Update on Washington County Aftermath of Michael

Matt Boster

Viewed: 5765

Posted by: Matt Boster
Date: Oct 13 2018 5:28 PM

In the aftermath of Hurricane Michael, the Washington County Sheriff’s Office and the Washington County Emergency Operations Center are working together along with first responders, the national guard and incident management teams from outside the area. Responder teams from throughout state are here to assist the sheriff’s office and Washington County Emergency Management in the recovery from Hurricane Michael. We appreciate your patience as we all work together. Updates are as follows:

 

Supplies – Water and MREs (meals ready to eat) are available at Chipley High School from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. This is a drive-through distribution system, follow the cones and stay in your vehicle.

 

Debris – To expedite the debris removal process, separate your debris as follows:

• Vegetative


• Construction/demolition


• Household hazardous waste


• Appliances


• Electronics


• Normal household trash

Do NOT burn debris. Fire departments are responding to emergency situations. Do not place debris on roadways, on or near fire hydrants, utility poles or utility boxes (cable, phone, power). Debris will begin being picked up late next week.

 

Curfew – A curfew of 7 p.m. to 6 a.m. remains in place for Washington County until further notice to protect citizens, businesses and property. This applies to pedestrian and vehicular traffic with exception of essential services (fire services, law enforcement, emergency medical services, military personnel, members of the media, as well as all state, county and local municipality transportation, public works or emergency management personnel).

 

Boil Water Advisory – All Washington County residents with public water are advised to bring water to a rolling boil for at least one minute prior to consumption until further notice.

 

Roads/Traffic – Crews are working to restore traffic signals and clear roadways as quickly as possible.. Treat non-working traffic signals as follows:

• Flashing red or non-working – treat intersection as a four-way stop.


• Flashing yellow – Proceed slowly through the intersection with extreme caution.

For information on state roads, visit www.FL511.com or call 511 on your mobile phone for updates.

 

Closures – Board of County Commission offices, tax collector, property appraiser, courts, supervisor of elections and all public schools remain closed until further notice. 
• For more information on court and clerk operations, visit @14thJudicialFL on Twitter.
• Schools are closed through next week -  Fri., Oct. 19. Check their website for further updates, www.wcsdschools.com.

 

Power Restoration – For information on the status of power restoration, visit the Gulf Power Outage Map, www.gulfpower.com/outages. For West Florida Electric, visit www.westflorida.coop/outage-alert. Treat every downed power line as potentially energized. To restore power with the highest degree of safety, restoration must be accomplished in a certain order, using specific equipment and procedures. Workers will appreciate your patience and understanding.

 

Generator Safety – Fire teams responded to a structure fire today (Fri., Oct. 12) that resulted from a generator located on a porch that ignited today. Only use generators in well-ventilated, covered outdoor locations away from open windows, doors and vents. Never use a generator, grill, camp stove or other gasoline, propane, natural gas or charcoal-burning device inside a home, garage or any partially enclosed area. Plug appliances directly into the generator, never try to power house wiring by plugging the generator into a wall outlet; this practice puts utility workers and your household at risk of electrocution. Carbon monoxide (CO) is a colorless, odorless, DEADLY gas. If you start to feel sick, dizzy or weak while using a generator, get to fresh air IMMEDIATELY.

 

Documenting Damage – Photograph any damage to your home before making temporary repairs. Keep all documents and repair receipts for your insurance or assistance claim.

 

Questions? – A citizens information line will open at 8 a.m. on Sat., Oct. 13. Residents with questions may call 850-849-5766 or 850-849-5788.

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