St Lucie IRMA update Sept 9 2017

This is the post i will update so bookmark it.
Also Because we are concerned about what is going to happen we are asking everyone from our various groups to make sure they like our main Facebook page at TreasureCoast/Facebook. We also ask that if you are on Twitter you sign up for our twitter feed. We get all our info directly from our local government officials and if it comes down to it we will be able to tweet this info. You can sign up for notifications. All the links are on the post and i will be putting out various individual updates in the next few hours.

irma text alerts

6 pm

St. Lucie County Hurricane Irma Update Saturday, Sept. 9 at 5 p.m.

LUCIE COUNTY – Hurricane Irma continues to track west; however, officials are still projecting tropical-storm force winds to impact St. Lucie County early Sunday morning into the early hours of Monday, Sept. 11.

Evacuations

Mandatory evacuations have been lifted for residents on North and South Hutchinson Island, in low-laying areas and those living in manufactured homes. However, a voluntary evacuation still remains in effect for those residents. Additionally, all residents are asked to stay off the roads, while this storm impacts our area.

Shelters

As of 6 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 9, there were roughly 2,096 residents and 40 pets at the county’s shelters that opened yesterday, which less than 50 percent of the capacity. There are reports that residents from the west coast of Florida are starting take shelter in local facilities.

The general population shelters that are open include:

Fort Pierce Central High School, 4101 South 25^thStreet, Fort Pierce – At capacity as of 11 a.m. today.
Bayshore Elementary, 1661 SW Bayshore Blvd., Port St Lucie
Chester A Moore Elementary, 827 N 29th Street, Fort Pierce
Floresta Elementary, 1501 SE Floresta Drive, Port St Lucie
Lakewood Park Elementary, 7800 Indrio Road, Fort Pierce
Morningside Elementary, 2300 SE Gowin Drive, Port St Lucie
Oak Hammock Elementary, 1251 SW California Blvd., Port St Lucie
Parkway Elementary School, 7000 NW Selvitz Road, Port St Lucie
Samuel S. Gaines Academy, 2250 S Jenkins Road, Fort Pierce
Treasure Coast High School, 1000 SW Darwin Blvd. Port St. Lucie
Westgate K-8 School, 1050 NE Cashmere Blvd., Port St. Lucie
Westwood High School, 1801 Angle Road, Fort Pierce, which serves as a pet-friendly shelter. Residents need to bring crates that can comfortably accommodate their pets, as well as food, water and litter. Owners are required to show proof of current rabies vaccinations and licenses for their pets. Pets, along with their owners, will be taken on a first-come, first-serve basis.

Residents are reminded that shelters are places of last resort. Those planning to stay at a shelter should bring food, water, blankets, pillows and medications.

Medical Special Needs Shelter

St. Lucie County opened the Special Needs Shelter Friday, Sept. 8 at 9 a.m., which is located at the Havert L. Fenn Center, 2000 Virginia Ave., Fort Pierce.

Supplies needed for the Medical Special Needs Shelter:

Pillows
Linens
Blanket
Change of clothes (3 to 5 days)
Medications (in prescription bottles) and Lists of Medications)
Wound Care Supplies
Towels/ Washcloth
Wheelchair/ Walker
Personal Hygiene Items (soap, toothbrush, adult diapers, etc.)
Special Dietary Needs (Special Diets CANNOT be accommodated in a shelter)

As of 8 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 9, there were 365 special needs patients and 110 caregivers admitted into the special needs shelter.

Government Closures

St. Lucie County government offices and facilities, including the Clerk of Courts, Tax Collector, Property Appraiser, Sheriff’s Office and Supervisor of Elections, will be closed on Monday, Sept. 11. This closure includes the skate park, Lawnwood Stadium, St. Lucie County libraries, preserves and attractions such as the Regional History Center, St. Lucie County Aquarium and the Oxbow Eco-Center. St. Lucie County Public Schools, as well as John Carroll High School.

