Bay County Emergency Management officials plan for impending Hurricane Helene

BAY COUNTY, Fla. ( WMBB ) – Helene’s impact on Bay County isn’t expected to be as severe as our neighbors to the east.

But Bay County Emergency Management officials are making the necessary preparation plans. They’re also asking residents to do their parts as well.

One of the biggest announcements out of Tuesday’s EOC meeting is Bay District schools have canceled all extracurricular activities on Wednesday and Thursday, and schools will be closed on Thursday.

The superintendent expects to resume operations Friday.

“It’s not a decision that is taken lightly. When we cancel schools has a massive rippling effect across the community. We acknowledge that. But it’s because of the safety of our students and our staff that in this particular circumstance on the information that we know at this time to be prudent, we are canceling,” Superintendent Mark McQueen said.

Officials say they are working with Bay District Schools to open emergency shelters if necessary.

The Florida Highway Patrol has not yet announced any bridge closures, but if winds reach a sustained speed of 45 miles per hour, drivers are advised not to cross.

Bay County does not have any evacuation orders in place for now. But officials encourage residents to know their evacuation plan and have a hurricane kit prepared.

“Please be diligent right now during this time. We’re not overly worried right now, but we want everybody to take this seriously and pay attention to what’s going on and be prepared. If you have elderly or infirm and you need to be addressing it, please go ahead and start addressing that now and not wait until the last minute,” Commissioner Doug Moore said.

Officials emphasize the importance of staying informed and making preparations now before the storm arrives

Bay County officials activated the citizens information center for storm related questions.
That number is 850-248-6090. Emergency information will be pushed out through alertbay.org.

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