TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Leon County has declared a local state of emergency as Hurricane Isaias approaches the northern Gulf Coast, with heavy rain and flooding expected to be the primary threats in the area.<\/p>\n
Leon County Commission Chairman Christian Caban signed the Local Emergency Proclamation on Thursday, Oct. 8, after the National Weather Service in Tallahassee extended a Tropical Storm Warning to Leon County.<\/p>\n
\u201cI have declared a local state of emergency for Leon County to ensure we have every tool and resource we need to prepare for Hurricane Isaias and to respond quickly to its impacts,\u201d Caban said. \u201cOur Emergency Management team is working hand in hand with the National Weather Service, the State of Florida and our local partners, and County crews are already in the field preparing for flooding. For our community, the most significant threat from this storm is heavy rain on ground that is already saturated. Finish your preparations by midday Friday, stay informed through official sources and never drive through a flooded road. Leon County has weathered storms before by preparing early and looking out for one another, and that is exactly how we will meet the storm ahead.\u201d<\/p>\n
The declaration is in effect for seven days and may be extended if needed. It aligns with the state of emergency Gov. Ron DeSantis declared Tuesday, which now covers 27 Florida counties, including Leon County. County officials said the local declaration allows Leon County to move faster to bring in crews, equipment and supplies needed to prepare for the storm and respond to impacts.<\/p>\n
The declaration does not order evacuations or a curfew. County officials urged residents to finish storm preparations before rain arrives Friday.<\/p>\n
\u201cCounty staff are ready, and our preparations have been underway since early this week,\u201d Leon County Administrator Vincent S. Long said. \u201cOur Emergency Operations Center is activated, Public Works crews are checking known flood-prone roads and clearing drainage systems, and our five sandbag sites are open and staffed. The County encourages everyone to stay alert and stay informed as Hurricane Isaias approaches the northern Gulf.\u201d<\/p>\n
County closures and service changes<\/p>\n
Leon County offices and facilities will close at noon Friday, Oct. 9. The county said the early closure is intended to help keep drivers off roads as conditions worsen and allow county employees to transition into disaster-support roles.<\/p>\n
Closing at noon Friday, Oct. 9:<\/p>\n
– County offices<\/p>\n
– LeRoy Collins Leon County Main Library, branch libraries, and community centers<\/p>\n
– Rural Waste Service Centers<\/p>\n
– County outdoor activities, including campgrounds and sports-related activities<\/p>\n
Libraries and Rural Waste Service Centers are expected to reopen at normal hours Saturday, Oct. 10, once windy conditions have subsided. Community centers and campground reservations are expected to resume Sunday, Oct. 11. All county offices and outdoor activities will resume normal hours Monday, Oct. 12. Emergency Management, EMS and other essential operations will continue throughout the storm.<\/p>\n
The Leon County Citizens Information Line, 850-606-3700, will be available throughout the storm to answer questions about county services and storm preparations. For emergencies, residents should call 911.<\/p>\n
School, college and university closures<\/p>\n
After briefings with Leon County Emergency Management, Leon County Schools will follow an early release schedule Friday, Oct. 9. High schools will dismiss at 11:20 a.m., elementary schools at 12:20 p.m. and middle schools at 1:20 p.m. All after-school activities are canceled, including after-school care programs such as 21st Century and Extended Day. District offices and school campuses will close at 3 p.m.<\/p>\n
Tallahassee State College classes are canceled and campuses will be closed Friday, Oct. 9.<\/p>\n
Florida A&M University\u2019s Tallahassee campus will host morning classes remotely Friday, Oct. 9. Early dismissal begins at noon, with only essential employees remaining on duty. Afternoon classes Friday are canceled. FAMU Developmental Research School will remain open until further notice.<\/p>\n
Florida State University\u2019s Tallahassee campuses will shift to remote classes and work from 8 a.m. to noon Friday, Oct. 9, and will suspend normal business operations at noon. The closure includes the FAMU-FSU College of Engineering. FSU\u2019s Coastal and Marine Lab in St. Teresa will also close Friday, Oct. 9.<\/p>\n
