'I'm nervous': Some Brevard residents hunker down for Hurricane Ian in county shelters
Keeping you prepared during the storm is important to us. That's why we've lowered our paywall and made all of floridatoday.com available to you for free. Please support our journalism and our ongoing mission to keep Brevard informed by subscribing today at floridatoday.com/subscribe.
Pillow tucked under her left arm, Elise Yanez eyed dark-gray storm clouds above the treetops Wednesday afternoon as she walked into the Hurricane Ian shelter at the Wickham Park Community Center.
"Look at that sky. It's menacing," the 76-year-old Melbourne widow remarked, carrying a gray plastic bag containing bananas and oranges.
"I'm nervous. Now they're saying it's a hurricane that's coming our way — before, it was a tropical storm. But now, it's a hurricane. A full-fledged hurricane," Yanez said of Ian's forecasted impacts in Brevard County.
"So I don't want to take the chance," she said.
Take a look: See damage done by Hurricane Ian in videos showing storm surges, Category 4 winds
'Stay home': Brevard prepares as Hurricane Ian's rainfall, flooding and winds approach
Yanez plans to hunker down and spend her third storm over the years inside the Brevard County-operated shelter, which opened at 10 a.m. Wednesday. She brought an inflatable mattress, bed sheets and clothing, among other items.
Also: 'Project Vista' may bring 500 jobs to future $120 million campus at Melbourne airport
County officials have opened three Ian shelters, which are pet-friendly and offer food and safety for vulnerable residents:
Wickham Park Community Center, 2815 Leisure Way, Melbourne.
Max K. Rodes Community Center, 3410 Flanagan Ave., West Melbourne.
Walter Butler Community Center, 4201 N. Cocoa Blvd., Sharpes.
“Those shelters were selected to be in those areas that are most prone and have a historic issue when it comes to flooding — and have already seen a lot of rain in the lead-up to this event,” Emergency Management Director John Scott said during a Wednesday afternoon briefing.
“So they’ll continue to operate as long as we need them,” Scott said.
People have to take their own supplies such as bedding, folding chairs and sleeping bags; medications; multiple changes of clothing; personal hygiene items; and entertainment like games, cards, books and magazines.
As of 3 p.m., a total of 218 people and 18 pets had checked into Brevard's trio of hurricane shelters, County Communications Director Don Walker said.
“I would expect that those numbers might ramp up overnight, or at least tomorrow morning, after we get a dose of this rain situation,” Walker said.
“I think you're going to start seeing the heavier rain and the higher winds as we get in the evening and overnight. I would imagine that the shelters’ population will expand," he said.
No evacuations are currently planned in Brevard. However, emergency managers encourage residents who live in flood-prone or low-lying areas and need safe harbor from potentially dangerous wind and water to go to shelters.
Case in point: Manda Withrow said rising rainwater had already reached the first step of her family's trailer Wednesday morning at Meadows Mobile Home Park in Eau Gallie.
"By the time we got our stuff out to even come here, we were like this high in the water," Withrow said, pointing at her ankle outside the Wickham Park hurricane shelter.
"And we only have three steps," she said.
Withrow shares the mobile home with her 11-month old daughter, Mckenzie; her daughters Jenna and Jasmine, who are fourth graders at Sabal Elementary; her mother, Melody Withrow; and her 75-year-old grandmother, Betty.
All six reported to the Wickham Road shelter. Melody Withrow held wee Mckenzie and a white foam cup of coffee, while Betty was wrapped in a gray blanket for warmth.
"I wasn't afraid of the hurricane. I'm afraid of the storm causing tornadoes, because it does happen. It's very rare, but it does," Manda Withrow said.
"The last thing I need is to have my kids in danger in any way. It's safer to be somewhere where we can evacuate easier. Because none of us have a car except my boyfriend, and he doesn't even get off work till like 7 o'clock," she said.
At 2 p.m. Wednesday, a Space Coast Area Transit bus dropped off 14 homeless people to ride out Ian at the Wickham Park Community Center. The bus network provided rides to the shelters on six routes before suspending fixed-route service at 7 p.m.
People with special needs who need transportation to a shelter should call 211 for assistance.
Rick Neale is the South Brevard Watchdog Reporter at FLORIDA TODAY (for more of his stories, click here.) Contact Neale at 321-242-3638 or rneale@floridatoday.com. Twitter: @RickNeale1
Support local journalism. Subscribe today.
This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Brevard county shelters shelters: Hurricane Ian has residents hunkered down
