Florida Fire Fighters Respond to Flooding

April 10, 2009 – IAFF fire fighters in North Florida and the state’s panhandle are on full disaster alert as they respond to calls concerning severe flooding around the Suwannee, Withlacoochee, Alapaha and Santa Fe rivers. To date, the high waters have destroyed or caused severe damage to at least 200 homes. No word yet if any of those belong to fire fighters.

“The Florida Professional Firefighters leadership and I are working to make contact with all potentially affected affiliates,” says IAFF 12th District Vice President Larry Osborne. “Currently, they are inundated with emergency calls, so it is too soon to tell what level of assistance they might need. However, we stand prepared to help in any way.”

Over the past two weeks, the region has received between 10 and 15 inches of rain. This has caused the area’s rivers to overflow and flood. Preliminary flood estimates have smashed flood stage records set in 1948.

To protect citizens, highway department officials have closed U.S. Highway 90 at the Suwannee River bridge on the Madison-Suwannee county line about 70 miles east of Tallahassee. Highway 90 is one of two major east-west routes across north Florida. Officials have also closed 253 other roads and 23 bridges.

Governor Charlie Crist has declared a state of emergency for 26 counties. Shelters have been set up across the region.