Volusia County under tropical storm warning, tornado watch, flood watch
By Pat Hatfield
posted Aug 18, 2008 - 12:13:54pm
UPDATED 9:45 A.M. AUG. 19: The good news is, Tropical Storm Fay didn't get a chance to strengthen into a hurricane before hitting the Florida Peninsula in Naples, around 5 a.m. this morning. Winds were around 60 mph.
That means that by the time the storm moves into Volusia County early tomorrow, its winds will have weakened significantly, and West Volusia may not see tropical-storm force winds.
Volusia County remains under a tropical storm warning, however. While winds of 25 or 30 mph are more likely than tropical storm-force winds, they could still reach 39 mph. Gusts may easily exceed that strength.
Volusia County remains under a tornado watch until 4 p.m. Unstable weather conditions mean tornado watches will likely be renewed this evening.
Finally, Volusia County is under a flood watch, with Fay expected to drop 4-to-8 inches of rain as it passes through Volusia County.
The bottom line: West Volusians cannot quit monitoring weather conditions.
Mayor George Coleman of DeBary told The Beacon city workers have begun running pumps at Lake Susan, located on the west side of U.S. Highway 17-92 near Highbanks Road. Pumping operations will begin at No Name Lake, on the northeast side of the intersection of Highbanks Road and Highway 17 later today.
"We're getting prepared," he said.
DeBary suffered extensive flooding during the dreadful 2004 hurricane season. The memory is still painfully fresh for officials and residents.
"I think we'll be all right," Coleman said.
He vowed the city will not get behind in preparing for the storm.
If the forecast is correct, and Fay moves into the Atlantic just south of Daytona Beach early Wednesday morning, the worst of the weather may stay to the east of West Volusia.
Forecasting fickle Fay has been a difficult task, however, as the storm interacts with a system pushing it toward the Atlantic. Weather conditions are expected to change, the National Weather Service predicted, bringing Fay back onto the Florida Peninsula Thursday, perhaps in the Jacksonville area, with more drenching rain for East Central Florida.
UPDATED 6:45 A.M. AUG. 19: Tropical Storm Fay failed to achieve hurricane status by the time she made landfall about 5 a.m. today at Cape Romano on the Florida coast, about 55 miles south of Fort Myers.
The storm is expected to weaken slowly as it makes its way across Florida today and Wednesday, dumping several inches of rain, bringing strong gusts of wind and possibly spawning isolated tornados.
The National Weather Service has discontinued all hurricane warnings.
A Tropical Storm Warning remains in effect for the east coast of Florida from Flagler Beach southward, and on the state's west coast from the middle of Longboat Key southward.
When she made landfall, Fay's maximum sustained winds were near 60 mph, with higher
gusts. Forecasters said the storm would slowly weaken as it moves inland.
At 5 a.m., Fay was at 25.9 N and 81.7 W, moving north-northeast at nearly 9 mph.
Forecasters at Weather Underground said it is beginning to look like Fay is trapped beneath an area of mid-level high pressure that may steer it more to the west than the north.
The computer models were in disagreement about the track. Updates will be posted as they are available.
UPDATED 10:22 P.M.: The arrival of tropical-storm force winds in Volusia County is now expected as early as 11 a.m. Tuesday, Aug. 19, based on the latest reports from the National Weather Service.
Volusia County is currentlyy under a flood watch and a tropical-storm warning, meaning there is the potential for flooding and tropical storm conditions within 24 hours.
Based on the storm’s current track, county emergency-management officials are anticipating the area will receive tropical storm force winds (39-73 mph) beginning as early as 11 a.m. Tuesday, lasting until 1 p.m. Wednesday. It is anticipated Fay also will bring 4 to 6 inches of
rain.
At 7 p.m. Monday, Volusia County reported the following from its emergency-management center:
• Schools in Volusia County will be closed Tuesday and Wednesday.
• There are no evacuations. However, for residents in manufactured homes, low-lying areas or those who feel unsafe in their homes, three shelters will open in Volusia County at 10 a.m. Tuesday:
- Atlantic High School, 1250 Reed Canal Road, Port Orange, for the general public and people with special needs. This shelter is pet friendly, with people and pets houses in separate locations.
- Heritage Middle School, 1001 Parnell Court, Deltona, for the general public and people with special needs. This shelter is pet friendly, with people and pets housed in separate locations.
