WAKULLA COUNTY DIVISION OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT
Interagency Situation Report #6
Tropical Storm Debby
June 28, 2012 08:00 EDT
I.
HAZARD ANALYSIS:
General Weather Forecast:
Hot and dry conditions are forecasted for the next week. At most, there is a 20% chance of
showers on Saturday, Monday, and Tuesday. Heat indices are expected to exceed 100 degrees
starting Friday and well into the weekend. Heat advisories are possible. All people working
outdoors need to stay hydrated and monitor for signs of dehydration.
Today: Sunny, with a high near 94. Calm wind becoming south around 5 mph.
Tonight: Mostly clear, with a low around 67. Southwest wind around 5 mph.
Rivers Forecast:
The Sopchoppy River has essentially held steady for the last 24 hours. The forecasted fall has yet
to materialize.
Flood Categories (in feet)
Major Flood Stage:
34
Moderate Flood Stage: 30
Flood Stage:
28
Action Stage:
20
Historical Crests
(1) 31.23 ft on 04/04/2009
(2) 29.60 ft on 08/25/2008
The Upper St. Marks dropped briefly, but has risen back up to near peak levels. This appears to
be a bump from all the runoff from Southeastern Leon County.
Flood Categories (in feet)
Major Flood Stage:
11
Moderate Flood Stage: 9
Flood Stage:
7
Action Stage:
7
Historical Crests
(1) 13.88 ft on 08/25/2008
(2) 11.81 ft on 04/07/1973
(3) 11.18 ft on 03/05/1991
(4) 10.26 ft on 04/10/1984
(5) 10.01 ft on 09/18/1957
Show More Historical Crests
Local Impacts:
The past 24 hours have seen the rivers essentially hold steady, at a time which they were
forecasted to begin to decline. Therefore, there is great uncertainty as to the duration of the river
flooding.
New flooding (rising waters) is occurring near many sinks and low lying areas. An interesting
phenomenon appears to be occurring where water is discharging (coming up from) sinkholes in
other parts of the county. This flooding is inundating homes and closing roadways. The water is
still rising with no data to suggest how high or for how long this will continue. Conversations
with hydrogeology specialists from Florida State University and the Florida Geological Society
suggest that given the drought leading up to this storm, the water table was very low. As the
rainfall rapidly filled the void, it is exerting atypical pressures on the water table in ways that
forces it out anywhere it can (e.g. sinkholes elsewhere in the county). We are seeing an overall
pattern of sinks filling and overflowing from southwest to northeast. The concern is that we may
see this effect occur in the more-populated areas of Crawfordville. US Highway 98 between
Crawfordville Highway and Rehwinkle Road is close to closure.
Road Closures:
Additional road closures have occurred due to spring flooding. Previous road closures remain in
effect. As mentioned above, US Highway 98 between Crawfordville Highway and Rehwinkle
Road is very close to requiring closure and is being actively monitored.
Current road closures and impacts due to flooding, damage, and/or bridge damage:
- Smith Creek Rd @Syfrette Creek Bridge
- Harms Road
- Harvey Mill Road / Lawhon Mill Road
- Whiddon Lake Road @ Jump Creek
- JK Moore Road @ end of pavement
- Donaldson Williams Road
- Surf Road @ Buckhorn Creek
- Bostic Pelt Road
- Otter Lake Road at Westview Street
- Edgar Poole Road near Jack Crum Rd
- Lonesome Road
- Forest Road 13 @ end of pavement
- Fairway Drive
- Lonesome Road
- Rehwinkle Road
- Hwy 98 at Wildwood Golf Course
(passible, subject to closure)
II. RESPONSE ACTIONS:
Priorities / Objectives / Major Status:
- EOC activation reduced to Level 2: heavy daytime operations, minimal overnight coverage.
- The county is responding to new flooding in areas north of Highway 98 between Crawfordville
and Rehwinkle Road impacting homes and roadways. River flooding continues (status quo).
- Damage assessment and human services have begun in those neighborhoods where the water
has receded and/or where only affected by fallen trees.
