Hurricane Michael

Oct.
08, 2018

Employees at the Bay County Sheriff’s Office continue preparations today for the anticipated landfall of Hurricane Michael. 

Sheriff
Tommy Ford has placed deputies on 12 hour shifts beginning tomorrow morning at
6am. All leave has been cancelled. Deputies will be patrolling in zones until
such time weather conditions make it too dangerous to be on Bay County roads.

Mandatory
evacuations for Flood Zones A, B, and C begin at 6am Tuesday, October 9, 2018. To
find out what zone you live in, visit this website: http://www.co.bay.fl.us/511/Evacuation-Zones
Bay County Sheriff’s Office deputies will be patrolling neighborhoods, making announcements about the evacuation.

“For those considering evacuation, I can’t stress strongly enough the importance of leaving as early as possible,” Sheriff Tommy Ford said. “Those that can leave today should do so. Evacuation routes can quickly turn into traffic nightmares. Please evacuate now.”

The
BCSO will continue to patrol evacuated neighborhoods to discourage criminal
activity.

The
BCSO continues to work closely with area Police Chiefs and Bay County Emergency
Management to keep residents of Bay County as safe as possible.

When making safety plans for your family, be aware
that when weather conditions make driving too hazardous, deputies will not
be able to respond to any calls for service until weather conditions permit. It
is impossible to predict when this will occur or how long it will last.

Once
driving conditions are safe, deputies will immediately resume responding to
calls for service. Our first priority remains the safety and security of the
residents of Bay County.

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Prepared
by R. Corley

Information
by Sheriff T. Ford

Approved
by Sheriff T. Ford