Walton County State of Emergency Declared 7/5/13

[Teresa]

From the Walton County Sheriff website:

July 5, 2013

Effective Immediately Walton County has declared a local state of emergency due to the flooding. The Emergency Operations Center has been activated to a Level 2, which is a partial activation. Personnel will be keeping tabs on local weather conditions, flooding and storm damage.
If citizens have received damage due to the storm please call the WCSO non-emergency number at 850.892.8111.

Some reports have come in of citizens seeing oil washing up on the beach. Please report any oil sightings at 850.892.8111 or call the National Response Center at 1.800.424.8802.

 

[Teresa]

This morning, July 5th, 2013, at 10:00am, the Walton County Board of County Commissioners held a special emergency meeting in order to discuss the declaration of a local state of emergency due to the recent storms and rain totals that have hit the area.

A motion was made by Commissioner Sara Comander and seconded by Commissioner Bill Chapman to declare a local state of emergency by resolution that will remain in place until Friday, July 12th, 2013. The motion passed unanimously.

Information was given by Interim County Commissioner Gerry Demers that early damage totals from the rain and subsequent flooding issues are estimated to be $1.4 million. More assessments will be done as the rain water recedes and public works crews can access additional areas of the county.

The declaration of a local state of emergency will allow the filing for assistance through the Federal Emergency Management Agency, FEMA, if the County meets their dollar amount threshold as well as the state meeting their dollar amount threshold.

The Emergency Operations Center has been activated to a Level 2, which is a partial activation. Personnel will be keeping tabs on local weather conditions, flooding and storm damage.

The South Walton Fire District is out conducting damage assessments of the South Walton area as well as deputies countywide.

If citizens have received damage due to the storm please call the Walton County Sheriff’s Office non-emergency number at 850.892.8111.

Reports have come in of citizens seeing oil washing up on the beach. Please report any oil sightings to the National Response Center at 1.800.424.8802.

http://www.waltonso.org/walton-county-under-state-of-emergency/

 

[Teresa]

Please see other discussion threads in All About SoWal Forum for weather and road condition reports.

 

[Kurt]

NOAA weather stats:
INLET BEACH (WALTON County) 19.14 inches of rain 0700 AM 07/05

 

[Kurt]

 

[Beach Runner]

So should we drive down and check on our house in Watersound? Or can we get there?

 

[librarian]

So should we drive down and check on our house in Watersound? Or can we get there?

We drove thru water sound (just the main part) and it looked fine. I don't know where your house is but we drove from Gulf place to Seacrest at about 7 pm with no issues-a few inches of water in places though.
If u have decent neighbors I'd just ask someone to check - then come if anything is submerged or if u are in a low spot.
Good luck

 

[Beach Runner]

We drove thru water sound (just the main part) and it looked fine. I don't know where your house is but we drove from Gulf place to Seacrest at about 7 pm with no issues-a few inches of water in places though.
If u have decent neighbors I'd just ask someone to check - then come if anything is submerged or if u are in a low spot.
Good luck

Thanks. Our home is not in a flood zone (ditto for our previous home in South Walton), but we purchased flood insurance for both houses just in case. Remember after Katrina when insurance companies wouldn't pay for hurricane damage because they said it was flood damage? So we're just taking extra precautions. We contacted neighbors and friends earlier today. They said no problems. But some of the latest stuff coming from weather.com is kinda scary.