Heavy Rains, Strong Winds Expected

County officials decided to shut down most of its government while Tropical Storm Fay makes its way across the Florida peninsula.

Every county and city function is canceled for today. The second day of school also is canceled today. Countywide garbage collections were put off today as well as Wednesday in Avon Park.

If you have an emergency, don't even expect to see an ambulance coming to you while the winds go beyond 45 mph.

"It's kind of a judgment call," Sheriff Susan Benton said Monday afternoon. "We'll make every attempt safely to rescue someone, but generally speaking the rule of thumb, if the winds reach a sustained 45 mph, public safety cars go off the road."

The National Weather Service projects 3 to 8 inches of rain throughout Highlands County Tuesday and possibly more Wednesday.

Tropical Storm Fay was expected to become a hurricane before making landfall in Fort Myers. According to the data, the county's Emergency Operations Center received from the National Hurricane Center at 11:15 a.m. Monday, the southern part of the county would experience gale-force winds, or winds greater than 39 mph, by midnight Tuesday. These winds will hit the entire county by 4 this morning.

Tropical storm-force winds between 55 mph and 65 mph will reach Highlands County by 6 a.m., and the western half of the county will experience such winds by noon before Fay continues north of the county. The last of the tropical storm force winds will leave the county by 6 p.m. Tuesday, according to the latest forecasts available by press time.

Highlands County Emergency Management Director Bill Nichols activated a special needs shelter at the Highlands Agri-Civic Center, as well as shelters in Woodlawn Elementary School in Sebring, the Avon Park Recreation Center and Lake Placid High School.

Benton said the sheriff's office will keep a close eye on some of the low-lying areas, including the southeast shore of Lake Istokpoga. The shore last flooded when Hurricane Wilma struck in 2005.

County Lakes Manager Clell Ford said he was not expecting as severe a flood problem from Fay since Istokpoga's water surface elevation level was at 38.5 feet Monday, more than half a foot lower than where it was at the time Wilma reached the area. South Florida Water Management District opened the flood gates to drop the lake down, while SWFWMD is trying to release water from Lake June, the other lake with a relatively high surface level.

He didn't expect any major flooding from the other lakes in the county. "I think Lake Jackson can take all the rain we can toss at it right now," he added.

This storm will be the biggest test against the recent work the county performed on the State Road 8 intersection with Toni Drive in Venus. The intersection experienced several floods before the county raised the roads there. At the 11:15 EOC meeting, County Engineer Ramon Gavarrete said that the area was dry last week, ahead of the rain expected from Fay. He expected State Road 8 to remain that way, but he was concerned that Toni Drive and Toni Circle may be flooded in the next few days from this storm.

In Lake Placid, Town Clerk Arlene Tuck hoped that the storm would not interrupt the upcoming Caladium Festival. She said the organizers would normally start setting up Wednesday for the festival, scheduled to start Friday. Otherwise, she said all the town's vehicles are gassed up and their batteries are charged for the storm.

"We're just sitting on hold, waiting," she said.

The electric companies are also gearing up.

Progress Energy spokeswoman Deborah Shipley said that they opened a storm center in Winter Garden that will mobilize anywhere as needed, including Highlands County. Since the 2004 hurricane season, Progress installed a number of hardened power lines, even though she did not know number of poles installed in Highlands County or the winds they were expected to endure by press time.

A call to Glades Electric Cooperative wasn't immediately returned Monday.

SHELTERS

Woodlawn Elementary - 781 Fielder Blvd., Sebring

Avon Park Recreation Center - 207 E. State Road, Avon Park

Lake Placid High School - 202 Lake Drive, Lake Placid

Highlands County Emergency Operations Center Information

385-1112

http://www.hceoc.org