COLUMBIA COUNTY, Fla. – Columbia County was under a hurricane warning Thursday morning, one of the only counties in Northeast Florida with that designation.
The county is still recovering from Hurricane Debby last month, which is putting many residents on edge as Hurricane Helene barrels through the Gulf of Mexico.
Helene is expected to become an extremely dangerous Category 4 storm before making landfall late Thursday or early Friday along Florida’s Big Bend area.
But the storm is hundreds of miles wide and state officials have repeatedly warned Florida residents to be prepared to feel at least some effects of the storm, no matter where it makes landfall.
Columbia County commissioners held another emergency meeting Thursday to outline their plans for the storm and the aftermath.
They say residents should be ready for rain, strong winds and power outages. They are urging residents to only call 911 if they have a true emergency, so dispatchers don’t become overwhelmed.
For anything that is not an emergency or even if you just have a question, residents should call the Citizens Information Center at 386-719-7530, which will be open 24 hours a day moving forward.
Emergency Director Shayne Morgan and Commissioner Ron Williams said this recent stretch of storms is reminiscent of 2004.
“When we had back-to-back hurricanes, Francis and Jeanne, and it was devastating to this county because when Francis came through first, it filled up all of our swamps and holding places that held water and then when Jeanne came by, it did not have anywhere to go but flood even worse,” Williams said.
Morgan pointed out that Helene is a big storm.
“Even though the cone says what it shows, it will affect well outside of that cone of concern that you see on the screens when you see the hurricane modeling,” Morgan said.
The county is opening five shelters starting at 7 a.m. Thursday:
- Deep Creek Community Center
- Winfield Community Center
- Westside Elementary School -- which will be for those with special needs and their caregivers only
- Fort White High School
- Richardson Community Center
There will also be a pet shelter available, just for pets. The vacant building at the intersection of Leon and Franklin streets is being converted into a pet shelter. Pets will need vaccination/shot records, food and owners are asked to bring their own kennels if possible.
The county got a shipment of 60 kennels to use at the shelter. Owners will NOT be allowed to stay with their pets.
The county said a formal curfew will not be implemented as far as a time, but leaders are asking everyone to stay off the roads after dark and until sunlight Friday.
They warn that if you are out there between those times, first responders may not be able and will not be obligated to help you because of the dangerous conditions.
“If you choose to go out there, you are on your own,” Williams said. “We have given you the warnings and a fair warning.”
Morgan said it is imperative for people to stay home or in a shelter while the storm is at its worst.
“After a certain point, even though we don’t know exactly where that point is right now, it will not be safe for people to be out on the roads,” Morgan said. “Wherever they need to be, they need to be there before that time happens when it starts getting really bad. We want everybody to be safe because these can be potentially hurricane force gusts, hurricane force winds. We cannot rule those out at this point. We want everyone to do their part to be as safe as they can be and to help us by being off the roads.”
Beginning at 7:30 a.m. Thursday, sandbags (limited to 15 bags per vehicle) will be available at:
- Columbia County Public Works, 607 NW Quinten Street, Lake City
- Fort White Community Center, 17579 SW State Road 47, Fort White
- Southside Sports Complex, 1963 SW Bascom Norris Drive, Lake City
At last count, the county had distributed 11,190 sandbags.
In Columbia County, Public Works started pumping problematic ponds earlier this week to aid in possible flooding.
All necessary contractors for disaster relief efforts are being reached out to.
Helene is expected to bring half a foot of rain to parts of Columbia County, which is less than what Debby brought when it swept through the state last month forcing nearly 40 streets to close.
Garbage pickup in Columbia County will start at 5:30 a.m. Thursday. The county says crews will continue work until winds reach the 35 mph to 45 mph range.