Gov. Scott Issues Updates on Hurricane Michael Response
Governor
Following
Following a request by
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STATE PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS
FOOD AND WATER
* The state is working to ensure adequate food resources are available for
* Law enforcement escorts have been arranged to expedite food and water resources.
* Food and water commodities are being airdropped into the hardest hit counties.
* Approximately 7 million meals are being distributed.
* Approximately 2 million gallons of water are being distributed.
* Approximately 3 million pounds of ice are being distributed.
* Emergency Supply Distribution Centers, or Points of Distribution (POD), are places where the public can pick up emergency supplies following a disaster. These sites have food, water, or other critical supplies. Click HERE for a complete map of POD locations.
FUEL
* There are no reported widespread fuel shortages.
* Florida SERT made first responder fueling depots available to utility crews across the
* More than 750,000 gallons of fuel is staged to be distributed at fueling stations to support restoration efforts in the impacted areas.
* There are currently 133 fueling trucks being used to distribute fuel.
* To find the latest information on gas stations that have fuel and power in the impacted area, Gas Buddy is providing up to date information here - https://tracker.gasbuddy.com/.
COMMUNICATIONS
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* Any Floridian in the impacted counties should be allowed to switch providers without penalty;
* Bills for Floridians in impacted counties that have been without service should be waived for the month of October; and
* Telecommunications companies should be open and transparent with Floridians and do so with a clearly communicated plan to quickly restore service.
* More than 2,000 personnel are working to restore cell service and communications in the impacted areas.
* Comcast has sent the Xfinity "WiFi on Wheels" or "WoW" van to provide free wireless internet service so residents and emergency personnel can stay connected.
* The vehicle is set up at the Lynn Haven Walmart Supercenter at
* Comcast announced yesterday that it is suspending billing from
* Comcast will also be providing account credit for Xfinity Mobile customers with outstanding balances for next three months. More information is available at: https://florida.comcast.com
* Communications support packages have been dispatched through the Commercial Service Providers and
* At the direction of
POWER RESTORATION
* To view the full list of Florida utilities with mutual aid agreements in place, click HERE.
* Florida SERT made first responder fueling depots available to utility crews across the
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* Generators have been mobilized to impacted counties to bring traffic lights online, which will alleviate the need for law enforcement to direct traffic.
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* The current power outage as of
SHELTERS
* Currently 12 shelters are open with a population of 2,381.
* 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
* At
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* In addition to
* To date, JTF-FL has cleared approximately 520 miles of road, cleared 4,538 structures, removed 600 tons of roadway debris, helped with 6 landing zones (3 for civilian medical and supply drop operations and 3 for aerial reconnaissance operations) and flown 38 total missions for a total of nearly 227 total flight hours.
* In the past 24 hours, elements of JTF-FL have supported various missions including (but not limited to):
* Supporting nine security missions in support of local law enforcement agencies in
* Staffing nine county Emergency Operations Centers
* Providing communications support packages to five counties (
* Supporting 27 Points of Distribution (PODs) throughout seven counties (
* Aviation flew one mission
* Operating at the State Logistics Readiness Center in
* Staffing a total of five shelter missions in
* Delivering approximately 260 pallets of food, 200 pallets of water, 600 tarps and 800 cots
LAW ENFORCEMENT
* More than 1,830 law enforcement officers have been deployed to impacted areas in the
* A third wave of approximately 150 officers and ten support staff, with appropriate equipment assets, have transitioned into the panhandle area to relieve previous forces of deployed officers and staff assisting with Hurricane Michael recovery efforts.
* FWC officers will continue performing search and rescue, welfare checks, reconnaissance, public safety missions and assisting with debris removal. They are providing aid to areas of greatest need in
* FWC response teams have transitioned to 12-hour Alpha/Bravo shifts to provide 24-hour coverage in the affected areas.
* 15 members of
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* FDLE's Mutual Aid Team is coordinating more than 500 law enforcement missions assisting local agencies after the storm with search and rescue, patrols and traffic enforcement.
* 12 FDLE deployment teams are assisting local law enforcement in
* The State Law Enforcement Radio System is now fully operational and mobile towers are no longer needed. FDLE continues to coordinate with the radio vendor and local agencies to restore local law enforcement radio systems. Mobile or temporary towers are working where permanent towers are not yet operational.
* 24 members of the
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SAFETY AND SECURITY
* There are more than 1,300 search and rescue personnel deploying to the impacted areas. Including:
* Six water tender strike teams, fire engine water tankers;
* Three Ambulance Strike Teams;
* 10 EOC fire liaisons to support EOC's impacted areas;
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* 11 fire engine strike teams with 60 fire engines and more than 250 firefighters;
* A Florida Fire Forest Service Incident Management Gold Team;
* Two TERT (Dispatchers) teams;
* One EVT (Vehicle Maintenance) team with three people;
* Nearly 300 ambulances with nearly 600 staff
TRANSPORTATION & PUBLIC WORKS
* Portable generators were distributed to provide standby power to critical roadway intersections.
