PENSACOLA, Fla. — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis issued an update Friday morning as Hurricane Isaias is projected to make landfall in the Western Florida Panhandle Friday evening.
The storm brings significant concerns over storm surge from Pensacola to the Big Bend region of North Florida, with higher water anticipated throughout Northern and Central Florida, DeSantis said. Officials advised residents to assume they will lose power and that services will not be available.
READ Hurricane Isaias: Update, storm upgraded to Cat 3, latest track, estimated landfall, local impacts
DeSantis urged residents to take flood warnings seriously. “Hide from the wind and run from the water,” DeSantis said.
Tolls were waived to assist residents with evacuation efforts and will remain suspended. Port Pensacola and Port Panama City have both closed, while other sea ports remain open and are preparing. Commercial flights have been canceled, with Pensacola Airport suspending flights at 10 a.m. Emergency personnel and utility crews have been mobilized across the region.
A total of 16,000 linemen have been deployed for quick power restoration and rescue teams are prepared to respond as needed, DeSantis said. The Florida National Guard is deploying 5,000 members by the time the storm hits.
READ Hurricane Isaias forces gameday changes for Georgia-Alabama game
>>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <<<
[DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks]
[SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter]
Click here to download the free Action News Jax news and weather apps, click here to download the Action News Jax Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Action News Jax live.
