Tropical Storm Fay Wreaks Havoc on Florida

August 21, 2008 – Tropical Storm Fay appears to be at a standstill off the east coast of Florida, dumping rain across the north central portion of the state. The resulting floods have affected thousands of homes, while the storm is expected to make landfall again between Brevard County and lower Georgia. Flood warnings remain in effect.

“We are used to tropical storms, but this one is unusual because it has stayed over the state for such a long time,” says IAFF 12th District Vice President Larry Osborne. “Earlier in the week, we identified areas where we could set up command centers, if needed. Right now, we are anticipating the need to provide at least some assistance in isolated areas, but we do believe conditions will necessitate large-scale operations.”

The hardest hit areas include St. Lucie and Brevard counties. “The Florida Professional Firefighters (FPF) has been coordinating response to those counties with the Florida Fire Chiefs and the state Fire Marshal’s office,” says Bob Carver, president of FPF.

Brevard County Local 2969, Melbourne Local 1951 and St. Lucie Local 1377 have all helped facilitate recues. While hundreds of homes have flooded, no fire fighter homes are reported to have significant damage.

Meanwhile, the storm’s maximum sustained winds have been near 60 miles per hour. As a precaution, public safety officers have periodically closed many of Florida’s larger bridges.

Governor Charlie Christ has issued a request for a federal emergency declaration to assist with clean-up and response costs.