“We Are Storm Ready” – Gadsden County prepares for the arrival of Hurricane Ian

While no longer directly in the path of Hurricane Ian (as of press time on Tuesday, September 27), Gadsden County is preparing for the impact of the first major hurricane to hit Florida coastlines this year.

“We have been preparing for this storm since last week,” said Tashonda Whaley, the interim director of Gadsden County’s Division of Emergency Management.

That preparation, Whaley said, includes meetings with first responders around the county (both volunteer and paid), as well as meetings with the state’s emergency management office, and the National Weather Service.

In addition, Whaley said that Gadsden County has already been sending up a list of critical needs to the state level, and has resources on standby for locals, in the event that Gadsden County is struck by the growing Gulf of Mexico storm.

As of press deadline on Tuesday, Hurricane Ian had already raked across Cuba, leaving behind surging flood waters, heavy rain, and damaged winds that lashed the island.

When Hurricane Ian tore into Cuba’s western provinces, it became the first Category 3 storm to hit that region of the island in 14 years.

Gadsden County leaders have been meeting at the Gadsden County Division of Emergency Management since last Friday to discuss and prepare for Hurricane Ian as the storm approaches Florida.

The storm cut power to nearly 1 million people on the island, destroying homes in the process.

The major storm is projected to grow in strength and size before hitting Florida’s coastline.

As of press deadline, Hurricane Ian is predicted to lash the Florida keys, before making landfall somewhere near Fort Myers and Tampa.

While Gadsden County has been moved out of the original cone of initial landfall, Whaley says she and her staff aren’t taking the storm lightly.

“We are storm ready,” said Whaley.

In Gadsden County, shelters have not been opened (as of Tuesday), but Red Cross shelters remain on standby - waiting on the orders for the doors to open; transportation to shelters is also on standby, should the need arise as the storm’s path develops.

Whaley says the Gadsden County Division of Emergency Management has been making contact with individuals who are on the county’s special needs list - individuals who are on first priority to have their electricity returned post-storm due to medical needs.

“We have also been documenting the roads that may have issues during the storm,” said Whaley.

On Tuesday, road crews with Gadsden County were still out, photographing and cataloging roads in the county that may see excessive flooding or damage, should the storm play badly in Gadsden County’s favor - this will allow the post-storm work to be more streamlined in getting roads cleared after Ian.

“We’ve been hard at work,” Whaley said.

In addition to the behind-the-scenes storm preparations, Gadsden County Emergency Management and the Gadsden County Department of Public Works has opened several sandbag locations for locals who are bracing their own homes for impact.

The current sandbag locations are:

• Post Plant Pit off Post Plant Road

• Clark Pit off Edwin Clark Road

• Rosedale Community Park in Chattahoochee

• Sawdust Community Park in Greensboro

• Drake Acres Community Park in Lake Talquin

• Eugene Lamb Community Park in Havana

• Robertsville Community Park in Robertsville

Each of the county-operated sandbag lots are open from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m.

Sandbags are limited to 15 bags per household, and citizens will need to bring shovels and fill the bags themselves; assistance is available for elderly citizens.

The City of Quincy has opened two of its own sandbag lots, one at Wards Lot and the other at the corner of Virginia and Flagler Streets in Quincy; these two locations will allow 10 bags per household.

The City of Midway has a sandbag site at the Midway Public Works office, permitting 10 bags per household.

And the City of Chattahoochee has opened up a sandbag lot near 1033 Morgan Avenue (also 10 bags per household).

Storm updates will be available on the Gadsden County Sheriff’s Office and Gadsden County Board of County Commissioners’ Facebook pages.

Residents can also get live alerts through the AlertGadsden text program. To sign up for the program, text ALERTGADSDEN to 888777 and you will be enrolled in the program, which will send emergency alert information to your cell phone.

Ashley Hunter - editor@gadsdencountytimes.com

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“We Are Storm Ready” – Gadsden County prepares for the arrival of Hurricane Ian

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