TALLAHASSEE, Fla.-Today, Governor DeSantis provided updates on Hurricane Debby in his third press conference at the State Emergency Operations Center with Florida Division of Emergency Management (FDEM) Executive Director Kevin Guthrie as Hurricane Debby began to make landfall in the Big Bend region.
Hurricane Debby made landfall at 7 am EDT near Steinhatchee, Florida. In anticipation of this, Governor DeSantis issued Executive Order 24-157 on August 2, amending EO 24-156, and declaring a state of emergency for a total of 61 counties.
As of 11 AM EDT, Hurricane Debby was downgraded to a Tropical Storm, and is located about 35 miles west of Lake City, Florida. Debby is then expected to move slowly across northern Florida and southern Georgia Monday and Tuesday.
Maximum sustained winds are near 75 mph and additional weakening is expected as Debby moves over land today and tonight.
As of this morning, approximately 143,000 Floridians are without power. The State of Florida has already restored 322,000 accounts.
As of this morning, Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) emergency response personnel have completed preliminary assessments of over 4,500 lane miles of state roads.
The State Assistance Information Line (SAIL) is operational. Residents needing resources before and after Hurricane Debby can call 1-800-342-3557. There are English and Spanish speakers available to answer questions.
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Hurricane Warnings have been issued for: Coastal Franklin, Wakulla, Jefferson, Madison, Taylor, Hamilton, Suwannee, Lafayette, Dixie, Gilchrist, and Coastal Levy.
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Tropical Storm Warnings have been issued for: Gulf, Liberty, Gadsden, Leon, Columbia, Baker, Nassau, Duval, Union, Bradford, St. Johns, Alachua, Putnam, Inland Levy, Marion, Lake, Citrus, Sumter, Lake, Hernando, Pasco, Pinellas, Hillsborough, Manatee, Sarasota and Coastal Charlotte.
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Storm Surge Warnings are in effect for: Coastal Franklin, Coastal Wakulla, Coastal Jefferson, Coastal Taylor, Coastal Dixie, Coastal Levy, Coastal Citrus, Coastal Hernando, Coastal Pasco, Coastal Hillsborough (including Tampa Bay), Coastal Manatee, and Pinellas.
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Hurricane Warnings have been issued for: Coastal Franklin, Wakulla, Jefferson, Madison, Taylor, Hamilton, Suwannee, Lafayette, Dixie, Gilchrist, and Coastal Levy.
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Tropical Storm Warnings have been issued for: Gulf, Liberty, Gadsden, Leon, Columbia, Baker, Nassau, Duval, Union, Bradford, St. Johns, Alachua, Putnam, Inland Levy, Marion, Lake, Citrus, Sumter, Lake, Hernando, Pasco, Pinellas, Hillsborough, Manatee, Sarasota and Coastal Charlotte.
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Storm Surge Warnings are in effect for: Coastal Franklin, Coastal Wakulla, Coastal Jefferson, Coastal Taylor, Coastal Dixie, Coastal Levy, Coastal Citrus, Coastal Hernando, Coastal Pasco, Coastal Hillsborough (including Tampa Bay), Coastal Manatee, and Pinellas.
FDEM is hosting daily calls with all 67 counties to identify needs and to ensure the state is prepared to respond quickly and efficiently. Additionally, FDEM is coordinating with state agencies, non-governmental organizations, and private sector partners for resource requests.
State Preparedness Efforts
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FDEM has activated the State Emergency Operations Center to a Level 1 and is leading coordination efforts for the State Emergency Response Team.
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FDEM has deployed community-requested resources and personnel for storm preparedness assistance and to ensure critical infrastructure is protected from storm impacts, including:
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Over 670,000 bottles of water
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Over 287,000 shelf-stable meals
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Over 17,000 tarps
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156,000 sandbags
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120 cots
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Staff to support county shelter operations.
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FDEM has mobilized four logistical staging areas in multiple regions of the state to ensure food, water, tarps, shower trailers, pumps, flood protection devices and staff can quickly deploy as requested.
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More than 9,400 feet of flood protection devices are being deployed to critical infrastructure sites to protect against flooding, including schools, health care facilities, public works, lift stations and roads and bridges.
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For the first time, the state of Florida and its partners are also deploying flood control barriers around utility substations as a new best practice to ensure power is maintained throughout the storm for as many Floridians as possible.
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Approximately 17,000 linemen have been mobilized to assist with power restoration efforts as needed.
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Following Governor DeSantis' authorization, the Florida National Guard (FLNG) is prepared to support the state's response operations to Hurricane Debby. The Florida National Guard is mobilizing up to 3,500 Guardsmen.
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The FLNG Joint Operations Center is operating in St Augustine, FL.
