Moving forward after TS Debby

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A sign on the building of Big Wheel Marketplace on Howard Street West states that the city deemed the building unsafe. The back of the building faces Warren Street, where a possible sinkhole has formed a large depression. Visible large cracks can be seen on the back of the building that appears to have sunk into the depression. - Photo: Jeffry Boatright

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June 29, 2012

Moving forward after TS Debby

Jeffry Boatright Suwannee Democrat The Suwannee Democrat Fri Jun 29, 2012, 01:27 PM EDT

Live Oak — As remnants of Tropical Storm Debby drift away into the Atlantic Ocean, much work remains to be done in our community and throughout the state.

While some property owners return home and begin putting the pieces back together, officials evacuate others. According to Suwannee County Sheriff Tony Cameron, some evacuations continue for residents who have tried to avoid leaving their homes, especially in the Blue Lake area off of US 129 South.

Once evacuations are over, the efforts of Suwannee County’s Department of Emergency Management will be concentrated on working with the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Cameron said.

Suwannee County and the city of Live Oak have each declared a state of emergency. According to Cameron, Governor Rick Scott has a team assessing local damages. Cameron stated that the state must meet a threshold of more than $25 million statewide in storm related damages to receive disaster funding. In order for Suwannee County to receive such funding, $126,000 in storm related damages must be verified locally, which is very realistic, said Cameron.

Cameron said that visible damages in the city and county include flooded homes, structural damages, sinkholes, damaged roadways and hundreds of flooded cars.

“There were hundreds of cars damaged,” Cameron said.

Although there is no FEMA list at this time, Cameron expects the federal agency to be here in about a week. Because Debby’s wrath was so widespread across the state, FEMA teams will begin working in the Florida Panhandle and work the state region by region.

Meanwhile, local officials continue to ensure the safety of the residents, assessing infrastructures and aiding citizens in distress, while attempting to return the city and county back to normal as much as possible.

The Suwannee County Courthouse was evacuated following concerns of a depression in Warren Street, but court will be held on Monday, Cameron noted. According to Cameron Third Judicial Circuit Chief Judge Leandra G. Johnson has agreed to continue with the cases on Monday’s docket in a hearing room at the Suwannee County Jail.

After Thursday’s quick evacuation of courthouse equipment and records, the state has determined the sinkhole affecting Warren Street, along with buildings between Warren and Howard Streets, does not appear to present a threat to the courthouse. However, the equipment can be disassembled and removed much quicker than it can be reassembled and replaced, Cameron explained. Should the task take several days, court can also be held at the new judicial annex building Cameron added, which is located across the road from the jail.

Sinkholes continue to be a concern throughout the county and the city. According to Live Oak City Administrator Robert Farley, a new sinkhole was discovered overnight near Church Street in Live Oak.

“There is one confirmed and possibly two,” Farley said.

According to Farley, if a sinkhole poses a threat to a home or to anyone, the area will be evacuated for the safety of the public.

OMI Project Director Todd Hunt stated that some city residents who evacuated their homes might return and find their utilities have been cut off for safety purposes. Those residents should simply contact Live Oak City Hall at (386) 362-2276 and the utilities will be restored, Hunt said.

Although storm waters are subsiding in the city and county, potential hazards remain, he added. One such hazard is the possible mixture of storm water and raw sewage. Hunt reminds residents not to wade or allow children to play in the water. Cameron also reminds residents that poisonous snakes are likely to be found in the storm waters anywhere in the city or county.

According to Cameron, confusion remains about drinking water.

“The city water is fine,” he said. “It is chlorinated.”

Cameron said that those with their own wells in the county are advised to boil the water they are going to drink. However, there is no advisory to boil water used for washing dishes, bathing, or doing laundry, he said.

Hunt echoed the words of Cameron in saying that the city water is treated and safe for consumption. Boiling water is up to the discretion of the homeowner, but there is no advisory to do so, Hunt reiterated.

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