Walton County Orders Mandatory Evacuation for Zones A, B and C as Isaias Approaches
Walton County commissioners voted Thursday morning to order a mandatory evacuation of Zones A, B and C beginning at noon, the strongest step yet in the county’s preparations for Hurricane Isaias.
The order came out of a 10 a.m. meeting at the DeFuniak Springs BCC Boardroom, where commissioners heard from Walton County Emergency Management Director Jeff Goldberg, whose office advocated for a mandatory evacuation of all three surge-prone zones. The Walton County Sheriff’s Office, posting from the meeting, said the vote came “at the recommendation of @WaltonCountyEM.” Residents in the affected zones were urged to leave as soon as possible.
The escalation follows a voluntary evacuation order that took effect at 8 a.m. Thursday for Zones A and B, which the county widened to Zone C and made mandatory within hours. The National Weather Service has Freeport, Santa Rosa Beach and Sandestin under a Hurricane Warning, with tropical-storm-force winds of 35-45 mph and gusts to 70 mph expected from Friday afternoon until early Saturday morning. Forecasters warn of 4 to 8 inches of additional rain on ground already saturated by this week’s flash flooding.
Freeport High School, at 12615 Business Highway 331, remains the county’s primary shelter and is open to the general population, special-needs clients and pets. It opened at 8 a.m. Thursday. Walton County Emergency Management has said it is the first shelter to open and that Walton High School would follow as it approaches 75 percent capacity.
Residents who have not checked their evacuation zone can do so through the county’s Evacuations in Walton County page. Officials are asking residents to sign up for county alerts, make a family plan, and monitor official county and public-safety sources as the forecast evolves.
Originally reported by WJHG Newschannel 7 and MyPanhandle (WMBB), with meeting details from the Walton County Sheriff’s Office and shelter information from Walton County Emergency Management. Image: WJHG Newschannel 7.
