The pending arrival of Tropical Storm Idalia will open the state’s disaster-related information center and close or curtail school operations Monday in at least two counties.
A flurry of preparations was announced Sunday as Tropical Depression No. 10 became Tropical Storm Idalia, projected to make landfall on Florida’s Gulf Coast sometime early Wednesday.
Besides the Emergency Operations Center in Tallahassee going to a 24-hour schedule starting at 7 a.m., Monday, the state has started to move resources into place, Gov. Ron DeSantis announced from the center Sunday afternoon.
“There’s a lot that can happen,” DeSantis said, noting that Hurricane Ian did not follow its expected track — coming ashore far notably farther south than its anticipated Tampa Bay debut.
Evacuation orders and emergency shelter openings will be left to local officials, DeSantis said.
Among the certainties, so far:
— Hernando County is closing school Monday and opening two school buildings as shelters at noon. West Hernando Middle School will be a medical shelter, and D.S. Parrott Middle School, will be a general population shelter accommodating pets.
And Citrus County schools are closing at noon. Schools in Hillsborough, Orange and Pasco have announced they are watching the storm, but now plan to be open Monday. Additional school closings will be announced on a state Department of Education website.
— The Florida National Guard is mobilizing 1,100 personnel to respond to the affected areas with high-wheel vehicles and aircraft.
— The Florida Department of Law Enforcement has 25 officers, one mobile command vehicle, one operations command center and two mobile staging units ready to deploy to support the activated State Emergency Operations Center team.
— Regulations regarding items such as prescription refills, hauling limits for commercial vehicles providing direct assistance and solid waste collection stand loosened or ready to be loosened.
— The ports along the Gulf Coast, Port Tampa Bay, Seaport Manatee and the Port of St. Petersburg, have begun clearing waterways and securing anything that needs it.
— Supplies and personnel poised to respond to the disaster will be staged in Marion County or the northeastern part of the state to enable maximum flexibility should the situation change, DeSantis said.
DeSantis said that everyone who is anywhere near the Gulf Coast should be paying attention.
“So people here in Tallahassee, you’re not out of the woods at all,” he said.
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