Fresh Take Florida
Political leaders in Wakulla County along Florida’s Gulf Coast have ordered all residents to evacuate by 8 a.m. Thursday ahead of what is expected to be a major hurricane. The county with about 34,000 residents is immediately south of Tallahassee.
The sheriff and county commissioners said widespread flooding is expected from a storm surge that could be 12 feet high or more, which they described as “ an historic event and not survivable for those along coastal or lowing areas.”
They also said strong winds were expected to cause building damage and widespread power outages.
No hurricane shelters will be open in Wakulla County. The county government said it was still working with state and local agencies to try to arrange for shelters, but the storm’s impact was expected to affect every county in the region.
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This story was produced by Fresh Take Florida, a news service of the University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications. The reporter can be reached at sophia.bailly@
