Here’s how Brevard County is preparing for Hurricane Ian

Sarah Wilson
·1 min read

Some Brevard County residents who’ve experienced flooding in recent weeks are now worried about even more water coming in as Hurricane Ian nears.

The county is pumping water out of some of those neighborhoods ahead of the storm. But many people waited in line for hours to get sandbags.

>>> STREAM CHANNEL 9 EYEWITNESS NEWS LIVE <<<

Officials said flash flooding is a concern, as is flooding in areas where there has already been flooding recently.

“We are not calling for any evacuations, we are not calling for people to get off the barrier islands because we don’t expect a big surge event, but the shelters will be open for whoever needs a shelter if they feel like they’re in an unsafe place,” said Don Walker, director of Brevard County communications.

Read: Hurricane Ian: County-by-county guide to shelter locations in Central Florida

Here’s a roundup of what preparations look like around the county:

  • NASA’s SLS rocket and Orion spacecraft were secured inside the vehicle assembly building ahead of the storm. It was evacuated briefly after a fire at a panel on the southside of the building. There was no damage to the vehicles.

  • Port Canaveral secured facilities, too, and closed the Jetty Park campground ahead of the storm.

  • Brevard Public Schools announced they’ll be closed Wednesday and Thursday; so will the county courthouse.

  • Brevard County announced the locations for its three shelters, which are primarily for residents living in flood-prone areas. They are: Max K. Rodes Community Center in West Melbourne, Walter Butler Community Center in Cocoa and Wickham Park Community Center in Melbourne.

Read: Hurricane Ian: Publix stores in these Central Florida counties will close early for the storm

Click here to download the free WFTV news and weather apps, click here to download the WFTV Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.