FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 10/12/18  5:00 PM
 
Nassau County ARES Providing Communications Support to Panhandle
 
Nassau County’s Amateur Radio Emergency Services (NCARES) team has been requested by the State’s Emergency Operations Center (EOC) to lend their communications networking capabilities and technological expertise to the Panhandle counties.  Hurricane Michael destroyed critical infrastructure throughout several counties west of Tallahassee.  Many are relying on volunteer Ham Radio operators utilizing the State Amateur Radio Network (SARnet) to relay information about structural damage, supply shortages, and requests for assistance from the Panhandle to NE Florida, where those needs can be put directly into Emergency Management’s web-based disaster information and mission request system. 

As a not-for-profit entity, NCARES pays for all of its equipment and operations through donations and two annual barbeque fundraisers.  NCARES members volunteer their time and resources daily to Nassau County Emergency Management staffing the County Watch Office.  During disasters like Hurricane Michael, the volunteers do whatever is needed to ensure emergency messages get to where they need to go.  NCARES volunteers will tow their Mobile Communications Center, joining Detective Thomas Kelley in the specially-equipped NCSO Mobile Communications Vehicle on a mission to provide emergency generator power, patching, relay, and dispatch capabilities and help repair what they can to improve public safety communication in the devastated counties.

Nassau County Emergency Management
Contact:  Martha Oberdorfer, Public Information
904-548-0900 (EOC Information Center)
e-mail:  EOC.PublicInfo@NassauFLEM.com
Facebook: NassauEM
Twitter: @NassauEM

10/11/18 @ 1:15 p.m. - Below is State Road 200 lane closure information for the week of October 13 through October 19, 2018. NOTE: THIS INCLUDES DAYTIME LANE CLOSURES TO THE LEFT, WESTBOUND LANE BETWEEN LOFTON CREEK AND DAVID HALLMAN PARKWAY ON SATURDAY, OCTOBER 13TH AND SUNDAY, OCTOBER 14TH.

SUBJECT: LANE CLOSURE INFORMATION 
Job Description:  SR-200 Reconstruction (W of Rubin Rd. to E of CR 107 Scott Rd.)
Financial Project Number:  210712-4-52-01 & 210712-4-56-01
Federal Aid Project Number:  4881064P
Contract Number:  T2579
County - Section Number:  Nassau - 74060
 
SPECIFIC LOCATION OF THE CLOSURE:
 
Daytime:

• SR 200 WB Left Lane from Lofton Creek to David Hallman Parkway; Saturday, 10/13/18; 7:00 AM – 6:00 PM
  
• SR 200 WB Left Lane from Lofton Creek to David Hallman Parkway; Sunday, 10/14/18; 7:00 AM – 6:00 PM
  

 
Nighttime:   

• SR 200 WB Left Lane from Lofton Creek to David Hallman Parkway; Saturday, 10/13/18; 6:00 PM – 6:00 AM
• SR 200 WB Right Lane from Lofton Creek to David Hallman Pkwy; Monday, 10/15/18 thru Friday, 10/19/18; 9:00 PM – 6:00 AM

 
REASON FOR THE CLOSURE (Type of Construction/Maintenance Activity):
Temporary Traffic Markings
Traffic Shift
Barrier Wall Installation
 
PROJECT ENGINEER OR CONTACT PERSON AND TELEPHONE NUMBER:
ETM                                        
Carrie Smithheart, PA              
Office: (904) 265-3170          
Cell: (904) 509-9007

-Sabrina Robertson
 County Manager's Office

10/10/18 @ 10:45 a.m. - Below is an updated from Nassau County Emergency Management posted to their website at 10:00 a.m. this morning:

HURRICANE MICHAEL UPDATE: 10/10/2018 10AM

For areas along the coast and The Intracoastal Waterway, be aware of periodic high winds, possibility of tornadoes/waterspouts, and intermittent bridge closures. Officers will be stationed at the bridges to monitor sustained wind speeds. Timing of concern for our area begins early this afternoon and into the midnight hours.

