MONROE COUNTY EMERGENCY OPERATIONS CENTER OPENS; PREPARATIONS BEGIN FOR PTC 9

Florida State Senator Ana Maria Rodriguez, Monroe County Mayor Holly Merrill Raschein, and Monroe County Director of Emergency Management Shannon Weiner join commissioners, staff, and Emergency Management partners for a ribbon cutting to open the new EOC in Marathon. The facility will be home to the incident command center in the event of an activation for hurricanes or other disasters. KRISTEN LIVENGOOD/Monroe County

MONROE COUNTY, FL— Monroe County celebrated the grand opening and ribbon cutting of the new Monore County Emergency Operations Center (EOC) today at the west end of the Marathon airport and then, later in the afternoon, hosted its first coordinating call from the new center to discuss Potential Tropical Cyclone (PTC) 9’s effects on the Florida Keys in conjunction with the National Weather Service Key West. A tropical storm watch has been issued for Monroe County as of 5 p.m. on Monday.

The latest update from NWS-KW shows uncertainty in the level of impacts until PTC 9 develops a well-defined center. However, impacts can include potential saltwater flooding above 2 feet above ground level, frequent thundery squalls with wind gusts around 55-65 mph, and flooding rainfall likely in the 3-6-inch range. The most likely arrival time is late Wednesday afternoon into the evening.

Residents and visitors are encouraged to follow PTC 9’s progress and take protective actions, such as securing outdoor items and checking to make sure boats are secure with properly working bilge pumps. There is a potential for downed trees and scattered power outages. Additional protective actions will be discussed on Tuesday and Wednesday morning.

As for the new EOC opening, Florida Division of Emergency Management Executive Director Kevin Guthrie said while prepping for PTC 9 in Tallahassee, “With facilities like the new Monroe County Emergency Operations Center, we can better lead our communities through disasters and build a more resilient Florida.”

Monroe County was the last county of Florida’s 67 counties to have a dedicated EOC built. The building was paid for by state and federal grant money.

The facility will house:

  • Monroe County Emergency Management
  • Monroe County Sheriff’s Office 9-1-1 Communications
  • Monroe County Fire Rescue Administration

“This is a major safety enhancement for our community that has been a long time in the making that will allow for continuity of services before, during, and after a disaster,” said Monroe County Mayor Holly Merrill Raschein. “There was a great deal of thought put into this project, and I would like to express a special appreciation to the staff and all of those involved.”

Facility Stats:

Size: 28,321 square feet

Design: Based on a 500-year storm

Can withstand 220 mph winds

Impact Rating: Windborne Debris Missile Criteria for Hurricane Shelter Safe Room

First Floor Flood Elevation = 20.2 ft. (17 ft. above ground)

Self-sustaining for 96 hours for up to 150 people, including food, drinking water, redundant generators for electric power, and wastewater storage

Emergency communications via redundant fiber optic network services, plus satellite phone/internet service

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