THE LATEST FROM SANTA ROSA COUNTY EMERGENCY OFFICIALS: Damage Assessments Preliminary numbers for residential damage from the damage assessment by the joint damage assessment teams of state, FEMA and local inspectors show 350 impacted homes. Preliminary numbers for residential damage from the Santa Rosa County Property Appraiser are currently estimated at $4.8 million. The damage assessment process is ongoing, so the number will change daily until inspections are complete and the inspectors visit different areas of the county. Residential damage assessments show: Gulf Breeze – 249 total impacted § Affected – 91 § Minor – 54 § Major – 41 § Inaccessible - 60 Midway – 101 total impacted § Affected – 74 § Minor – 5 § Major – 22 § Inaccessible – 0 Agricultural damage includes: Farm Structures – 5 affected at $50,000 loss Land Damages – 10,000 acres affected with a $750,000 loss. o Crop Damage § Total acres of farmland affected: 55,000 acres. § Wheat - 1,153 acres planted and affected with 35% yield loss. § Oats - 70 acres planted and affected with 35% loss. § Corn - 700 acres planted and affected with 10% loss. § Grass (Hay) - 1,500 acres planted and affected with 40% loss. § Vegetables - 350 acres affected with 10% loss § Yield losses on cotton and peanuts are anticipated due to delayed planting up to 3 to 4 weeks. Fields will have to dry out and many will have to be reworked to repair soil erosion damage before planting can occur. Estimated percent of losses covered by insurance is 7.5% · Damage to county facilities overall were minor, with the exception of the Health Department and EOC: o South Santa Rosa Health Department – 8 to 15 inches of water o Emergency Operations Center– Water under raised floor, 750 gallons of water extract o Milton Library – water intrusion o Roof leaks at Chumuckla Community Center, Administration Building and Whittle Building Joint damage assessment teams of state, FEMA and local inspectors continue official damage assessments Thursday, May 1 for both residential and county property damage. Residents with flood damage can report damage online including submitting photos at santarosa.fl.gov/EmergencyNEW/WebDamage.cfm or by calling (850) 983-4636. If you have already begun repairs, be sure to take photos of the damage and keep all receipts for any repairs you make. Make sure the date is clearly visible on all receipts. Emergency Support Function 18 has activated the Business Damage Assessment Survey website in response to the “Spring 2014 Flooding Event”: flvbeoc.org/index.php?action=bda. The completed surveys will help the State Emergency Response Team in determining the needs and level of assistance for impacted businesses. Your assistance is needed in sharing the web link and in encouraging businesses to complete the survey Mosquitoes · The Santa Rosa County Mosquito Department will resume a full fogging schedule on Monday, May 5. · Protect yourself and family from increased risks of mosquito bites by following the “4 D’s,” which include: o Dusk and Dawn – Avoid being outdoors when mosquitoes are seeking blood. For many species, this is during the dusk and dawn hours. o Dress – Dress in long sleeves and pants during dawn and dusk or in areas where mosquitoes are active. o DEET – When the potential exists for exposure to mosquitoes, repellents containing DEET (N,N-diethyl-meta-toluamide, or N,N-diethyl-3-methylbenzamide) are recommended. Picaridin, oil of lemon eucalyptus, and IR3535 are other repellent options. If additional protection is necessary, a permethrin repellent can be applied directly to your clothing. Again, always follow the manufacturer’s directions. o Dump – Check around your home weekly to rid the area of standing water in containers, which is where mosquitoes can lay their eggs, including tires, cans, flowerpots, clogged rain gutters, rain barrels, toys, puddles and even unused fountains. Insects, Snakes & Wildlife Insects, snakes and other wildlife are moving to survive as the water levels change. Residents should monitor the area when outside, especially when with children and pets. Be aware of snakes that may be swimming in the water to get to higher ground and those that may be hiding under debris or other objects. If you see a snake, back away from it slowly and do not touch it. Standing Water Safety · Flooded waters can contain dangerous materials including debris, chemicals, pesticides and biological waste from septic tank flooding. · All residents are encouraged to stay out of river waters due to health and safety risks. · Persons coming in contact with the river water are urged to shower immediately and/or wash hands, feet, or other contact areas with anti-bacterial soap or gel often. EBT Benefits For the counties of Escambia, Okaloosa, Santa Rosa and Walton the Florida Department of Children and Families is issuing the May distribution of food assistance benefits early on Monday, May. The advance distribution applies only to participants of the regular food assistance program in the affected counties. By issuing May benefits early in the month, current food assistance recipients will be able to access their benefits by using their Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) card. Food assistance customers in the affected counties who lost their food as a result of the flooding can apply to receive replacement food assistance benefits by visiting a local service center (dcf.state.fl.us/access/CPSLookup/search.aspx), or by calling 1-866-762-2237 for more information. For more information on the Food Assistance Program visit myflorida/accessflorida. Closed Roads & Bridges · Do not remove road barricades on closed roads or bridges. Even after the water has receded, public works crews must complete safety inspections. Dangerous road conditions can be reported to the Santa Rosa County Road and Bridge Department at (850) 626-0191. Bayview at Crestview Lane Broad Street, between Berry Hill Road and Madison Street in Milton. The detour is Conecuh Street Bryant Bridge Road Deaton Bridge on Deaton Bridge Road East Bay Boulevard between Shadow Lakes Sub and Zilla Street in Navarre. The detour for those east of Zilla Street is Bergren Road Holley Club Road in Navarre Norman Riley Road, in the Blackwater State Forest, is closed between Bud Bass Road and Bryant Bridge Road Red Rock Road Sherwood Dive at Codell Street in Holley by the Sea is closed due to damage. The detour will be around the block. Village Parkway – open to local traffic only Private Well Safety · Residents with private wells who are concerned that their water has been impacted it’s re that all water used for