- Volusia County Fairgrounds, Tommy Lawrence building, 3150 E. State Road 44, DeLand, for the general public and pets, with people and pets housed in the same location.
Anyone needing transportation to a shelter may ride Votran, the county’s public transit system, for free. Residents should contact Votran at (386) 322-5100, (386) 943-7050 or (386) 424-6810 to
make arrangements.
Residents seeking shelter are reminded to bring:
• Special dietary food, snacks or comfort food.
• Bedding, pillows, blanket, etc.
• Medication and medical supplies.
• Oxygen supplies or arrange with an oxygen company to deliver the oxygen to the special needs shelter.
• Toiletry items, flashlights/batteries, extra clothing.
• Diapers, infant and elderly/disabled necessities.
• Time-occupiers such as books, newspapers, magazines, games or cards.
• Important papers, credit cards, cash and identification.
Due to the projected tropical storm force winds and significant rain, residents who do not need to be on the roads are encouraged to stay home. If needing to travel, motorists are encouraged to use caution.
Residents also are reminded to review their personal disaster preparedness plans and take protective steps such as clearing their property of lawn furniture and other items that could potentially become hazards when picked up by wind.
Residents are encouraged to check with their local municipality for
the availability of sandbags.
• The City of DeBary has sandbags and sand available for residents at the DeBary Town Hall, 12 Colomba Road. Residents must bring their own shovels.
• The City of Holly Hill has sand and bags available for residents at their public works department, 456 Ladies Professional Golf Association Blvd., through the evening and all day Tuesday.
• The City of South Daytona has sandbags available for their residents at the city’s public works building, 1770 S. South Segrave St., beginning at 8 p.m. Tuesday.
• The City of Ormond Beach has a sand-bag distribution center, 501 N. Orchard St. for Ormond Beach residents. Residents will be required to show proof of residency and can receive a limit of 10 sand bags per vehicle. (Weight restrictions limit the number of sand bags that can be safely placed in a vehicle). The distribution hours are 10 a.m. - 7 p.m. Monday, Aug. 18. If needed, the distribution center will re-open at 8 a.m. Tuesday and will remain open as conditions allow. Residents having questions about this service may call the City of Ormond Beach Public Works Department at (386) 676-3220.
• The City of Daytona Beach has materials for sandbags at its public works facility, 950 Bellevue Ave. Bags and sand will be available as needed and residents can fill sandbags with the shovels provided.
• Volusia County’s Public Works Department will provide free sand and empty sandbags to county residents from 7 a.m. to dusk Tuesday. Residents should bring shovels and be prepared to fill and transport the bags. There will be a 25-bag limit per household. Garbage bags can be used to replace sandbags if supplies have been exhausted. Materials will be available at:
• Volusia County Fire Station 23, 1850 Pioneer Trail, New Smyrna
Beach
• Volusia County Road and Bridge office, 530 N. Dixie Freeway, New
Smyrna Beach
• Volusia County Fire Station 22, 213 N. Hwy. U.S. 1, Oak Hill
• Volusia County Public Works office, 455 Walker St., Holly Hill
• Volusia County Fire Station 13, 15 Southland Road, Ormond Beach
• Volusia County Fire Station 11, 1580 Derbyshire Road, Holly Hill
• Volusia County Road and Bridge office, 2560 W. S.R. 44, DeLand
• Volusia County Road and Bridge office, 200 S. S.R. 415, Osteen
• Volusia County Indian Mound Fire Station, 1700 Enterprise/Osteen Road, Osteen
• Volusia County Fire Station 44, 132 N. Fountain Road, Pierson
• DeBary Town Hall, 12 Colomba Road, DeBary
• West Highlands subdivision, east side of Hamilton Avenue between Third and Fourth streets
Other preparedness steps being taken in Volusia County include:
• The Volusia County Emergency Operations Center will be partially activated at noon Tuesday.
• The Citizen Information Center (CIC) telephone hotline will be activated from 8 a.m. - 10 p.m. Tuesday. The number for the public to call is (866) 345-0345.
• There are no plans to close Volusia County Government offices.
