Brevard Commissioner Bryan Lober Urges Beachside and Barrier Island Residents Consider Early Evacuation

storm now predicted to make landfall north of Port St. Lucie, take a hard turn north, and move up the coast into Central Florida

BREVARD COUNTY • MERRITT ISLAND, FLORIDA – Having attended multiple emergency operations briefings regarding Hurricane Dorian, my level of concern for local residents is at an all-time high.

There is a near certainty of District 2 experiencing tropical-storm-force winds lasting up to a full 24 hours coupled with a disturbingly high probability of District 2 experiencing hurricane-force winds for many hours.

While there has not yet been an official call for an evacuation, residents must remain mindful that the storm may be upon us in less than 48 hours.

By this time, evacuation will be unduly stressful, at best, or extremely difficult, at worst.

If evacuation is ordered close in time to the arrival of the hurricane, roads will be heavily congested and the stressful process of evacuation will be exacerbated for those who have waited for the official word.

I advise residents of District 2, particularly those residing in Cocoa Beach, Cape Canaveral and Merritt Island, to consider leaving as soon as possible to make the process of reaching safety as convenient as it can be.

Be advised that Brevard County, for days, has proactively been running pumps to drop ditch water levels as low as practical.

The county will continue all reasonable efforts to keep water levels as low as possible and speed removal of any accumulated water.

As a native and lifelong Central Floridian, I understand the inconvenience evacuation can bring but please remember that property can be replaced while lives cannot.

– Brevard County Commission Vice-Chair Bryan Lober

EDITOR’S NOTE: Hurricane  Dorian is forecast to be a dangerous Category 4 hurricane as it approaches Florida, according to the National Weather Service in Melbourne, Florida.

The National Hurricane Center said that Dorian’s intensity strengthened Friday afternoon into a Category 3 hurricane and is forecast to hit the Florida coast as a Category 4 hurricane packing 140 mph winds.

The projected path as of Friday at 5 p.m. shifted north again, with the storm now predicted to make landfall north of Port St. Lucie, take a hard turn north, and move up the coast into Central Florida.

The National Hurricane Center 5 p.m. forecast called for Dorian to be a Category 3 or 4 storm as it enters Central Florida on early Tuesday afternoon.

According to the National Weather Service, Dorian could bring a triple-threat of dangers” to the state, including a “life-threatening storm surge, devastating hurricane-force winds and heavy rains.

STAY TUNED TO SPACE COAST DAILY FOR UPDATES

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