ORLANDO, Fla. — Preparations are underway locally and across the state as Hurricane Isaias is set to make landfall in the panhandle.
The storm is not expected to reach Central Florida, but the American Red Cross of North Central Florida says it’s all hands on deck because its region covers the area where the hurricane is expected to hit.
The Red Cross says 20 to 30 people from the Orlando area have already deployed to the panhandle and dozens of other volunteers are on standby.
Pamela Harris is just one of many volunteers who had to stop by the Red Cross headquarters on North Bumby Avenue in Orlando to complete pre-deployment paperwork.
Since 2003, Harris has been a volunteer, and she’s prepared for what could be her 53rd deployment.
“We have people who lose everything. So, I’m always willing to step in and help,” said Harris.
Harris said she just returned from a trip helping people transition out of shelters after tornadoes in Indiana. Now she has her bags packed and prepared for a possible two-week deployment to Northwest Florida.
“We’re kind of waiting to see what direction the storm will go in. And once it does make landfall, it will be determined then how many volunteers are needed and what position,” Harris said.
Before landfall, the theme across the state is preparation.
Governor Ron DeSantis said in a press conference on Thursday that the state’s Emergency Operations Center is at a level one activation.
The Florida Division of Emergency Management says that means the center is in a “full-scale activation,” meaning it is fully staffed and primary and support partner agencies have been notified.
“We’ve been having twice a day calls with all 67 counties with a special focus on the panhandle counties,” said Jared Perdue, with the Florida Division of Emergency Management.
Perdue said generators and fuel have also been sent to the panhandle, and 5 thousand National Guardsmen and women have been activated.
“The state guard has also staged aircraft and 20 maritime vessels in the panhandle to support any search and rescue operations should those be necessary,” said Governor DeSantis.
FDOT announced Thursday that they’ve suspended tolls in certain parts of northwest Florida.
According to FDOT, 150 pieces of heavy equipment are pre-staged, and 360 generators and 40 pumps are ready to go too.
As for utility providers, Duke Energy says they’re closely tracking the storm too.
“Our crews are prepared to restore power as soon as conditions allow,” said Todd Fountain, Duke Energy Florida storm director. “The safety of our customers, communities and employees remains our top priority.”
Florida Power and Light also sent Channel 9 the following statement:
“We’re mobilizing and pre-positioning a restoration workforce of approximately 12,000. We’ll be ready to respond immediately and restore power quickly for customers affected by the storm. We’ve prepared 16 staging and processing sites to help speed restoration closest to areas likely to feel the greatest impact. Rest assured, we will be ready to respond no matter what this system brings our way. We urge customers to complete their final preparations, be ready for outages and make safety their priority. Visit www.FPL.com/storm for tips on preparations.”
The Red Cross says it is closely monitoring the predicted impact of Tropical Storm Isaias and is prepared and standing ready to respond and recover. If you’re looking to get involved, you can learn more here.
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