- There are no current mandatory evacuation or restricted travel orders in effect. As long as the
roadway is clear, it is open for public access.
- An estimated 100 residences have been impacted to some degree to date: 5 due to trees fallen
on structure, the remainder due to flooding. Additional residences are threatened by flood
waters.
- There are several locations with major infrastructure damage: Surf Road at Buckhorn Creek,
Smith Creek Road at Syfrette Creek, Harms Road, Harvey Mill at Lawhorn, and potentially both
bridges over the Sopchoppy River (Smith Creek Road and Rose Road). Lost Creek Culvert on
Bostic Pelt Road has major damage.
- Residents are encouraged to contact the Wakulla County Emergency Management to report
damages, regardless if they require assistance. This information will be utilized in determining
the needs for federal disaster and/or non-profit organization assistance.
- We are beginning to identify several unmet human service needs. Numerous residents have
called requesting assistance with muckout (removal of flooded carpeting, drywall, etc) and debris
removal from private property. These needs have been relayed to Volunteer Wakulla and Big
Bend COAD.
Agency-specific Actions:
A.
Wakulla County Administration:
 Emergency Declaration remains in effect.
 Assisting with damage assessment.
B.
Wakulla County Sheriff’s Office, Division of Emergency Management:
 Distribution of state-provided bottled water and shelf-stable means.
 Assessing damage countywide.
 EOC operations.
 Developing human services objectives.
C.
Wakulla Public Works Office:
 Tree removal.
 Road repairs.
 Sinkholes.
D.
Wakulla County Sheriff’s Office:
 Filling additional sand bags.
 Assisting with rescue and maintaining traffic control points.
 Providing saw crews.
E.
Wakulla County Department of Health:
 Monitoring special needs.
 Monitoring environmental health needs (disease control, mosquitos).
F.
Wakulla County Fire
 Normal operations.
 Staffing EOC.
G.
Wakulla EMS
 Normal operations, alternate response routes for some locations.
H.
Florida Highway Patrol
 Maintaining traffic control points on state roadways.
I.
Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission
 Demobilized.
J.
Florida Department of Law Enforcement
 Demobilized.
K.
American Red Cross
 Managing Shelter Operations at Crawfordville Elementary.
 Bulk distribution of clean-up kits, bottled water, small snacks.
 Damage assessment teams out today.
 Outreach teams (caseworkers) scheduled to begin today.
L.
Salvation Army
 Mobile feeding.
M.
Florida Division of Emergency Management
 SERT Liaison demobilized.
 44 pallets (2 truckloads) of bottled water received.
 22 pallets (1 truckload) of meals received.
N.
Florida Department of Transportation
 Liaison in EOC.
 Monitoring state road conditions.
 Standing by to conduct structural inspections on two bridges over the
Sopchoppy River (Smith Creek Road, CR-22) once water recedes.
 Standing by to develop a temporary bridge plan for Sopchoppy should
inspections deem aforementioned bridges damaged.
O.
Florida National Guard
 Demobilized.
P.
Progress Energy
 Current Outages: 198
 Crews conducting repairs where possible. Some flooded properties cannot be
repaired until water recedes.
Q.
Talquin Electric Cooperative
 Normal operations.
R.
Florida State University
 Emergency Manager assisting with EOC operations.
S.
Volunteer Wakulla
 Managing volunteers and donations.
 Coordinating Big Bend COAD member activities.
Response Statistics (storm total to date):
- Impacted residences: Approximately 100, of varying degrees with additional threatened.
- Impacted businesses: 1 major damage. 2 threatened.
- Shelter population: As of 8AM: 4; Peak for 6/27: 10; Event Peak: 21.
- 17 water rescues, 67 people rescued.
- 126 responses for trees down.
- 89 responses for power lines down.
- 43 traffic control points for flooded roadways.
State of Florida Status:
The State Emergency Operations Center (SEOC) is currently at a level 1 full activation.
Governor’s Executive Order #12-140 declaring a State of Emergency is in effect.
III. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION OR ASSISTANCE:
General Assistance:
Wakulla County Division of Emergency Management
(850)745-7100