Storm update and impacts<\/p>\n
As of the National Hurricane Center\u2019s 11 a.m. advisory, Hurricane Isaias had maximum sustained winds of 85 mph and was moving east-northeast at 10 mph across the Gulf.<\/p>\n
Isaias is forecast to strengthen through early Friday, turn north and remain a dangerous hurricane as it approaches the northern Gulf Coast. Landfall is expected late Friday or early Saturday within the hurricane warning area stretching from Ocean Springs, Mississippi, to the Bay\/Gulf county line.<\/p>\n
For Leon County, forecasters are emphasizing the risk of heavy rain and flooding. The National Weather Service issued a Flood Watch for Leon County from Friday afternoon through Saturday evening and forecasts 5 to 10 inches of rain across the region, with potentially higher amounts. With the ground already saturated, flash flooding is possible in low-lying areas, and some roads may close because of water over the roadway. Rain is expected to begin Friday and continue through Saturday.<\/p>\n
A Tropical Storm Warning means winds of 39 mph or higher are expected somewhere in the warning area within 36 hours. The current forecast for Leon County calls for winds below that level, with gusts up to 35 mph, though downed trees and scattered power outages are possible on saturated ground. The warning also accounts for the chance of stronger winds if the storm\u2019s track or size changes.<\/p>\n
The National Weather Service also warned tornadoes may form in the storm\u2019s rain bands and urged residents to ensure they can receive warnings at any hour, including overnight, and to know where they would take shelter.<\/p>\n
Sandbags and preparation tips<\/p>\n
The National Weather Service advises finishing hurricane preparations by midday Friday, before the rain arrives.<\/p>\n
Leon County\u2019s five sandbag sites are open from dawn to dusk for residents whose homes are prone to flooding. Sand, bags and ties are provided, with a limit of 15 sandbags per household. Locations are:<\/p>\n
– Apalachee Regional Park (Solid Waste Management Facility), 7550 Apalachee Parkway<\/p>\n
– Fred George Park, 3043 Capital Circle NW<\/p>\n
– Fort Braden Community Park, 15000 Blountstown Highway<\/p>\n
– Northeast Branch Library, 5513 Thomasville Road<\/p>\n
– Oak Ridge Road at Ranchero Road<\/p>\n
City of Tallahassee sandbag locations are listed at Talgov.com.<\/p>\n
County officials also urged residents to clear leaves and debris from storm drains and ditches near their homes, bring in or secure loose outdoor items, charge phones, and make sure weather alerts can be received overnight. Residents were also reminded not to drive or walk through flooded roads and to check on neighbors, especially older adults and people who live alone.<\/p>\n
How to stay informed<\/p>\n
Leon County\u2019s Emergency Information Portal is available at LeonCountyFL.gov\/ei. Residents can also sign up for emergency notifications through the Citizens Connect mobile app, available in the Apple App Store and Google Play. Additional resources include the Leon County Citizens Information Line at 850-606-3700, 2-1-1 (Lifeline Connection) at 2-1-1 or 850-617-6333, and 88.9 WFSU-FM for updates from local public safety officials.<\/p>\n
The Jubilee Music Festival III featuring Tye Tribbett, scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 10, at The Adderley Amphitheater at Cascades Park, has been canceled. Ticket holders will be refunded automatically through AXS, and no action is needed.<\/p>\n
The signed emergency proclamation is posted at LeonCountyFL.gov\/ei. Leon County said it will continue sharing updates as the forecast changes.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Leon County has declared a local state of emergency as Hurricane Isaias approaches the northern…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":422818,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[16],"tags":[232,234,233],"class_list":["post-422817","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-tallahassee","tag-tallahassee","tag-tallahassee-headlines","tag-tallahassee-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/422817","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=422817"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/422817\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/422818"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=422817"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=422817"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=422817"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}