For areas west of US1 in Nassau County, be aware of periodic high winds, tornadoes. Remember that the west side... of our county sits on the edge of warning areas sustained tropical storm force winds. Vigilance and preparedness is imperative.

While no official warnings have been issued for Nassau County, there are severe weather impact potentials all around us. Please remain vigilant and prepared.

Bridges are open at this time. When sustained wind speeds are above 39 mph for 3 minutes, we will temporarily close the bridge. Officers will be stationed to monitor these conditions throughout the day. If the bridges close, they will reopen as soon as winds speeds subside to a safe level for travel.
Because of construction on A1A, we are unsure how winds and rains may impact the roadways. If you do not have reason to be on the roads, we encourage you to remain indoors.

If you have questions? Call Nassau County Emergency Management 904-548-0900.

10/10/18 @ 2:00 p.m. - At this morning's Conference Call of the Executive Policy Group, Emergency Management Director, Billy Estep, stated that Hurricane Michael is now being referred to as a "historical storm" due to its size and strength and indicated that tropical storm force winds will be felt as far north as Augusta, Ga.

Current wind predictions for Nassau County are between 20-35 mph from 3:00 p.m. to midnight, and then between 35-50 mph from midnight to noon tomorrow. The west side of the County has the potential for power outages and tornadoes. The east side of the County has already experienced fallen debris and will be in danger of possible tornadoes and water spouts.

We've been told that Okefenokee Electric has ample resources to respond to power outages in their service areas on the west side of the County and that Florida Power & Light will be staging 150 trucks near Hilliard to respond to outages to their customers throughout the County. Residents are reminded to avoid downed power lines and to report them as soon as possible.

Employees of the Nassau County Road & Bridge Department and Facilities Maintenance Department will be working throughout the night to respond to calls as needed. Officers will be stationed by the bridges to monitor wind conditions and will close bridges if we experience sustained (continuous) winds of 39mph or greater for 3 minutes. If the bridges close, they will reopen as soon as winds speeds subside to a safe level for travel.

The Emergency Operations Center will remain activated to a Level II and will have staff and volunteers answering phones and watching the storm as it progresses throughout the evening. If you have any questions, they can be reached at (904) 548-0900.

The Journey Church in Fernandina Beach has indicated they can open their doors for shelter and can take up to 130 people. They are not currently open at this time, however will be on standby should Emergency Management determine there is a need. Should the County need to open a shelter, it will be at the Hilliard Middle Senior High School. Please note there are currently NO plans to open a County operated shelter at this time.

Nassau County Schools have cancelled all after school activities, however there are currently NO plans to cancel school tomorrow.

-Sabrina Robertson
 County Manager's Office

10/9/18 @ 4:30 p.m. - A Conference Call of the Executive Policy Group was held right before noon today. Emergency Management Director, Billy Estep, indicated that the current track shows Hurricane Michael making landfall in the panhandle and that the possibility of hurricane force winds for Nassau County has diminished.

Tropical Storm force winds on the east side of the County are expected to range from 20-25 mph with gusts up to 35. The west side of the County could see winds between 25-30 mph with gusts up to 35. Though we are currently out of the path, Nassau County could still experience coastal flooding, power outages, and possible tornadoes. THERE ARE CURRENTLY NO PLANS TO CLOSE THE SHAVE BRIDGE.

Nassau County beaches have been closed for swimming and driving due to high tides and a marine warning has been issued up the coast from Flagler Beach, FL up to Altamaha Sound, GA.

Lastly, Nassau County Schools and County Offices are expected to be open tomorrow.

Nassau County Emergency Management will remain at a Level II activation through tomorrow morning and will continue to monitor the storm closely. If you need to speak to someone, please call (904) 548-0900.

-Sabrina Robertson
 County Manager's Office

10/8/18 @ 4:10 p.m. - A Conference Call of the Executive Policy Group was held at 11:45 a.m. to discuss Hurricane Michael and potential impacts to Nassau County. Michael is gaining strength rapidly and while it's currently a Category 1, it is expected to be a major hurricane by the time it reaches land. It is too early to know exactly how this storm will affect Nassau County, however it is anticipated that Nassau County could see Tropical Storm or Category 1 force winds late Tuesday evening or early Wednesday morning.

