Some Suwannee County residents have been ordered to evacuate their homes in advance of Tropical Storm Idalia.
Sheriff Sam St. John, the county’s emergency management director, issued a mandatory evacuation order Monday for all county residents that live in mobile homes, travel trailers and structurally compromised housing. Those living in low-lying and flood prone areas or living in homes that have previously flooded during heavy rains also face mandatory evacuations by noon Tuesday.
The county is opening three shelters at noon Tuesday. A pet-friendly general population shelter will be open at Suwannee Pineview Elementary, 1748 Ohio Ave. S in Live Oak, while another general population shelter will open at Branford Elementary, 26801 State Road 247 in Branford. A special-needs shelter for medically-necessary residents will be available at Suwannee Springcrest Elementary, 1419 Walker St. SW in Live Oak.
St. John issued the order based on executive orders from Gov. Ron DeSantis and a Suwannee County Commission resolution declaring a state of emergency for the county due to the impending storm.
According to St. John’s release issuing the order, areas along the Suwannee River in southern Suwannee County are expected to experience sustained Category 3 force winds of 111-129 mph during the storm. The entire county is expected to experience sustained Category 1 force winds (74-95 mph) with higher gusts while some will also have Category 2 force winds (97-110 mph), depending on the storm’s track.