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The FLNG continues activating and mustering Guardsmen at their local armories, staffing the State Logistics Response Center (SLRC), and assisting Counties across the Big Bend area with LNOs. The FLNG is supporting 27 Counties with LNOs.
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Mobilized units are postured to support humanitarian assistance and security missions throughout the area of operations.
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The Florida National Guard is well-equipped, with assets including high-wheeled vehicles, helicopters, boats, generators and more. We currently have 14 rotary aircraft and over 450 tactical vehicles staged to support relief operations.
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We appreciate the support of neighboring states, especially South Carolina and Kentucky, which are providing a truck company and rotary aircraft respectively, to support the FLNG's response operations.
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VolunteerFlorida has conducted the following preparedness efforts:
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Coordination with Partners
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Daily Coordination calls with Florida Voluntary Organizations Active in Disasters (VOAD)
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Identifying partner capabilities, needs and gaps.
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Ongoing coordination efforts with Community Emergency Response Teams (CERT)
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Identifying pre-staging locations of flood/cleanup kits, hygiene kits and tools
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Key Messaging to Partners:
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Emphasizing the importance of "Cash, Confirm, Connect" strategy.
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Promoting volunteer opportunities through Volunteer Connect.
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Encouraging documentation of all donated resources and volunteer hours.
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Current rate of volunteer hours in the state of Florida is $31.61.
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Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA) has activated its Emergency Patient Look-up System (E-PLUS), initiated an event in the Health Facility Reporting System (HFRS), and reached out to health care associations.
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There are 5 ALFs and 3 nursing homes reporting evacuation.
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Since activation, the following organizations have logged into E-PLUS for storm preparation:
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Charlotte County Health Department
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Lee County Sheriff's Office
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Charlotte County Sheriff's Office (2 users)
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Department of Health's Special Needs Shelter Unit
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Jackson-Gulf-Calhoun County Health Departments
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Okaloosa County Health Department (3 users)
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Bay County Health Department (2 users)
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Levy-Gilchrist-Dixie County Health Departments
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Osceola Emergency Management (2 users)
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Department of Health's Region 1 regional coordinator
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Glades-Hendry County Health Departments
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AHCA has received 3 intake files from the Department of Health containing registration data from Special Needs Shelters.
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AHCA is ensuing reimbursement for critical Medicaid services provided in good faith to eligible recipients who reside in the counties impacted by the storm.
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The Agency will waive all prior authorization requirements for critical Medicaid services beginning August 4, 2024, until further notice.
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Early prescription refill edits have been lifted for all maintenance medications (Note: This does not apply to controlled substances).
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If a recipient requires critical Medicaid services beyond the limits stated in policy to maintain safety and health, providers can furnish the service.
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Preadmission Screening and Resident Review (PASRR) processes are postponed until further notice by the Agency.
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Retroactively performed screenings or resident reviews must document the reason for delay in the completion of PASRR requirements.
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The Agency is waiving the PASRR process for recipients who evacuated due to an evacuation order or power outage and are admitted and discharged during the storm.
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Transportation vendors should continue providing services to all Medicaid enrollees as long as they are able.
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To locate blood donation centers in Florida, visit: Floridadonates.com
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The Agency for Persons with Disabilities (APD) The Agency is leaning forward, actively monitoring and preparing for Hurricane Debby, providing up-to-date emergency event information to Agency leadership, partners, stakeholders, and clients. APD is thoroughly communicating with these groups to ensure the safety of all clients and residents.
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APD's 12 HOPE Navigators, 78 recruited volunteers, and Agency leadership stand by available to deploy to affected areas in the event there is a need from response to recovery.
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The Statewide Guardian ad Litem Office has closed offices on Monday, August 5th, in Circuits 2, 3, 4, 5 (except Marion and Sumter Counties which are still open), 8 and part of 12 (Manatee County) pursuant to county closures. All staff and volunteers have been advised in these areas. We continue to monitor the storm and will assess damage/needs in our offices post storm.
Infrastructure, Roads and State Closures
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The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) continues to coordinate closely with state EOC officials and partners.
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All 7 Districts, the Central Office, and FDOT's Turnpike Enterprise initiated statewide internal preparedness conference calls on Monday, July 29, which continue daily.
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FDOT Statewide Preparedness Efforts Include:
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Clearing shoulders in preparation for potential Emergency Should Use (ESU).
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Currently analyzing flooding vulnerabilities for major roadways and bridges.
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Inspecting and clearing drainage systems, monitoring flood-prone and currently saturated areas, and pre-positioning pumps as appropriate.
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Securing maintenance yards, active construction projects, high mast lighting, rest areas/welcome centers, service plazas, and weigh stations.