• The early voting site at the Deltona Municipal Complex closed at 4 p.m. Monday due to preparations for Tropical Storm Fay. The room used for early voting also is Deltona’s Emergency Operations Center and will be needed for city purposes. This location will be closed until further notice. Voters wanting to vote early in West Volusia are encouraged to visit the Volusia County Historic Courthouse, 125 W. New York Ave., DeLand. The early voting centers in the New Smyrna Beach Regional Library, Ormond Beach Regional Library and the Volusia County Library Center - City Island will be closed Wednesday. Early voting sites, when in operation, are open from 8 a.m. - 4 p.m.; early voting for the Primary Election ends at 4 p.m. Saturday, August 23.
The Volunteer Center at the United Way of Volusia-Flagler Counties, through the Florida Association of Volunteer Centers, has agreements with other volunteer centers and response agencies to help with the coordination of volunteers after a disaster. To find out about volunteering in Volusia County or anywhere throughout Florida in response to Tropical Storm Fay, please contact the United Way at 2-1-1 or (386) 253-0563 or online at UnitedWay-vfc.org
Emergency Management officials are encouraging residents to continue to monitor Tropical Storm Fay very carefully. Complete storm preparedness information is available in Volusia County’s Disaster Preparedness Guide. The guide is available at any county library and online at Volusia.org.
TROPICAL STORM FAY UPDATED 8 P.M.: Volusia and Flagler counties are now under a tropical storm warning, meaning that tropical-storm conditions are expected within 24 hours. The warning extends down the east coast of Florida.
Fay's movement has slowed a bit, from 14 mph to 9 mph as the storm moves across the Florida straits. Winds remain around 60 mph, but may strengthen to hurricane force, 74 mph, by the time Fay makes landfall in Southwest Florida tomorrow morning.
Tropical storm winds of at least 39 mph are expected in Volusia County Tuesday, beginning in late afternoon and continuing through the night, with gusts of 50 mph or more, as Fay moves northward. Isolated tornadoes are possible tonight and Tuesday as the storm pushes toward Central Florida.
As of 8 p.m., Faye is near latitude 25.0 north and longitude 81.9, about 105 miles south of Naples.
***
UPDATED 6:20 P.M. SCHOOLS TO CLOSE: Volusia County Schools announced at 6:18 p.m. today that all public schools in the county will be closed Tuesday, Aug. 19 and Wednesday, August 20, due to the impact of Tropical Storm Fay.
Additional cancellations for Tuesday, August 19, and Wednesday, August 20:
• All school activities and events, including athletic practices and competitions
• All extended day programs
District administrative offices will also be closed Tuesday and Wednesday with only designated essential emergency personnel asked to report to work. Personnel designated to report to work will be notified.
District administrators are continuously monitoring conditions in close coordination with county emergency operations center. It is anticipated that schools will reopen on Thursday, August 21, depending on conditions. An announcement will be made Wednesday regarding the status of schools and administrative offices.
A Connect-ED message will be sent to notify all families and employees of the cancellations. A recorded message on the district’s main phone lines at (386) 734-7190, 255-6475, 427-5223 and 860-3322 will have updated information, as well as the district’s website at www.volusia.k12.fl.us.
UPDATED 4:15 P.M. SCHOOL DECISION TONIGHT: Volusia County Schools officials are expected to notify parents and students this evening about whether school will be closed Tuesday, Aug. 19, because of Tropical Storm Fay. The Beacon will post news of the decision here as soon as possible after the announcement.
Tropical storm conditions are expected in Volusia County, starting late tomorrow afternoon and continuing Wednesday.
Earlier today, Seminole County Public Schools announced schools will be closed tomorrow, because of anticipated wind speeds.
The center of Tropical Storm Fay passed over Key West between 3 and 3:30 p.m. this afternoon. Tropical storm-force winds and rains continued to pound the lower keys.
Fay is expected to make landfall on the southwestern Florida Peninsula tomorrow morning, possibly as a Category 1 hurricane, which means the storm could reach 74 mph. Wind shear from an upper-level low to the west will likely prevent Fay from developing into a Category 2 hurricane, which has 96 mph sustained winds.
Predicting Fay's path has been uncertain. The forecast is for the storm to turn northward, up the Florida Peninsula, after making landfall. Computer-forecast models show Fay's path varying from the west side of Florida to moving from Southwest Florida across to the Atlantic, then back across the peninsula.
***
UPDATE: TROPICAL STORM FAY 2 P.M. MONDAY, AUG. 18: As Tropical Storm Fay approaches Key West, tropical storm conditions are spreading through the lower and middle keys.
