof of distemper parvo/feline distemper vaccine. Pets will not be allowed outside of crates in general shelter areas.
MADISON COUNTY:
After receiving updated weather data this morning, Madison County is issuing a Mandatory Evacuation Order for all mobile homes, RV’s, compromised structures and flood prone areas. We STRONGLY encourage all residents that can seek shelter out of path of the storm to do so. This will be a large and powerful storm that will heavily impact infrastructure, communication and transportation routes. Once conditions deteriorate emergency service personnel/law enforcement will be pulled from the roadways and response will be delayed until it is safe to do so. Everyone should prepare for worst case scenario and for a strong Category 3 coming into the Big Bend area.
County Offices will be closed Thursday and Friday
Madison County Schools will close Thursday and Friday
Sandbags available at the Old Madison Middle School located at 1210 MLK Jr. Drive Madison, FL 32340.
TAYLOR COUNTY:
A mandatory evacuation order has been issued for all residents of Taylor County due to the ongoing hurricane and rapidly worsening conditions.
The latest information from National Weather Service is that this system is predicted to be classified as a Category 4 hurricane by the time of landfall.
Severe Flooding:
• Highway 98 from Cabbage Grove to the county line will be several feet underwater.
• Highway 19 from Steinhatchee to Tenniles will be heavily flooded.
• Highway 51 and Highway 361 from Steinhatchee to Dead Man’s Curve is expected to experience significant flooding.
Residents are strongly urged to evacuate immediately to Alachua County, Gainesville.
Shelter Information:
• For residents with special needs, a shelter is available at 5701 NW 34th Blvd, Gainesville, Alachua County.
• Additionally, a special needs shelter is available in Leon County at Leon High School, Tallahassee.
Please note that at wind speeds of 45 mph or greater, the 911 system will not be able to respond to emergency calls.
Once tropical storm-force winds arrive, there will be no emergency response until the wind speeds decrease to safe levels.
Taylor County Fire Chief Dan Cassel emphasizes the importance of immediate evacuation to ensure personal safety.
For further updates, please stay tuned to local news stations and official county alerts.
Leon County Risk Shelters:
Chiles High School, Fairview Middle School, Fort Braden , Godby High, Leon High for Special Needs, Lincoln High, Sail High
If you have special needs and need assistance, please call the Citizen Information Line 850.606.3700
WAKULLA COUNTY:
Current forecasts project Hurricane Helene will make landfall as a Category 4 hurricane, bringing catastrophic impacts, including up to 20 feet of storm surge, significant inland flooding, flash flooding, and severe damage along major highways, rivers, and inland areas throughout Wakulla County.
We strongly urge all residents and visitors to evacuate immediately due to the life-threatening conditions posed by this storm. Those south of Highway 98, along the Wakulla River, St. Marks River, Sopchoppy River, Ochlockonee River, and in the communities of Panacea, St. Marks, Mashes Sands, Shell Point, Live Oak Island, and Spring Creek will be inundated by the 20-foot storm surge and must evacuate without delay—time is running out.
It is critical that residents understand emergency response services will not be available during the storm. Those who do not evacuate will face extreme danger and will be on their own.
Neighborhood reporter, Kenzie Krueger, has what you need to know about Wakulla County evacuation orders in the video below.
Remember, there are multiple routes available for you and your familiesto choose from if the need to evacuate arises. Now is the time to plan and prepare, we encourage you all to review the map to identify your evacuation zone and plan an evacuation route just in case.