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Barges at the Howard Frankland Bridge construction site are secured.
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Replenishing fuel reserves, checking generator readiness, and pre-positioning assets as appropriate.
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Completing repairs on malfunctioning vehicles and equipment in preparation for deployment.
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Initiated communication with modal partners - seaports, airports, railroads, transit, and spaceports. All partners are currently in monitoring posture.
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Staging ITS trailers, as well as drone teams and equipment are being prepped and ready to deploy as needed.
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FDOT encourages drivers to download the FL511 app or visit FL511.com for road/bridge closures and potential detours that may be activated. Remember to always follow the direction of local law enforcement and emergency personnel.
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Over 50 crews have been across the state inspecting and clearing drainage systems, monitoring flood-prone and currently saturated areas, and pre-positioning pumps as appropriate.
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Resources are staged strategically in safe locations that are in close proximity to the projected path to allow for quick implementation following the passage of a storm.
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Over 1200 generators
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Nearly 70 pumps
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Over 230 pieces of heavy equipment and trucks.
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Bridges in the potential impact area are closely monitored for flooding and wind speeds. Once wind speeds increase beyond 40 mph, FHP may deem it necessary for closure. Law enforcement will then stop traffic from crossing bridges to ensure the safety of motorists.
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Crews are staged to inspect coastal bridges and will be monitoring water levels at low-lying bridges near major river crossings including Suwannee, Santa Fe, Aucilla, and Ochlockonee Rivers.
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120 Bridge Inspectors are on standby to quickly deploy in the field.
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FDOT has 120 crews on standby to swiftly start performing Cut-and-Toss Operations to clear state roads and interstates.
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FDOT has 6 drone teams on standby to assist across the transportation system as needed.
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Nearly 150 other crews are on standby to assist with various emergency response efforts, such as damage assessment, flooding, traffic signals outages, etc.
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FDOT waived standard size and weight restrictions for commercial vehicles transporting fuel, emergency equipment, services, supplies, and agriculture commodities and citrus. Commercial vehicles now will have an increased weight restriction to transport goods.
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With this order, utility trucks are being waived through weigh stations to quickly pre-stage across the state. FDOT also worked with Alabama and Georgia to implement this same action in order to quickly get utility trucks to Florida and preposition for utility restoration.
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Deployed FDOT liaisons to county emergency operations centers where requested.
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Coordinating FDOT Debris Clearing Crews with Utility Response Crews to aid in swift utility restoration.
Seaports:
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Port Tampa Bay, Port St. Pete, Seaport Manatee and Port of Port St. Joe are closed waterside.
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Port Panama City is open with restrictions, no inbound vessels.
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Port Fernandina, and JAXPORT are open and preparing for potential storm impacts.
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All other seaports are open.
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Fuel Terminals: Normal Operations
Airports:
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Tallahassee International Airport closed and plan to reopen 8/5 when safe.
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Gainesville Regional Airport closed and will reopen 8/5 at 11:30 pm.
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No other reported Commercial Service Airport closures at this time.
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Some flight cancellations or delays are being reported. Please check with airlines directly on specific flight updates.
Rail:
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Railroad operations over the affected areas are shut down.
Spaceport:
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Spaceport partners are monitoring and preparing as prevailing conditions warrant.
Transit:
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Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority has suspended SunRunner, Suncoast Beach Trolley, and the Jolley Trolley service along Gulf Boulevard in Pinellas County due to flooding.
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Big Bend Transit is assisting with transportation to evacuation shelters and is suspending service on Monday, 8/5.
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Manatee County has suspended the Anna Maria Island Trolley.
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Citrus Connection has suspended the Squeeze Shuttle Services in Lakeland, Lake Wales and Bartow until Tuesday, 8/6.
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Leetran operating under modified service due to flooding.
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Citrus County will suspend service at noon on Sunday, 8/4.
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Wakulla County will suspend service on Monday, 8/5.
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Manatee, Levy, and Citrus County are assisting with evacuation transportation to shelters.
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City of Tallahassee StarMetro suspended service Monday, 8/5.
Suwannee Valley Transit Authority (Columbia, Suwannee, and Hamilton counties) suspended service, Monday, 8/5
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Jacksonville Transit Authority Skyway service suspended Monday, 8/5
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Manatee County is only performing life-sustaining trips Monday morning, 8/5
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Sarasota Breeze suspended Breeze OnDemand in the Downtown Sarasota /Lido Key/Longboat Key Zone. Some fixed routes are detouring due to flooding.
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Jacksonville Transit Authority Paratransit is only providing life-sustaining trips
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HART is operating fare-free service to an evacuation shelter.
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RTS Gainesville suspected the collection of fares
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Lake County is providing fare-free service to an evacuation shelter.