The center of Tropical Storm Fay is near latitude 24.3 north and longitude 81.6 west, or about 20 miles southeast of Key West. Fay is moving north-northwest around 14 mph, with maximum sustained winds now around 60 mph, with higher gusts.
Volusia County remains under a tropical storm watch. A tropical storm has winds of at least 39 mph. When the system's winds reach 74 mph, it becomes a hurricane.
Volusia County emergency management officials expect the county will receive tropical storm force winds beginning as early as 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, lasting until 1 p.m. Wednesday. They anticipate Fay will bring 4 to 6 inches of rain.
“There is a lot of uncertainty with this storm,” said Charlie Craig, Volusia County Emergency Management director. “We encourage everyone to review their emergency preparedness plans and to take other protective steps. such as clearing their property of lawn furniture and other items that could potentially become hazards when picked up by wind.”
Volusia Schools will monitor forecasts this afternoon. School officials won't make a decision about opening schools tomorrow until after 5 p.m. today. County officials will also decide on opening shelters after 5 p.m. today. As yet, there are no plans to close county offices.
The early voting site at the Deltona municipal complex will close at 4 p.m. today, due to storm preparations by the city of Deltona. Voters are encouraged to use the early voting site at the Volusia County Historic Courthouse at 125 W. New York Ave. in DeLand.
***
UPDATE: TROPICAL STORM FAY 11 A.M. MONDAY, AUG. 18: Volusia County Emergency Management staff are meeting this morning to hammer out a plan to deal with Fay — whether it remains a tropical storm, or develops into a hurricane. Officials are expected to release a statement by 1 p.m. this afternoon.
School Board Superintendent Margaret Smith is meeting with Emergency Operations staff, and is expected to release a statement later this afternoon about school opening or closing Tuesday.
The storm took weather forecasters by surprise last night, turning on a more eastward path toward the tip of Florida, instead of steaming in a more northwesterly direction.
Fay is currently located at latitude 23.6 north, longitude 81.5 west, or about 70 miles south-southeast of Key West, moving north-northwest near 13 mph. Its center should be near the Florida Keys this afternoon or tonight, and near the southwest coast of Florida by Tuesday morning.
(Click here for a listing of helpful Web sites and phone numbers)
The Melbourne Weather Station declared a tropical storm watch in effect early this morning. A tropical storm watch means tropical storm conditions are expected within the next 36 hours. The watch area includes Volusia County.
The weather station forecast for DeLand includes thunderstorms Tuesday, locally heavy rainfall and wind gusts as high as 30 mph.
For Tuesday night, tropical storm conditions are possible, with east-southeast winds of 30-40 mph and gusts as high as 50 mph. These conditions may continue into Wednesday.
Many Volusians didn't wait for that news to start pulling bottled water, batteries and other hurricane supplies from shelves of local stores Sunday.
This morning, "Tropical Storm Fay has moved off the coast of Cuba into the Florida Straits, and is already picking up strength," meteorologist Dr. Jeff Masters at Weather Underground (http://www.wunderground.com) reported in his 11 a.m. update.
Forecasters say predictions can change quickly, so continue to monitor weather conditions.
Computer models disagree with each other on the storm's predicted path. One model predicts Fay will brush past Tampa, then cut across northern Florida into Georgia. Another one shows it cutting across Southwest Florida northeastward into the Atlantic, then cutting back across Central Florida.
Fay now boasts a large area of 50-60 mph winds, with maximum sustained winds of around 60 mph.
The good news is wind shear, cutting the top off the towering thunderstorms within the system, should prevent Fay from turning into another Hurricane Charley. That storm intensified quickly before churning through the state in 2004.
The City of Orange City wants its residents to be prepared. Sand bags and sand are already available to city residents at the Orange City Fire Station at 215 N. Holly Ave. The limit is 10 bags per person. For more information, call (386) 775-5460.
The City of DeBary also has sand and sand bags available at City Hall at 137 South Highway 17-92. For more information, call (386) 668-2040.
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Here is the address for the helpful numbers, in case anyone else is having trouble:
http://www.beacononlinenews.com/news/daily/1059
Here is the address for Weather Underground's map, in case we're having trouble with that link:
http://www.wunderground.com/tropical/tracking/at200806_model.html?MR=1
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Barb Shepherd, co-publisher
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