The Nassau County Emergency Operations Center has activated to a Level 2 which means that EOC Command and General Staff positions are in place to monitor the storm and begin planning as necessary. Another Conference Call has been scheduled for tomorrow morning. We will provide an update after the call.

In the meantime, please review your evacuation plan, check supplies, and pay close attention to updates. If you have not already, please sign up for emergency alerts to receive emergency incident notification calls, texts, emails and/or smartphone messages.

-Sabrina Robertson
 County Manager's Office

10/8/18 @ 3:00 p.m. - Below is a list of public meetings scheduled for this week:

Board of County Commissioners
Monday, October 8, 2018 at 6:00 p.m.
Commission Chambers, 96135 Nassau Place, Yulee, FL 32097

Ask the County Manager
Tuesday, October 9, 2018 at 3:00 p.m.
Commission Chambers, 96135 Nassau Place, Yulee, FL 32097

Code Enforcement Board
Tuesday, October 9, 2018 at 7:00 p.m.
Commission Chambers, 96135 Nassau Place, Yulee, FL 32097

Agendas can be located on our website.

-Sabrina Robertson
 County Manager's Office

10/5/18 @ 4:40 p.m. - Governor Rick Scott has ordered all flags in the State to be flown at half-staff from sunrise to sunset on Sunday, October 7, 2018, in observance of National Fallen Firefighters Memorial Day.

To read this order, please click here.

-Sabrina Robertson
 County Manager's Office

10/5/18 @ 4:30 p.m. - The North Florida Transportation Planning Organization is developing Path Forward 2045 that will identify programs and projects to meet the mobility needs of the region's residents through 2045. As part of the public engagement process, citizens are asked to complete a brief on-line survey on several issues that will affect the plan's development.

The survey is open through November 30, 2018. Those participating in the survey will be entered into a drawing for a Microsoft Office Tablet or one of twenty-five $100 Visa gift cards. To access the survey, please click here.

Please see the attached Press Release for additional information about the North Florida TPO and Path Forward 2045.

If you have any questions, please contact Marci Larson, Public Affairs Manager for the North Florida TPO, at (904) 306-7513 or via e-mail at mlarson@northfloridatpo.com.

-Sabrina Robertson
 County Manager's Office

10/5/18 @ 10:30 a.m. - Over the last six months, Partnership for a Healthier Nassau has completed four county-wide assessments which included community meetings, focus groups, survey collection and data review. The results of their findings were presented at the Nassau Health Summit held on September 26, 2018. More than fifty people were in attendance to review the data and vote on areas in which they believed to be most important. The top five issue areas include:

1. Housing: affordable housing/resources and continuum of care retirement communities (CCRC)
2. Access to Care: hours, cost, provider shortage, competitive pay for providers
3. Behavioral Health and Substance Abuse: affordable and accessible care, care for the socially isolated
4. Health Disparities: in the areas of cancer (breast, colorectal, prostate), heart disease, infant mortality, low birth weight, chronic diseases (stroke, diabetes) and HIV
5. Community Support: to enhance help to caregivers and parents, address the Yulee and Westside area by creating new "community systems for connection" and address affordable childcare

Over the next three months, goals and action steps will be created by local workgroups. Parnership for a Healthier Nassau is seeking new members for the workgroups. New goals related to the top five issues will be included in the Community Health Improvement Plan (CHIP) which is scheduled to launch in January 2019.

Attached is a Message from the Florida Department of Health Nassau which explains more about this process and the overall efforts of Partnership for a Healthier Nassau.

If you are interested in getting involved, please contact Mary von Mohr at (904) 557-9133 or via e-mail at mary.vonmohr@flhealth.gov. To stay informed, visit the Health Department's page dedicated to Community Health Planning. There you will also find a survey where you can express your ideas to help shape the Local Health Improvement Plan for 2019-2021.

-Sabrina Robertson
 County Manager's Office