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Collier Area Transit is detouring routes due to flooding.
State-Owned Road Closures (As of 6pm, 8/4/24): FDOT assisting city/county partners with localized flooding as requested.
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Alachua County
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Flooding on SR 26 Both Directions near SE 90th Ave. All lanes closed.
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Flooding on US 41 Both Directions at SW 202nd St. All lanes closed.
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Charlotte County
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E Olympia Avenue Eastbound at Nesbit Street - All lanes closed
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US-17 West beyond Cooper Street - All lanes closed
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Flooding on US 41 North and South, at West Marion Ave. Right lane blocked.
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Collier County
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US-41 South at San Marco Road/CR-92 - All lanes closed
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US-41 North at San Marco Road/CR-92 - All lanes closed
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Flooding on US 41 South, beyond Golden Gate Pkwy (CR-886). Right lane blocked.
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Dixie County
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Debris on Roadway on SR 349 both directions at NE 970th Ave. All lanes closed.
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Gilchrist County
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State Road 47 from County Road 340 to County Road 232. All lanes closed.
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Hillsborough County
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I-275 Flooding on I-275 North, at MM 35.
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Flooding in Hillsborough County on SR 580 East, beyond Dale Mabry Hwy. 2 Right lanes blocked.
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Flooding in Hillsborough County on SR 580 East, beyond Dale Mabry Hwy. 2 Right lanes blocked.
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Jefferson County
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Object on roadway in Jefferson County on I-10 West, at MM 234 (Rest Area). All lanes blocked.
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Object on roadway on I-10 West, at MM 219. All lanes blocked.
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Object on roadway in Jefferson County on I-10 West, before MM 225. All lanes blocked.
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Debris on Roadway on E Washington Hwy near Lonnie Rd. All lanes closed.
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Lee County
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US 41 Flooding on US 41 Business North, at Edison Bridge. All lanes closed.
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Madison County
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Debris on Roadway on SR145 Both Directions at NE Pawpaw St. All lanes closed.
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Debris on Roadway on SW US 221 Both Directions at SW Overland St. All lanes closed.
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Object on roadway in Madison County on I-10 West, before MM 239. Left lane blocked.
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Manatee County
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Flooding in Manatee County on SR-64 / Manatee Ave East, before Waterbury Rd (CR-675). All lanes closed.
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Flooding in Manatee County on SR-64 / Manatee Ave West, beyond Waterbury Rd (CR-675). All lanes closed.
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Flooding in Manatee County on SR-70 East, before Uihlein Rd. All lanes closed.
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Pinellas County
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I-275/Sunshine Skyway Bridge - All lanes closed
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I-275 Howard Frankland Bridge- NB closed
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Flooding in Pinellas County on SR-60 East, before Bayshore Blvd. 2 Right lanes blocked.
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Lee County
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US-41 Business North at Edison Bridge - All lanes closed
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San Carlos Blvd beyond Buttonwood Drive - All lanes closed
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Sarasota County
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Flooding in Sarasota County on US-41 South, before McIntosh Rd. All lanes closed.
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Flooding in Sarasota County on SR-72/ Clark Rd West, before McIntosh Rd. 2 Right lanes blocked.
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Flooding in Sarasota County on US-41 North, beyond McIntosh Rd. All lanes closed.
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Flooding in Sarasota County on FRUITVILLE RD West, beyond McIntosh Rd. Right lane blocked.
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Flooding in Sarasota County on FRUITVILLE RD East, before McIntosh Rd. Right lane blocked.
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Flooding in Sarasota County on SR-758/ Bee Ridge Rd West, beyond Cattlemen Rd. 2 Right lanes blocked.
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Flooding in Sarasota County on SR-758/ Bee Ridge Rd East, before Cattlemen Rd. All lanes closed.
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Flooding in Sarasota County on US-41 North, beyond Laurel Rd. Right lane blocked.
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Flooding in Sarasota County on US-41 South, beyond Laurel Rd. Right lane blocked.
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Suwannee County
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Debris on Roadway on US-129 at 256th Trl. All lanes closed.
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Object on roadway in Suwannee County on I-10 East, before MM 276.
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Union County
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Debris on Roadway on SR-121 Both Directions at SW 85th Trl. All lanes closed.
The
Office of Insurance Regulation (OIR) Insurance Commissioner Yaworsky called property and casualty insurance companies with consumers in the projected path of Hurricane Debby and directed insurers to be prepared to implement their disaster claims-handling procedures and be able to provide prompt and efficient claims-handling service to impacted policyholders.
Follow FDEM on X, Instagram, and Facebook for updates and visit FloridaDisaster.org/Updates for information relating to Hurricane Debby.