- April 19, 2024
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A State of Emergency has been declared by Gov. Rick Scott for the state of Florida after forecasters adjusted the trajectory of Hurricane Matthew to strike the state and travel north up the East Coast.
Based on the latest public advisory release from the National Hurricane Center, a hurricane watch is currently in effect from Deerfield Beach to the Volusia/Brevard county line. A hurricane watch is typically issued 48 hours before the anticipated first occurrence of tropical-storm-force winds.
Hurricane conditions are possible in Florida by late Thursday, with tropical storm conditions possible by early Thursday. According to the National Weather Service, the storm is slow moving, and the track has shifted more to the west. Hurricane Matthew will pass Volusia County closer than originally anticipated.
Due to the expected continued changes with the track, the expected impact from the storm is continuing to evolve. As of the 11 a.m. update from the National Hurricane Center, Volusia County is expected to receive 4-6 inches of rain, beach erosion and sustained winds of 35-45 mph — and possibly higher — beginning late Thursday night.
Scott is scheduled to visit Volusia County ahead of Hurricane Matthew. His press office also released updates on several ways the state is planning to react to the storm. Local officials are also making decisions about upcoming events.
Below is a compilation of details provided from press releases from the various municipalities and agencies:
Ormond Beach residents can receive local weather warning notifications by signing up for CodeRED, the City and Volusia County's community and emergency notifications system.
People can sign up for call, text and email alerts here: public.coderedweb.com/cne/en-US/F061CACDBEC6
People can download the free CodeRED app here: ecnetwork.com/mobile/getitnow.html
The county encourages those requiring additional assistance with daily living or those who have medical conditions that prevent or hinder their ability to care for themselves, to apply for the special needs evacuation shelter registry.
To apply, visit here: snr.floridadisaster.org/Signin?client=volusia
Rides and activities scheduled for Oct. 6 for the 47th-annual Octoberfest have been canceled. Prince of Peace staff will make a decision about Oct. 7 on their website tomorrow. As of right now, the festival will be open Oct. 8 and 9 as scheduled.
Visit princeofpeaceormond.com/octoberfest for more info.
The department of leisure services has canceled the Walking with the Manager event scheduled for 8 a.m. Oct. 7, and the Movies on the Halifax event scheduled for 7 p.m. Oct. 7. The Casements will close at noon Oct. 6 and remain closed through Oct. 7.
Leisure Service has cancelled all their programs and activities from Oct. 5 through Oct. 7.
The state is working with the American Red Cross to identify shelter-staffing capacity in potential impact areas.
Approximately 200 members of the Florida National Guard will be activated to support hurricane preparedness and response. There are also more than 6,000 guardsmen ready to be deployed if needed.
The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services is inventorying school food supplies in schools and state warehouses.
Utilities have been put on notice to start reporting outage and restoral information when notified to begin.
Utilities are contacting their mutual aid partners to determine availability if external resources are needed to restore services.
Monitoring the power grid for sufficient power in the state and the natural gas infrastructure for any damages that can cause a loss of service to power plants.
Army Corps of Engineers and Water Management Districts are monitoring waterways and are prepared to adjust flows as necessary.
Florida Department of Transportation is preparing evacuation routes, maintenance yards, construction zones, equipment and staff; testing and inventorying equipment; placing emergency crews on standby; reviewing emergency plans; preparing construction zones, and monitoring flood prone areas.
FDOT will continue to reach out to county emergency operations centers directly to coordinate any necessary response actions including activating traffic counters, providing local evacuation support and providing maintenance of traffic and other assistance.
The Volusia County emergency operations center will partially activate from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Oct. 5. The center will fully activate at 8 a.m. Oct. 6 and remain activated through the duration of the storm, until conditions improve in Volusia County.
The Volusia County Citizen Information Center is open and can be reached at 866-345-0345. The CIC will remain open today until 6 p.m. It will also be open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Oct. 6, and on 8 a.m. Oct. 7 until conditions
improve.
There are no evacuations at this time. There are three shelters on standby if voluntary evacuations are needed.
The City’s Public Works Department will be open for residents to pick up sand bags from 3 to 7 p.m. Oct. 4, and at 8 a.m. Oct. 5. Each household may receive 10 sand bags. Residents must provide identification.
Sand bags can be picked up at the Public Works Department, 501 N. Orchard St.
Volusia County beaches will be closed for vehicle access at 5 p.m. today. Beach officials are removing the toll booths and all items from the beach. The public is discouraged from going to the beach during the next couple of days due to the expected high winds, rough surf and rip currents.
Residents should stay informed and plan to take more protective actions if the storm moves closer to Volusia County. The most up-to-date information can be found on Volusia County’s Emergency Management Facebook page. We also encourage residents to follow VCEmergencyInfo on Twitter and check Volusia.org/PIN for updates.
