UPDATED: Ida won't close Crestview city offices, but may flood roads

Crestview city offices will remain open as usual when Tropical Storm Ida makes its expected 6 a.m. landfall near the Mississippi and Alabama state line, said Mike Wing, director of Administrative Services. Mayor David Cadle reported Monday evening’s City Council meeting has been cancelled, however.

“Everything else is business as usual,” Mayor Cadle said.

“We expect a pretty good storm but nothing to shut down services,” Wing said.

At the county level, however, offices will close at 2 p.m. today through Tuesday. County commissioners also declared a local state of emergency in anticipation of heavy rains expected to dump anywhere from 3 to 8 inches of water on the county.

“This document is to provide Emergency Management the ability to purchase emergency supplies, to become eligible for FEMA assistance if needed, and other procedural abilities,” said county spokeswoman Kathy Newby in a press release.

Okaloosa District Schools Superintendent Dr. Alexis Tibbetts ordered county schools to close tomorrow, Nov. 10, with Davidson Middle School opening tonight at 6 p.m. as a storm shelter.

“Special needs patients will be accepted at Davidson on a first-come, first-served basis with limited space available,” Newby said in her release. “Shelters should be considered a last resort for those patients and should only be used by those with no family help available or who are living in unsafe structures.”

The county said sandbags are available at Okaloosa County Public Works at 1759 S. Ferdon Boulevard. Bring a shovel and help will be provided.

“All you have to do is drive through the back gates and we’ll have someone there to help you,” said county Public Works Director Danielle Slaterpryce.

Sandbags are also available at the Crestview Public Works facility located on Hwy 85 north. Sand is available at the pit behind Public Safety Building #3 located on Brookmeade Drive behind North Okaloosa Medical Center. The city advises citizens to bring their own shovel to load their sandbags.

County court proceedings will be suspected today at 2 p.m., and airlines have begun announcing flight cancellations to and from Northwest Florida Regional Airport as well as other area airports. County officials encourage air passengers to contact their respective airlines for information.

County Commissioner Wayne Harris echoed county Emergency Management’s cautions about avoiding driving in flooded areas.

“My only concern is heavy rain and road washouts, and people not paying attention to heavy water on the roads,” Harris said. With 6 to 8 inches of water expected to fall on roads in less than 24 hours, “people need to be very careful because of the rain.

“The hurricane is gone but the rain is going to be pretty severe,” Harris warned.