Updates

St. Lucie County’s Emergency Operations Center is at a Level 1 (full) activation. Hurricane Irma press conferences/updates from St. Lucie County’s Emergency Operations Center will take place at 8 a.m., noon and 3 p.m. daily and will be streamed live to the county’s Facebook page: www.facebook.com/stluciegov.

St. Lucie County’s Information Hotline, 772-460-HELP (4357), is open today until 8 p.m. and reopen Sunday, Sept. 10 at 7 a.m. until further notice.

St. Lucie County Commissioners approved a local State of Emergency Declaration Tuesday evening; while Florida Gov. Scott issued a statewide declaration on Monday.

For more information about the St. Lucie County’s preparations and precautionary measures visit: www.stlucieco.gov/hurricaneor on social media @StLucieGov.

https://www.facebook.com/StLucieGOV/videos/833976456779455/

St. Lucie County Hurricane Irma Update Saturday, Sept. 9 at 8 a.m.

LUCIE COUNTY – Hurricane Irma continues to track west; however, officials are still projecting tropical-storm force winds to impact St. Lucie County this evening into and throughout the day Sunday.

Evacuations

Shelters

As of 8 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 9, there were roughly 800 residents and 24 pets at the county’s shelters that opened yesterday, which less than 50 percent of the capacity for the shelters that opened yesterday. Four general population shelters that opened yesterday include:

Westwood High School, 1801 Angle Road, Fort Pierce, which serves as a pet-friendly shelter. Residents need to bring crates that can comfortably accommodate their pets, as well as food, water and litter. Owners are required to show proof of current rabies vaccinations and licenses for their pets. Pets, along with their owners, will be taken on a first-come, first-serve basis.
Treasure Coast High School, 1000 SW Darwin Blvd. Port St. Lucie
Westgate K-8 School, 1050 NE Cashmere Blvd., Port St. Lucie
Fort Pierce Central High School, 4101 South 25^thStreet, Fort Pierce

Those planning to stay at a shelter should bring food, water, blankets, pillows and medications.

Additional shelters opening today, include:

Bayshore Elementary, 1661 SW Bayshore Blvd, Port St Lucie
Chester A Moore Elementary, 827 N 29th Street, Fort Pierce
Floresta Elementary, 1501 SE Floresta Drive, Port St Lucie
Lakewood Park Elementary, 7800 Indrio Road, Fort Pierce
Morningside Elementary, 2300 SE Gowin Dr, Port St Lucie
Oak Hammock Elementary, 1251 SW California Blvd, Port St Lucie
Parkway Elementary School, 7000 NW Selvitz Rd, Port St Lucie
Samuel S. Gaines Academy, 2250 S Jenkins Rd, Fort Pierce

Shelter Transportation

Residents seeking transportation to the General Population Shelters can call 772-204-RIDE (7433) on Saturday, Sept. 9 from 8 a.m. to noon.

Medical Special Needs Shelter

St. Lucie County opened the Special Needs Shelter Friday, Sept. 8 at 9 a.m., which is located at the Havert L. Fenn Center, 2000 Virginia Ave., Fort Pierce.

Supplies needed for the Medical Special Needs Shelter:

Pillows
Linens
Blanket
Change of clothes (3 to 5 days)
Medications (in prescription bottles) and Lists of Medications)
Wound Care Supplies
Towels/ Washcloth
Wheelchair/ Walker
Personal Hygiene Items (soap, toothbrush, adult diapers, etc.)
Special Dietary Needs (Special Diets CANNOT be accommodated in a shelter)

As of 8 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 9, there were 225 special needs patients and 118 caregivers admitted into the special needs shelter.

Government Closures

St. Lucie County government offices and facilities, including the Clerk of Courts, Tax Collector, Property Appraiser, Sheriff’s Office and Supervisor of Elections, will be closed on Monday, Sept. 11. This closure includes the skate park, Lawnwood Stadium, St. Lucie County libraries, preserves and attractions such as the Regional History Center, St. Lucie County Aquarium and the Oxbow Eco-Center. St. Lucie County Public Schools, as well as John Carroll High School.

