Gulf County, FL — The Gulf County Sheriff’s Office has announced curfew hours now are midnight to 5 a.m. EST and 11 p.m. to 4 a.m. CST. Also, the boil water notice for the City of Wewahitchka and City of Port St. Joe has been lifted. A burn ban remains in effect for all of Gulf County.

Household trash

Waste Pro has resumed normal service routes but is one day behind currently. Trucks are running traditional routes seven days a week and residents are asked to keep their household garbage separate from vegetative and construction/demolition debris.

Voting starts Saturday

Super Center Voting Stations will be open Saturday through November 6 daily from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. EST. Super Center locations:

Gulf County Supervisor of Elections Office (401 Long Ave, Port St Joe)
Wewahitchka Public Library (314 N. 2nd Street, Wewahitchka)

For more information, please contact the Supervisor of Elections at 850-229-6117 or visit https://www.votegulf.com/

Legal aid hotline established

A legal aid hotline now is available for Hurricane Michael survivors in Florida who cannot pay for an attorney: 1-866-550-2929.

Those who qualify will be matched with Florida lawyers who have volunteered to provide free legal help such as:• Securing FEMA and other benefits• Making life, medical and property insurance claims• Dealing with home repair contractors• Replacing wills and other important legal documents destroyed in the hurricane• Counseling on mortgage-foreclosure problems or landlord/tenant issues

Callers can leave a message to provide their name, telephone number, county of residence, and a description of their legal problems on the hotline at any time. Calls will be returned within two business days between 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday.

FEMA assistance

Disaster assistance is available to affected individuals in Gulf County.

To apply for assistance, you will need the following:

Social Security number
Daytime telephone number
Current mailing address and address and zip code of the damaged property
Insurance information, if available. Insurance is not required to receive assistance.

Applicants can visit www.disasterassistance.gov or call 800-621-3362.

Points of distribution/donations

Tarps are available at the Wewahitchka Gym and Centennial Building. Donation centers are no longer accepting donations. All future donations will be directed to the state distribution center. For more information on getting supplies to the state center, please call 850-227-2349. To make cash contributions, please visit www.VolunteerFlorida.org.

Residents needing supplies may go to the following distribution centers:

Wewahitchka Gym (852 S. Hwy. 71, Wewahitchka), Mon.-Fri., 8 a.m. – noon
Centennial Building (2201 Centennial Dr., Port St. Joe), Mon.-Fri., 2 – 5 p.m.
Washington Recreation Center (401 Peters Rd., Port St. Joe), Mon.-Fri. 2 – 5 p.m.

Operation Blue Roof

For Army Corps of Engineer help with roof tarping, visit www.usace.army.mil/blueroof or call 888-466-3258.

Tetanus and flu shots

The Florida Department of Health is offering free tetanus and flu shots at its locations in Wewahitchka (807 Highway 22) and Port St. Joe (2475 Garrison Ave.).

Free Clinic

PanCare is offering a free clinic at the Florida Department of Health, 2475 Garrison Ave., Port St. Joe. Hours of operation are 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. EST, and it will be open until Friday.

Senior Centers reopen

The Gulf County Senior Citizens Center (120 Library Drive, Port St. Joe) and the Wewa Senior Citizens Center (314 N. Third Street, Wewahitchka) are open Monday-Friday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information, call 850-229-8466.

Courts reschedule hearings

Hearings in Gulf County courts have been canceled this week. People with a hearing scheduled for this week can contact the Clerk of Courts office for a new date. Please call 850-229-6112 or email info@gulfclerk.com. Walk-in rescheduling also is available at the office.

Tax deed auctions canceled

All Gulf County Tax Deed Auctions scheduled for October 31, 2018 and November 14, 2018 have been cancelled. Revised auction dates are not available at this time.

Crisis clean up

From now through November 2, residents can call 800-451-1954 for help with home cleanup. All services are free, but service is not guaranteed because of the overwhelming need. This hotline CANNOT assist with social services such as food, clothing, shelter, insurance, or questions about FEMA registration.

# # #

Citizen Information line: 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.: 850- 227-2349

Facebook: Gulf County Emergency Management Gulf County Sheriff’s Office

Email: Joe Zwierzchowski Joe.Zwierzchowski@FreshFromFlorida.com

Cheryl Mall Cheryl.Mall@mlbfl.org

Thanks,

Joe Zwierzchowski

Wildfire Mitigation Specialist

Blackwater Forestry Center

Florida Forest Service

Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services

Office: (850) 983-5310

Cell: (850) 206-2675

Joe.Zwierzchowski@FreshFromFlorida.com

6089 Old Bagdad Highway

Milton, FL 32583

www.FreshFromFlorida.com

Please note that Florida has a broad public records law (Chapter 119, Florida Statues). Most written communications to or from state employees are public records obtainable by the public upon request. Emails sent to me at this email address may be considered public and will only be withheld from disclosure if deemed confidential pursuant to the laws of the State of Florida.

Operation Stormwatch North FL