LIVE OAK, FLA., Oct. 8, 2018 – The Suwannee River Water Management District (District) has issued an emergency order for Hurricane Michael, which is expected to begin impacting parts of the Suwannee Valley and northwest Florida by Tuesday evening.
Following Governor Scott’s Executive Order No. 18-276, the District’s emergency order outlines response measures and eases regulatory guidelines to allow for the aid of emergency assistance to private citizens and local governmental entities.
Response measures include the use of pumps to move water across drainage basins, cleanup of drainage systems, repair of structures to prevent flooding and the creation of drainage systems to provide flood relief.
The emergency order covers the following counties within the District: Alachua, Baker, Bradford, Columbia, Dixie, Franklin, Gilchrist, Hamilton, Jefferson, Lafayette, Levy, Madison, Taylor and Union. A total of 35 Florida counties are included in the Governor’s emergency order.
Within the Suwannee Valley, Dixie and Taylor counties are expected to receive the greatest impacts based on the storm’s current trajectory – primarily in the form of wind and storm surge. Storm surge is expected to rise between 9-15 feet. Although aquifer levels have receded in most parts of the Suwannee Valley, levels remain above the 90th percentile in Dixie and Taylor counties, which increases the likelihood for localized flooding.
Additionally, all District lands under a hurricane warning are closed. Currently, those tracts include lands within Dixie, Taylor, Jefferson, Madison, Lafayette and Levy counties.
The District is actively monitoring river levels and weather conditions in partnership with the National Weather Service Tallahassee and local communities to provide accurate, timely information on conditions.
For more information or to view the emergency order, visit www.MySuwanneeRiver.com/EmergencyOrder2018-01.
The mission of the Suwannee River Water Management District is to protect and manage water resources using science-based solutions to support natural systems and the needs of the public. The District holds true to the belief of water for nature, water for people. Headquartered in Live Oak, Florida, the District serves 15 surrounding north-central Florida counties.
For more information about the District, visit www.mysuwanneeriver.com or follow us on Facebook and Twitter, search @SRWMD.
###