Florida Division of Emergency Management director speaks on tropical system

Reporter: Claire Galt Writer: Matias Abril
Published: Updated:
FDEM director Kevin Guthrie. CREDIT FDEM

WINK News spoke with the director of the Florida Division of Emergency Management about the storm, Tropical Depression Four at the time, as it approached Florida.

The Weather Authority is tracking widespread rain and storms this weekend, which is raising many questions among residents about how to proceed with the storm.

FDEM director Kevin Guthrie seemed positive when it came to Southwest Florida feeling impacts.

He said that FDEM had a lot more resources in SWFL but pulled some out because the storm seems to be pushing further north.

However, he said there are still 15,000 people ready to respond in our area if needed.

“The Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission, Florida Highway Patrol, Florida National Guard, Florida State Guard [and] even electrical workers are mobilized throughout the state of Florida including Southwest Florida, ready to respond very quickly to things that may happen there,” he said.

Guthrie said that even though Tropical Depression 4 continues to push further north, we are looking at potentially 1-3 feet of storm surge with rainfall that will eventually flow out to the Gulf of Mexico.

He said to stay cautious about flooding in the following days if you live along a river.

Currently, Guthrie does not expect any evacuation orders.

“No, as of right now, we finished a call with all emergency managers at about 11:30-11:45 this morning, and at this point in time, there were no evacuation orders that were slated for Southwest Florida, so again, that’s good news,” he said.

Power outages are common with these kinds of storms and are a point of concern among residents. While Guthrie is positive about the effects of the system, he said that crews are ready in case there are outages.

“I don’t think right now, based on what we’re digesting here and what we’re seeing, that you’re going to have widespread power outages, but I have talked to the municipal electric authorities and the cooperative electric authorities, and they are ready. They have crews out there ready to respond in real-time, all along the Gulf Coast of the state of Florida, ready to go,” he said.

Guthrie said that right now, it’s about making conscientious decisions, making informed decisions, listening to your local meteorologists and heeding their warnings.

Southwest Florida will experience widespread rain and storms this weekend as a result of the system.

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