* Inspection teams were deployed to review roads and bridges to ensure safety for travel. All state bridges have been inspected.
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* FDOT has suspended all construction operations from the roadways in the counties under the state of emergency.
* FDOT issued
* FDOT is coordinating with utility companies to coordinate post storm clean-up activities.
* FDOT is coordinating with the
* FL 511 includes a listing of closed state roadways and bridges at fl511.com. This listing continues to be updated as additional state roads are inspected, opened, or closed and includes updated detour routes.
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* FDOT is in the process of repairing and restoring damaged traffic signals in
RECOVERY BRANCH
* An aggressive recovery effort is ongoing, working with
* To date,
PUBLIC HEALTH AND MEDICAL
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* Florida continues to communicate and monitor pharmacies in the affected areas and work to restore services with as little disruption to citizens as possible. Currently there are 54 pharmacy locations open and dispensing medication in the following counties:
* To find an open pharmacy, go to RxOpen.org, which maps open and closed pharmacies during disasters. The site also has locations of
* For those with a Medicare Prescription Drug Plan, medicare.gov recommends contacting the plan to find the nearest network pharmacy that is open. If one is unavailable, the plan can connect evacuees with an out-of-network pharmacy. Call your plan for more details and instructions. To find your plan's phone number, call 800-MEDICARE.
* At the direction of
* Facilities report their evacuation status to the Agency through the Emergency Status System. An updated evacuation report can be found on the
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* All nursing homes and assisted living facilities are required to keep residents in a safe environment in an emergency to ensure the protection of resident health, safety, welfare, and comfort.
* Facilities are required to have a Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan approved and on file with the local emergency management agencies.
* Nursing facilities all have back-up power that can power medical equipment and refrigeration for medicine and food.
* Additionally, facilities are required to have an emergency power plan in place to ensure that resident occupied area temperatures do not exceed 81 degrees. These plans include onsite generators, delivered generators, or shifting populations to locations that can maintain comfortable temperatures.
* As part of licensure, facilities are responsible for the health and safety of their patients.
* The State is here to serve as a resource to connect facilities to the local emergency management officials to make sure needs are being met.
* For the comfort of the those impacted by Hurricane Michael, the state has deployed 31 shower stations, 13 cooling stations, 67 portable toilets and two laundry stations.
* At the request of FDOH and as part of the Multi-Agency Discharge Planning Team, DOEA staff is assisting with non-medical discharge planning for evacuees at local hospitals in order to establish action plans for the patients to ensure that they have community resources, housing assistance (if necessary), and other support before they return to their cities and homes.
* DOEA has deployed staff from their
* DOEA's ombudsmen with the Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program (LTCOP) have been visiting long-term care residents who were evacuated out of the storm's path and have since returned in order to assess any unmet needs and offer assistance. They are also visiting those who are still evacuated and residing temporarily in other long-term care facilities.
* DOEA is prepared to provide staff for the Disaster Recover Center needs and stands ready to deploy and assist.
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* DOH is monitoring and supporting
* 279 ambulances and 73 paratransit vehicles are in the area of operations to assist with rescue operations, health care facility evaluations, local EMS augmentation and patient movement.
* A hospital augmentation team from the
* There are currently 27 Active Boil Water Notices:
* The
* Temporarily waiving or modifying certain Medicare, Medicaid and CHIP requirements,
* Making special enrollment periods available for certain individuals seeking health plans offered through the Florida Health Insurance Exchange,
* Helping patients obtain access to life-saving services such as dialysis.
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* APD and community partners are addressing needs at Sunland Center in Marianna.
* The Tide Loads of Hope laundry truck is being used at the APD Developmental Disabilities Defendant Program in
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* Residents and staff at the
* Families of residents wanting to visit the veterans' home are asked to delay their arrival in the impacted zone until
* The veterans' home is not accepting new admissions at this time. For more information, call 850-487-1533.
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* DCF has ordered an early release of food assistance benefits for those
* DCF also waived restrictions on purchasing hot prepared food with SNAP benefits through
* DCF is providing additional SNAP benefits for customers in
* DCF is in the process of determining D-SNAP site locations for individuals who live in counties that have been approved for individual assistance. Once sites have been identified and secured they will be open for service to the public.
* A team from
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
* The
* At DEP's request, the
* DEP has completed 58 requests and is assisting with 42 additional requests for assistance submitted through Florida's Water/Wastewater Agency Response Network (FlaWARN) in
* In collaboration with the
* Drinking water and wastewater crews completed on site spot assessments and are conducting field work in the impacted areas.
* An online tool for the public to report the location of storm debris in waterways has been deployed; and 480 reports of debris have been received.
* 235 Disaster Debris Management Sites have been pre-authorized for the counties addressed by the Governor's Executive Order, with an additional 78 emergency sites approved in impacted areas.
* Florida State Parks strike teams are on site to clear debris and assist individuals in impacted state parks. 58 state parks have re-opened.
* DEP's Florida Park Service has opened areas to dry camp for self-contained rigs - usually parking lots without utility connections - at some state parks for evacuees on a first come, first served basis with waived overnight fees. A list of open parks and contact information to check for availability can be found at https://www.floridastateparks.org/get-involved/storm-assistance.
