Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services Continues to Prepare for Hurricane Michael

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE		Contact: Jenn Meale
Oct. 9, 2018		(850) 617-7737 Twitter: @FDACSNews
Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services Continues to Prepare for Hurricane Michael TALLAHASSEE, Fla.–The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services is continuing to prepare for Hurricane Michael. The department assumes broad roles and responsibilities in disaster response efforts, ranging from securing meals for post-storm distribution to preparing Florida Forest Service teams to conduct search and rescue missions and clear debris. In preparation for Hurricane Michael, the department is doing the following (new information is highlighted in yellow): Florida Forest Service Three chainsaw Strike Teams ready to respond. One incident management team mobilizing to support urban search and rescue operations. State Forest closures effective through Sunday, Oct. 14, 2018 at 11:59 p.m. EST. Blackwater River State Forest Pine Log State Forest Point Washington State Forest Lake Talquin State Forest Plank Road State Forest Tate’s Hell State Forest Wakulla State Forest Division of Food, Nutrition and Wellness Released USDA Foods in 26 counties to be used in congregate feeding at shelters, canteens, and mobile kitchens for residents affected by the storm. Has 1,035,521 pounds of USDA Foods on-hand in the contracted warehouse in Central Florida ESF-11 is reaching out to all available food vendors to establish inventory on-hand and ship times DEM’s Logistics Section has submitted a RRF to FEMA for 1,000,000 shelf-stable meals. Have more than 500,000 USDA Foods meals available for congregate feeding in shelters post-landfall and 20-25 truckloads of ice. Division of Animal Industry Suspended movement requirements for pets and livestock to allow citizens to evacuate quickly and easily. Supporting county officials in establishing pet-friendly shelters. Providing citizens resources on pet and livestock hurricane preparedness and evacuation planning, including providing resources to locate pet-friendly shelters. Division of Marketing via State Farmers Markets Using the Palatka State Farmers as a staging area for Putnam County EOC emergency vehicles. Using the Suwannee Valley State Farmers Market as a logistical staging area. For more information and tips on hurricane preparedness, visit FloridaDisaster.org. During an emergency, the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services provides necessary food and water to affected areas and helps protect animals and pets. The department’s Florida Forest Service is responsible for incident management and assists emergency responders in clearing debris and distributing supplies. Additionally, the department’s Office of Agricultural Law Enforcement provides law enforcement services to police departments and county sheriff’s offices as necessary. For more information about the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, visit FreshFromFlorida.com. ###

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