Following Hurricane Isaias’s landfall Friday night, Walton County Public Works has been busy clearing roads of trees and other storm debris. Cleanup efforts are continuing, and additional information about work throughout Walton County will be posted later today. In the meantime, visit the Walton County Emergency Operations Center webpage for frequently asked questions: [URL="https://www.mywaltonfl.gov/1544/Hurricane-Isaias-FAQ#docaccess-30e93eb202722c2a750a3a095b2dbf7a"]Hurricane Isaias FAQ | Walton County, FL - Home Page[/URL] If your residential or business property sustained damage, please complete the appropriate form so impacts can be documented and necessary resources—such as housing, food, water, and tarps—can be identified. Use the [Residential Damage Assessment Form](https://arcg.is/1yrPn44) or the [Business Damage Assessment Form](https://arcg.is/1jCuGP3). Sign up for the Alert Walton Emergency Notification Program at [URL="http://www.alertwalton.org"]www.alertwalton.org[/URL]. You can also follow Walton County Emergency Management on Facebook at [URL="https://www.facebook.com/WaltonCountyEM"]Walton County Emergency Management | DeFuniak Springs FL[/URL]. For more information or questions, contact the Walton County Emergency Operations Center at (850) 892-8065 or [email]wcem@waltoncountyem.org[/email]. --- Choctawhatchee Electric Cooperative, Inc. (CHELCO) estimates that most of its system will be restored by Tuesday night, Oct. 13, following widespread power outages caused by Hurricane Isaias. The Category 2 hurricane made landfall near Destin, Florida, on Friday night, Oct. 9, before moving through CHELCO’s service territory in Okaloosa, Walton, Holmes, and Santa Rosa counties. The storm’s extreme sustained winds and gusts caused widespread damage, including fallen trees, broken poles, and damaged equipment. At the height of the storm, approximately 71,000 of CHELCO’s 76,000 meters experienced power outages. “Our team has made tremendous progress with damage assessments and power restoration, and we currently estimate that the majority of our members will have power restored by the night of Tuesday, Oct. 13,” said CHELCO CEO Steve Rhodes. “This is easily the largest storm response in CHELCO’s 86-year history, and we’re confident that our employees, mutual aid crews, and contractors are equipped to meet the challenge.” By Monday morning, more than 1,400 linemen, right-of-way technicians, and support personnel are expected to be working across CHELCO’s service territory to restore power to remaining members. “We are grateful for the mutual aid crews and contractors who have traveled from across the country to assist with our extensive restoration efforts. I’m also extremely proud of our CHELCO employees and their tremendous response,” Rhodes said. “Our team will continue working until all power is restored and will provide updates as more information becomes available.” For the latest updates, follow @MyCHELCO on Facebook or visit CHELCO.com. --- As recovery continues across the Florida Panhandle, Walmart is working alongside state and local officials and nonprofit partners to help communities access meals, water, connectivity, and other essential services. Below is a summary of relief events Walmart Inc. planned for Monday, October 12. Operation BBQ Relief planned free meal distributions at the Santa Rosa Beach Walmart NHM #8861, 6861 E US Hwy 98, with lunch at noon; the DeFuniak Springs Walmart #1134, 401 US Hwy 90 E, with lunch at noon and dinner at 5 p.m.; and the Pensacola Walmart #3785, 501 N Navy Blvd, with lunch at noon and dinner at 5 p.m. All meals and water were free and available while supplies lasted. Recovery is expected to take time, particularly in Escambia, Okaloosa, Santa Rosa, and Walton counties. Walmart teams will continue coordinating with state and local emergency management, operations, and nonprofit partners to identify needs and support recovery. Walmart expressed appreciation for everyone’s continued work to help Florida communities recover.
