Sheriff Rick Staly's Tropical Storm Ian Update - September 29, 2022

This is Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staly with a Thursday update on Tropical Storm Ian. All of Flagler County remains under a Hurricane Watch as Ian makes it way off-shore to the Atlantic Ocean near Cape Canaveral before turning north. As Ian travels along the Florida coastline, it will go past the Flagler County coastline, which is why we’re expecting the rain and wind to last all day and not end until sometime tomorrow. Ian has already produced catastrophic flooding and storm surge across east Central Florida. Sustained winds are just under Category 1 hurricane levels. We’re receiving reports of flooding in many low-lying areas of Flagler County, including Andalusia Bay on the west side and some parts of the barrier island. A1A and the dunes remains intact for now but that is expected to change. The barrier island area can expect strong tropical storm winds throughout the day with some gusts at Category 1 hurricane force. Wind should not be as strong on the mainland, hovering about 30-40 MPH with gusts of tropical storm, but flooding is the big concern throughout the county. We are expecting as much as 18 inches of rain in parts of the county by the time Ian leaves. Flooding along the Intercoastal is expected and in the low-lying areas. The flooding is being described as similar to Hurricane Matthew along the Intercoastal and beachfront areas and similar to Hurricane Irma everywhere else. There are power and internet outages throughout Flagler County. Currently, 17,000 homes are without power and there is no restoration estimate from FPL at this time. FPL is assessing the situation and when it is safe for their crews to make repairs, they will. FPL asks everyone to be patient as this storm is causing massive destruction. If you come to an intersection and the traffic lights are not working, Florida law requires that everyone stops and handle the intersection like a 4-way stop sign. We strongly suggest you not leave wherever you are sheltering. The worst of the storm impact to Flagler County is yet to come. However, if you plan to go to a public shelter, only Rymfire Elementary is accepting new residents seeking shelter. Driving can be dangerous in this sort of weather, especially over the bridges or flooded roads, and trees can fall unexpectedly. If sustained winds are at 45 miles an hour, bridges will close. We have all deputies working 12-hour shifts until Ian passes and they are available to respond to emergencies and calls for service. Remember, first responders may not be able to reach certain areas quickly due to the weather or road conditions. Only call 911 if it’s a true emergency. Street flooding is not an emergency. For any non-emergency law enforcement calls, please call our dispatch center at 386-313-4911. If you have any Hurricane Ian-related questions, please call the Flagler County hotline at 386-313-4200. As was the case last night, a county-wide curfew will be in effect again starting at 8 PM tonight until 7 AM Friday morning. We had no curfew-related arrests last night and the vast majority of our residents followed the curfew requirements, so I thank you for that. The curfew is for your safety and for the security of our community. Please continue to respect the curfew until it’s been lifted. We hope to do that very soon. We’ll continue to post updates on social media until Ian has left. Stay safe, everyone. We will get through this storm together.