Storm shelters: Tallahassee schools, N. Florida sites will open for TS Debby evacuees

Tallahassee Democrat

Sat, August 3, 2024 at 11:26 PM UTC

2 min read

As Tropical Storm Debby approaches, counties in the Big Bend have begin preparing storm shelters, with some having opened as early as Saturday.

Models show the storm's track nudging westward, meaning the system could spend more time over the superheated Gulf of Mexico and have more time to intensify during its collision course with the Florida coast.

The expanded threat comes hours after Gov. Ron DeSantis mobilized the National Guard , activated the state's Emergency Operation Center and expanded a state of emergency to 61 of Florida's 67 counties.

Here's a roundup of shelter information by county:

Tallahassee-Leon County

Starting tomorrow, Aug. 4, at 4 p.m., Leon County in coordination with Leon County Schools will open six emergency shelters in Tallahassee in preparation for storm-related impacts. The locations below will be available:

Fort Braden School, 15100 Blountstown Hwy.
Chiles High School, 7200 Lawton Chiles Lane (pet-accessible).
Rickards High School, 3013 Jim Lee Rd.
Lincoln High School, 3838 Trojan Trail
Fairview Middle School, 3415 Zillah St.
SAIL High School, 2006 Jackson Bluff Rd.

Franklin

Shelter information was not posted online as of 7 p.m. Saturday. To check for updates, visit the county's Emergency Management department at franklinemergencymanagement.com/press-releases/ .

Gadsden

Shelters are currently scheduled to open 4 p.m. Sunday at the following locations:

West Gadsden Middle School, 200 Providence Rd., Quincy.
Gadsden County High School, 27001 Blue Star Hwy., Havana.

For the latest information, visit gadsdencountyfl.gov/departments/emergency-management .

Jefferson

The county's Emergency Evacuation Shelter will open noon Sunday:

Jefferson K-12 School, 50 David Rd., Monticello.

For questions, call Jefferson County Emergency Management at 850-342-0211.

Taylor

The Taylor County Sheriff's Office issued a volunteer evacuation order for all coastal and low lying areas. The county's shelter opened 4 p.m. Saturday:

Taylor County Elementary School, 1600 E. Green St., Perry.

"Please bring only essential items due to limited space. Pets are allowed but must be in a crate," according to an advisory.

Also, the Sheriff's Office is enacting a curfew to begin 9 p.m. Sunday, ending 7 a.m. Monday. It resumes 9 p.m. Monday till 7 a.m. Tuesday. "Only permissible travel will be to and from work and for medical emergencies," an advisory said.

Wakulla

The opening time of the shelter had not been determined as of 7 p.m. Sunday. It will be located at:

Crawfordville Elementary School, 379 Arran Rd., Crawfordville.

For more information, call the Wakulla County Sheriff's Office, Division of Emergency Management, 850-745-7200.

This post contains some previously reported information.

This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Tallahassee, North Florida storm shelters: Where Debby evacuees can go