State of emergency declared in Washington County for Fay

CHIPLEY – Emergency services across the Florida Panhandle are preparing for Tropical Strom Fay, and Washington County is no exception. The Board of County Commissioners approved declaring a state of emergency at a special called meeting Thursday afternoon, with the declaration taking effect at 6 a.m. Friday, Aug. 22.

The move was taken largely in case the Board needs to apply for emergency relief funds if there is major damage caused by Fay. With an emergency declaration in place this makes the process much easier.

And damage could come, according to county Emergency Management Agency Director Roger Dale Hagan. Hagan told a large number of county officials, representatives of emergency services and others at the Emergency Operations Center that the county could get from six-to-12-inches of rain once Fay moves through the gulf south of Washington County. The tropical storm is expected to arrive off Panama City at about 8 a.m. Saturday.

Or it might not…

“The track has changed several times,” Hagan said, noting that Fay has proven to be one of the most unpredictable storms in history as it moved up Florida, went into the Atlantic, and is now poised to cut west across the Panhandle.

Hagan made it clear he and other emergency services needed to be cautious about the future track of the storm.

“I’m not comfortable about the time it will come,” he said. “If it takes more time it may not come later in the day or at night.”

The main concern is rain damage that could take out county dirt roads. “Three to four inches of rain in an hour and a dirt road or a ditch are gone,” Hagan said.

School District Transportation Coordinator Bill Lee voiced concerns about bus routes on Monday morning, and word if any roads are closed will be in his hands over the weekend, BOCC Chairman Joel Pate said.

Further information will be available as it develops at www.chipleypaper.com...video of storm track online

Federal disaster declarations

FEDERAL AID PROGRAMS FOR FLORIDA DISASTER RECOVERY

Following is a summary of key federal disaster aid programs that can be made available as needed and warranted under President Bush’s emergency disaster declaration issued for Florida.

"Emergency" is any occasion or instance in which the president determines that federal assistance is needed to supplement state and local efforts to save lives and protect property and public health and safety or to avert the threat of a catastrophe in any part of the United States.

Assistance for the State and Affected Local Governments Can Include as Required:

•Payment of not less than 75 percent of the eligible costs for removing debris from public areas and for emergency measures taken to save lives and protect property and public health. (Source: FEMA funded, state administered.)

•Initial FEMA-administered aid is limited to $5 million. If limit is exceeded, the President reports on the nature and extent of continuing emergency assistance requirements to Congress before approving further federal aid.
Direct Federal Assistance:
FEMA will provide direct federal assistance through a mission assignment to another federal agency - upon request of the state - when the state and local government certify they lack the capability to perform or contract for the requested work. The state shall agree in advance to reimburse FEMA for the appropriate non-federal share of the work including the overhead of the federal agency assigned the task.
How to Apply for Assistance:

•Application procedures for local governments will be explained at a series of federal/state applicant briefings with locations to be announced in the affected area by recovery officials.

FEMA coordinates the federal government’s role in preparing for, preventing, mitigating the effects of, responding to, and recovering from all domestic disasters, whether natural or man-made, including acts of terror.

Presidential declaration

PRESIDENT ANNOUNCES EMERGENCY DECLARATION FOR FLORIDA

WASHINGTON – The President today announced an emergency declaration for the state of Florida and ordered federal aid to supplement state and local response efforts due to the emergency conditions resulting from Tropical Storm Fay beginning on August 18, 2008, and continuing.

The President's action authorizes the Department of Homeland Security, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), to coordinate all disaster relief efforts which have the purpose of alleviating the hardship and suffering caused by the emergency on the local population, and to provide appropriate assistance for required emergency measures, authorized under Title V of the Stafford Act, to save lives and to protect property and public health and safety, and to lessen or avert the threat of a catastrophe in all counties of the state.

Specifically, FEMA is authorized to identify, mobilize, and provide at its discretion, equipment and resources necessary to alleviate the impacts of the emergency. Debris removal and emergency protective measures, including direct federal assistance, will be provided at 75 percent federal funding.

FEMA Administrator R. David Paulison named Thomas P. Davies the federal coordinating officer for federal recovery operations in the affected area.

FEMA coordinates the federal response. Federal assets already deployed to Florida and available for immediate assistance if requested by the state include:

FEMA:
FEMA National Urban Search and Rescue Task Forces, Mobile Emergency Response System Detachments, and the National Incident Management Assistance Team East.
FEMA logistics commodities: 746,000 meals (35 trailers);
9,600 tarps;
616 rolls (20x100) of plastic sheeting.
Fourteen Mobile Disaster Recovery Centers are standing by for deployment if needed.

U.S. Coast Guard (USCG):
USCG Incident Management Team.
12 Rotary Aircraft and 5 Fixed Wing Aircraft.

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE):
USACE Planning and Prime Power Teams.

Department of Health and Human Services (HHS):
8 HHS Disaster Medical Assistance Teams.
5 caches of emergency medical supplies.

The U.S. Department of Transportation, U.S. Department of Defense, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, U.S. Transportation Security Administration, and the National Infrastructure Coordination Center all report a heightened state of alert and are ready to provide additional support as needed.

FEMA coordinates the federal government’s role in preparing for, preventing, mitigating the effects of, responding to, and recovering from all domestic disasters, whether natural or man-made, including acts of terror.

School closings

Liberty, Calhoun and Gulf County schools are closed Friday.