Updates

St. Lucie County’s Emergency Operations Center is at a Level 1 (full) activation. The next press conference/update is scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 9 at 12:15 p.m. from the Emergency Operations Center. It will be streamed live to St. Lucie County’s Facebook page: www.facebook.com/stluciegov.

St. Lucie County’s Information Hotline, 772-460-HELP (4357), is open today until further notice.

St. Lucie County Commissioners approved a local State of Emergency Declaration Tuesday evening; while Florida Gov. Scott issued a statewide declaration on Monday.

For more information about the St. Lucie County’s preparations and precautionary measures visit:www.stlucieco.gov/hurricane or on social media @StLucieGov.

St. Lucie County officials encourage residents to stay put when the storm passes until First Responders have had the opportunity to assess roadways and respond to those in need. Downed power lines, branches, and debris could be a significant issue. Please remember, when you do begin making your way back out, the following rules when approaching an intersection. #slcprepared

Bookmark FPL Power Tracker

Please note that the City of Port St Lucie does not have any more sandbags for residents.

Fort Pierce Utilities Authority

FPUA is working closely with the Florida Municipal Power Agency and the Florida Municipal Electric Association, as well as being in direct communication with Governor Scott. We are working closely with the St. Lucie County Emergency Operations Center and have liaisons in place. Additional preparations include the following:

* Topped off all water tanks and repump facilities.

* Ensured priority circuits (those that serve shelters, hospitals, water plant, etc., are clear of vegetation and in top working condition.

* Created hard copy maps for critical infrastructure in the event that computer systems are inoperable.

* Installed storm hardening materials at all critical utility sites.

* Stocked trucks and facilities with repair materials and tools.

.If you experience an outage, please call FPUA at 772-466-7703. We will do our best to keep you informed through our website, www.fpua.com<https://www.fpua.com> and on Facebook, www.facebook.com/teamFPUA<https://www.facebook.com/teamFPUA>.

If you plan to shelter in place, we offer the following tips:
OUTSIDE YOUR HOME

* Secure all loose items such as patio furniture, trash cans, recycle bins, plants, hoses, etc. inside your garage or securely fasten so that they do not blow away, causing damage or injury.

* Do not do any yardwork or place debris of any kind at the curb.

* If you own a swimming pool, turn off all pumps and filters as water from the storm can damage them.

INSIDE YOUR HOME

* Fill all pitchers, reusable containers and empty water bottles/jugs with tap water and place them in the freezer. If you lose power, they will help keep the freezer cold and as they melt, you will have a fresh source of water for drinking or cooking.

* Turn freezer and refrigerator to the lowest setting and keep the door closed. If the power goes out this will help keep food fresh longer.

* Keep cell phones and electronics that have battery back-up plugged in. If you lose power, those items should have maximum battery capacity.

DURING THE STORM

* If you lose power, use flashlights instead of candles or kerosene lamps. Be careful if you cook over flames, a gust of wind could start a fire and the fire department may not be able to respond.

* Stay indoors and clear of doors and windows.

* Unplug major electronics and appliances.

AFTER THE STORM

* Do not venture out until it is deemed safe by local authorities. Downed power lines, sometimes not directly in view, can still be charged and pose a grave threat.

* If you own a generator, read all instructions carefully and abide by manufacturer’s recommendations. Make sure your generator is in a well-ventilated location. Plug appliances directly into the generator. If you use an auxiliary generator, remember to turn the power off at the main breaker in your home before turning on the generator. Failure to do this could result in backfeed into FPUA lines, endangering restoration crews. Additionally, remember to turn the generator off before turning your house power back on.

* Avoid crews working in the streets. This will keep you and the crew safe as they work to restore your utilities.