00:00We've been in this hurricane drought all season, and now it's game time. So one of the most
00:06prolific areas that can deal with hurricanes is right here in the Florida panhandle, and they
00:11know it better than just about anyone. We've been talking about the impacts of catastrophic
00:16hurricanes in Florida, and one was right here almost eight years to the day, Hurricane Michael,
00:21which was October 10 of 2018. So the folks that live here along eastern and central panhandle of
00:27Florida know that system well, know the damage that it can do, and we're here at the EOC in Bay
00:33County, Florida, to talk about what they're doing to get ready. So we've got Major Jason Daffin, and
00:39he's with us. We've been talking off camera. You guys are well-versed in Hurricane Michael. You
00:45learned a lot of lessons from Michael. Tell me how you guys are doing less than 24 hours out.
00:50Yeah, so our lesson learned is don't take anything for granted. Year after year, we have tropical
00:55storms. We have, you know, category one, two hurricanes coming to make landfall, and Michael
01:02kind of caught us off guard. We thought it was going to be the same old, same old, although
01:05we've had some bad ones. And so I think the lessons learned are don't take anything for
01:09granted. So with that mindset, we have really put a lot of effort into the preparation. We
01:15have worked with other sheriff's offices across the state to do a better job getting prepared
01:19for these, assisting each other, supporting each other, already having a game plan so that
01:25when something like this does come and make landfall, if it does cause severe damage, we
01:31already have it lined up with resources coming in. We've already communicated and networked
01:37to be able to organize that. So that makes a huge difference.
01:41And we talked about this as well, that, you know, a lot of times folks are looking at that
01:45one line, the path. And we always are beating the drum. Don't look at the one line. Don't
01:50look at the one point on the map. You know, we know that at the current track, maybe you'll
01:55be on the east side or where we are here in Bay County. But you were telling me earlier,
01:59you're taking it as this is, you know, full game on a Super Bowl for you guys, because you
02:04don't want to be caught off guard.
02:05Yes, we've already all day today, we've been doing nothing but preparing statewide meetings.
02:10We've been a lot of those meetings. We've been doing our operational planning.
02:15We have an Alpha Bravo search and rescue team that we've put together with high water vehicles,
02:21side by sides, four wheelers. We got a cutting team with chainsaws to be able to get access
02:26if we need that, along with shallow, shallow water boats that if the high water vehicles
02:32can't get in, we have that that can get in for rescue efforts. So we're not leaving anything
02:38to chance. And as you said, the east side of the storms, the bad side of the storm. So
02:41even if we don't, I mean, if that shifts a little bit more and we start getting in that,
02:47you have the risk of the tornadoes and everything else. So we've been here, we've experienced
02:52it, and we know what it's like to not really expect it to be bad and then get caught off
02:57guard. So again, that's all we've done the last several days. We've been monitoring it.
03:01We've been communicating with our emergency management partners in this and just trying to prepare
03:08the community. We just got done doing a press conference to the citizens of Bay County trying
03:13to educate them on what to expect, what to do. So it's just all hands on deck at this point
03:18in
03:19preparation. Awesome. Well, we think, you know, you guys are doing such a wonderful job. We know
03:22you're going to have a long couple of nights these next couple of nights. So the Bay County Sheriff's
03:26Office here, they are ready for whatever ESAES will deliver. It's going to be a long couple of
03:31nights. We know that. And the uncertainty of these direct impacts really won't be felt until tomorrow
03:36and through those overnight hours. So we're going to be chasing it all night and all tomorrow and
03:40into the weekend. For now, we're reporting from Bay County. I'm Leslie Hudson. We'll send it back to
03:45you. All right. Thanks, as always, for the update.