drinking, cooking, making ice, brushing teeth, bathing, or washing dishes be boiled. · A rolling boil of at least one minute is sufficient. As an alternative, bottled water may be used. Tap water can also be disinfected by adding 8 drops of unscented household bleach to each gallon of water, then mixing the water and allowing it to stand for a minimum of 30 minutes. If water is still cloudy after 30 minutes, the process should be repeated. · Once flooding has subsided, wells may be disinfected by following procedures recommended by the Department of Health found at: floridahealth.gov/healthy-environments/private-well-testing/. Have well water tested by a laboratory certified by the state to conduct testing for coliform bacteria. Water Quality Advisory Due to heavy rainfall in the past several days that may have contaminated recreational water ways, the Florida Department of Health in Santa Rosa County is advising residents to avoid water related activities, including swimming, fishing, and boating, for the next several days. Advisory signs will be posted in the areas where the health department conducts Healthy Beaches water sampling; Navarre Park at Highway 98, Navarre Beach West, Navarre Beach Pier, Juana’s Beach, and Shoreline Park. Signs will remain in place until water samples indicate that bacteria levels have returned to normal. Permits and Contractors · If you’ve had damage to your home from the recent flooding, it’s important that the work is done properly and that the person you hire is properly licensed. Check our website to ensure they are licensed in Santa Rosa County. data1.santarosa.fl.gov/gopermitslive/ · A permit is required for but not limited to: o Foundation repairs. o Drywall replacement. o Roofing repairs. o Electrical repairs or replacement. o Water line or gas line repairs or replacement. o Air conditioner/heating repairs or replacement. · Warning Signs of an Unlicensed Contractor: o The contract offers a verbal contract only. o The contractor does not have proof of insurance. A licensed contractor in Santa Rosa County is required to have workers compensation and general liability insurance. o The contractor asks you to obtain the permit. The permit holder is held responsible for making any changes needed to pass inspections. If you hold the permit then we expect you to make the corrections. o The contractor states that a permit is not required. Most often a permit is required except for minor repairs. o The contractor only provides a copy of a Business Tax Receipt as proof of a license. The State of Florida requires an individual to hold a State Certification, State Registration of Specialty Trade License in the field they are contracting to lawfully engage in contracting. Each will have a wallet card labeled with their name and scope of trade. · Please call Santa Rosa County Development services with questions about contractor or permit requirements, between 7:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday at (850) 981-7000. Home Cleanup Wear protective equipment such as gloves and boots to avoid direct contact with contaminated water. Always use good hand washing practices during this time. It is especially important to wash your hands with soap or sanitizer before eating or drinking. Flooding may cause wastewater to back up into homes and these contaminated materials can cause health risks. Remove any water from your home as quickly as possible since the water may contain germs from overflowing sewage systems. If sewage has backed up into your home, wear rubber boots and waterproof gloves during cleanup. Throw away all food that was touched by flood water – including home-canned food. Throw away any wooden cutting boards, plastic utensils, baby bottle nipples and pacifiers. There is no way to clean them if they came into contact with contaminated flood water. Thoroughly wash metal pans, ceramic dishes and utensils with hot soapy water and sanitize by boiling them in clean water or by immersing them for 15 minutes in a solution of one teaspoon of chlorine bleach per quart of water. Items that cannot be washed or dry-cleaned, such as mattresses and upholstered furniture, must be thrown out or air dried in the sun and sprayed thoroughly with a disinfectant. Remove and discard contaminated household materials that cannot be disinfected such as wall coverings, cloth, rugs, and drywall. As a general rule, anything you cant wash, disinfect and air dry should be thrown away. Walls, floors, closets, shelves and their contents and any other flooded parts of your home should be thoroughly washed and disinfected with a solution of one cup of bleach to five gallons of water. Thoroughly disinfect surfaces and items that come in contact with food and children’s play areas. Wash all linens and clothing in hot water or dry-clean them. Steam-clean all carpeting. Fiberboard, fibrous insulation and disposable filters in your heating and air conditioning system that have been in contact with floodwater or sewage should be replaced. Be careful about mixing household cleaners and disinfectants, as combining certain types of products can create toxic fumes and result in injury or death. It can be difficult to throw away items in a home, particularly those with sentimental value. However, saving items that have been soaked by sewage or floodwater may be unhealthy. In general, materials that cannot be thoroughly cleaned and dried within 24 to 48 hours should be discarded. Do not use electrical appliances that have been wet. Water can damage the motors in electrical appliances, such as furnaces, freezers, refrigerators, washing machines and dryers. To prevent a gas explosion and fire, have gas appliances (natural gas and LP gas) inspected and cleaned after flooding. If gas appliances have been under water, have them inspected and cleaned and their gas controls replaced, if necessary. The gas company or a qualified appliance repair person or plumber should do this work. Water can damage gas controls so that safety features are blocked, even if the gas controls appear to operate properly. General Information santarosa.fl.gov or follow us on Twitter at @SRCBOCC Please monitor your home weather radio and local media outlets for the most up-to-date information. Your best defense in any disaster is a NOAA Weather radio. Citizens can signup to automatically receive breaking news alerts from Santa Rosa County Emergency Management via e-mail or as a text message on their cell phone at: santarosa.fl.gov/emergency/publicwarning.html.
Posted on: Sat, 03 May 2014 17:58:26 +0000
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