Treasure Coast sheriffs keeping eye on Hurricane Ian path, plan for any impacts

While portions of Florida's west coast were under a hurricane watch Monday, local sheriffs on the Treasure Coast were keeping an eye on the storm’s track and planning for any potential impacts later this week.

Hurricane Ian continued to strengthen Monday morning, with maximum sustained winds now at 85 mph, making it a Category 1 storm, according to an advisory issued at 2 p.m.  from the National Hurricane Center.

Indian River County Sheriff Eric Flowers said he has deputies at the county’s Emergency Operations Center, which was activated at 8 a.m. Monday. He planned to stop by, too, even though Ian isn’t expected to directly impact Indian River County.

“All the models put it directly impacting the west coast of Florida, or the Panhandle, depending on where it makes landfall. That's a positive for the residents of Indian River County,” he said, “and even if it does come directly across State Road 60, knowing that it's got all that land between us, an eye impact certainly makes it a lot easier on our folks.”

Flowers said deputies will continue to prepare to respond during and after Ian makes landfall. He urged residents to be ready “in case a hurricane comes.”

“Because once these things start spinning up, you know, we've seen 1, 2, 3 in a row pop up, so it doesn't hurt to prepare,” he said.

Flowers stressed county residents who have questions for emergency operations managers should not dial 911 dispatchers but instead call the county’s hotline at 777-226-4000.

Ian on Monday was expected to bring significant wind and storm surge to Cuba before entering the Gulf of Mexico and heading toward Florida.

St. Lucie County Sheriff Ken Mascara via text said through the weekend, his staff checked and serviced all their high-water vehicles, which are staged at different locations throughout the county.

The Sheriff’s Office garage temporarily closed for routine service on patrol vehicles, Mascara said, and staged inventory such as tires, fuel and batteries ahead of the storm.

All office generators were started and tested, he said, and vendors were put on standby for added inventory and food, if needed.

“My recommendation for our public is not to panic but to prepare and plan in the days leading up to this weather event. The No. 1 cause of death in a weather event is not the wind but drowning which usually occurs as people leave the safety of their homes,” Mascara said. “Watch out for your neighbors, especially those who are elderly and/or with special needs who cannot take care of themselves.”

Gov. Ron DeSantis declared a state of emergency Friday for 24 counties, including Indian River, St. Lucie and Martin counties, in anticipation of impacts from the storm. The declaration makes available important resources and support, as well as frees up funding sources for emergency protective measures. Under this emergency order, members of the Florida National Guard will be activated and on standby awaiting orders.

In Martin County, Sheriff William Snyder said their staff reviewed plans, confirmed shift rosters and are monitoring the storm tracks as Ian churns toward the state.

“Everybody knows where to go, what shifts to work," he said.

In the event of flooding, Snyder said they have vehicles just for the occasion.

"We have three high water vehicles we can position throughout the county prior to a storm arrival,” he said. “That way if we get flooding we can get in and get people out.”

In the coming days, Snyder said they'll continue to work closely with EOC partners on the storm's status.

"Our Rapid Response Team remains on call prepared to deploy, if necessary," he said. "We hope our area is spared any significant weather, but we also pray for the citizens throughout the state who will bear the brunt of the storm’s path.”

Melissa E. Holsman is the legal affairs reporter for TCPalm and Treasure Coast Newspapers, and is writer and co-host of Uncertain Terms, a true crime podcast. Reach her at melissa.holsman@tcpalm.com.

This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Sheriffs on Treasure Coast ready to respond to local impacts from Ian