BUSINESS AND INDUSTRY*
* The Florida SBDC Network and the
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* DEO has begun to pull zoning maps for the impacted areas to assist in identifying temporary housing solutions.
* Governor
* Executive Director
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* 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
* Businesses can also visit FloridaDisaster.biz to view tips for assessing storm damage and to register to receive updates on storm recovery.
* To help residents and emergency personnel stay connected following the storm, Comcast is opening its network of more than 8,000 Xfinity WiFi hotspots throughout the Florida
* The state has opened the Private Sector Hotline at 850-815-4925. The hotline is available for business inquiries about the storm, preparedness information and post-impact information.
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* In addition, DOR Executive Director Biegalski issued an emergency order to extend certain filing due dates for Florida businesses located in counties impacted by Hurricane Michael. The order extends the September and
* DOR has posted a webpage for customers regarding DOR-specific Hurricane Michael updates. To view the webpage, please visit http://floridarevenue.com/Pages/hurricanemichael.aspx.
EDUCATION
* The
* Yesterday, Commissioner Stewart sent a message to superintendents whose districts have not yet reopened. The message asked them to tell the Department what they need to reopen and to send to the Commissioner their plans for reopening by the end of the day
* The Department issued guidance to school districts affected by Hurricane Michael regarding student services, including Homeless Student Identification, Immunization Verification, Educational Placement, Exceptional Student Education, and Student and Teacher Support. The guidance document is posted HERE.
* FDOE issued a memo to superintendents in impacted areas to provide additional flexibility related to student reporting. The memo is posted online HERE.
* Many schools in impacted areas, as well as
* The following school districts have announced closures:
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* The following state colleges and universities have announced closures:
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* Many district schools are still operating shelters; for a list of Florida shelters, visit https://www.floridadisaster.org/planprepare/shelters/.
* FDOE will be posting up-to-date information regarding closures and meeting cancellations at www.fldoe.org/hurricaneinfo.
INSURANCE AND FINANCIAL SERVICES
* At the direction of
* An additional 90 days to policyholders to supply information to their insurance company
* Prohibits insurance companies from canceling or non-renewing policies covering residential properties damaged by the hurricane for at least 90 days
* Freezes efforts to increase rates on policyholders for 90 days. A copy of the Order can be found here.
* OIR has ordered property insurers to submit claims information from Hurricane Michael on a daily basis until
* Insurance Commissioner
* Have resources positioned and available to respond to consumers' needs
* Assess damage and pay claims quickly
* Report any challenges or issues as quickly as possible
* Report claims to the OIR on time and in accordance with the reporting schedule that will be issued later today
* OIR's Incident Management Team remains fully activated. OIR team members will be actively working throughout the recovery phase with consumer advocates, industry stakeholders and entities licensed under OIR's regulatory authority.
* In accordance with the Governor's Executive Order 18-276 and 18-277, OIR has
* Notified all health insurers, managed care organizations and other health entities of their statutory obligation to allow for early prescription refills during a state of emergency.
* Health Insurers
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* DOH
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* Following Hurricane Michael's devastation to the Florida panhandle, Chief Financial Officer and State Fire Marshal
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* Where: Regal Cinemas parking lot located at
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* Where:
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* For information on financial services providers, see below:
* For a list of Florida's state-chartered financial institutions and their websites, click HERE.
* Find your bank's contact information, click HERE.
* Find your credit union's contact information, click HERE.
* Find your mortgage servicer's contact information, click HERE.
* If you don't have your mortgage servicer's information with you, you can search the Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems (MERS) or call toll-free at (888) 679-6377 to find the company that services your mortgage.
* Visit the
STATE OFFICE CLOSURES
* DMS will stay in contact with all state offices in the impacted areas.
* Open Enrollment began Monday at
* E4Health, the employee assistance program for state employees, is providing counseling support for critical incidents in the impacted area. For critical incident responses or formal referrals, call the E4 Management Resource Consultation team at 877-267-1585.
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VOLUNTEER EFFORTS
* Volunteer Florida is continuing to work with more than 8,913 registered volunteers to connect them with volunteer opportunities.
* Volunteer Florida's 38 Florida Voluntary Organizations Active in Disasters (VOAD) partners are still engaged in response and recovery activities.
* Tarps from
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* Volunteer Florida is coordinating a 100-person team of AmeriCorps members that will arrive in
* Volunteer Florida's partner, Crisis Cleanup, is coordinating voluntary organizations to respond to requests submitted by individuals, as not to duplicate efforts. So far, these organizations have responded to more than 5,378 requests. To submit a request, individuals can call (800) 451-1954.
* Volunteer Florida is coordinating with volunteers in affected areas to begin passing out informational cards with instructions for registering as a volunteer, submitting Crisis Cleanup requests and signing up for
* Volunteer Florida is working with corporate donors to help establish comfort centers at nine shelters throughout the Florida
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STATE EMERGENCY OPERATION CENTER/ CONTACTS
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* 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.
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