FLAGLER COUNTY, Fla. – Residents in Bunnell in Flagler County on Sunday are still being asked to use essential water only.
Rain waters from Ian continue to impact the water treatment plant there. Hurricane Ian turned into a tropical storm once it reached the county and Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staly said the effects could have been worse.
“We dodged the bullet with this hurricane,” Staly said.
Residents on PEP systems who do not have power should continue using water for emergencies only.
Tomorrow schools will reopen so a lot of people on the city’s Facebook page were commenting on how they are supposed to only use essential water before then.
Essential water usage means no laundry, showers, or baths and limited flushing.
Power has been restored in the majority of the county.
As of Saturday, FPL restored 100% of power to Marineland, 25% to Beverly Beach, 86% to Flagler Beach and unincorporated Flagler County, 91% to Bunnell, and 80% to Palm Coast, which has the most customers.
The city on Sunday said it is making progress and explained the reasoning. Officials hope to have a water usage update by Monday.
Officials said if the plant can’t treat and process what buildings and what the weather is sending to it, it can lead to a sewer backup on the streets.
If people continue to limit how much they send through the pipes the plant can catch up and the city can release the advisory tomorrow allowing schools to resume normal operation.
“As power is restored across Bunnell, we understand the need to want to do laundry and take showers. However, the Wastewater Treatment Plant continues to try to deal with excessive amounts of water from the rainfall and the stormwater system,” Bunnell City Manager Alvin Jackson said.
Photos posted to the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office Facebook page show flooding on Moody Boulevard. Other photos show flooding at the Bull Creek Fish Camp and across people’s yards.
News4JAX spoke with the sheriff who said there are still flooded areas around Crescent Lake and Dead Lake.
“The flooding that we had, it was pretty significant, but it dissipated faster than I’ve ever seen it go away,” Staly said.
The Sheriff’s Office said it is sending crews down to Charlotte County to help with relief efforts from the hurricane.
A crew of two headed down to the county Sunday to set up the response trailer and six more will head down Monday morning.
Staly said the department received a call to assist in Charlotte County -- an area in much worse condition than Flagler.
“The sheriff of Charlotte County, his personal home is destroyed. So it’s a significant impact down there. And, you know, so we’re glad to be able to send people and help them out. He told me that many of his deputies’ and employees’ homes were either destroyed or severely damaged, too,” Staly said.
It’s a 10-day mission, and on the 10th day, they’ll send down a relief group of eight, and the original eight will return. The plan is for the team to do security and answer phone calls in the damaged areas.
“They’ve got their hands full down there. We feel very blessed up here and that allows us to help them out,” Staly said.
Staly also said FEMA will reimburse the sheriff’s office for the costs incurred on this mission, so there isn’t a cost to taxpayers.