St. Lucie County - Tuesday November 8, 2022: In anticipation of Tropical Storm Nicole, which is expected to strengthen to a hurricane before impacting the Treasure Coast, St. Lucie County’s Public Safety Department will be opening shelters starting Wednesday, Nov. 9 at 10 a.m.
Voluntary evacuation is strongly encouraged for those living along the barrier island and low-laying areas that are prone to flooding. Residents are encourage to seek shelter inland with family or friends. General population shelters will be open as a refuge of last resort.
The following shelters will open in St. Lucie County starting Wednesday, Nov. 9 at 10 a.m.
- Special Needs Shelter: Havert L. Fenn, 2000 Virginia Ave, Fort Pierce, Fla. 34982
- Pet-Friendly Shelter / General Population Shelter: Fort Pierce Westwood Academy, 1801 Panther Lane, Fort Pierce, Fla. 34947
- General Population Shelter: Treasure Coast High School, 1000 SW Darwin Blvd., Port St. Lucie, FL 34953
Here is a list of essential items that residents must bring to a shelter:
- Pillow, blanket and linens for everyone in your group. It is suggested to bring a folding cot, twin size air mattress or equivalent to sleep on.
- Three-day supply of non-perishable food for individual taste and/or special diet per person.
- Three-day supply of drinking water in non-breakable container(s). (1 gallon per day, per person).
- Prescription medications in their prescription bottles. If you have a Do Not Resuscitate Order (DNRO) bring it with you. Remember to bring the original document that it is on canary yellow paper.
- Personal Items:
- Important papers (Personal identification, Insurance policies, etc.)
- Reading glasses
- Personal hygiene articles (tooth brush, soap, towel, wash cloth, etc.)
- Change of clothing
- Sweater or jacket
- Rainwear
- Quiet games i.e. cards, books and knitting.
SPECIAL NEEDS SHELTER (All of the above plus):
- Vital Medical equipment i.e. oxygen concentrators, portable oxygen bottles.
PET-FRIENDLY SHELTER (All of the above plus):
- You must provide proof of rabies vaccination for your dog or cat.
- Pets are to remain contained in an approved carrier (hard plastic or wire) except at scheduled times. Carriers are required to be large enough to accommodate bedding, food/water bowls and litter pans
- At least one family member must remain at the shelter at all times while their animal is being sheltered.
- Each pet owner is responsible for assigning one caregiver for animal visitation, walking, cleaning, feeding and administering medication.
- To avoid gastric upset, pets should be fed their regular diet, water should be changed daily. Pet carriers and their immediate area are expected to be kept neat and clean.
- Dogs should be kept on a short leash at all times when out of their carrier. Retractable leaches are discouraged.
- Dogs are to be walked in designated areas only and owners are expected to use waste bags (provided). There are designated disposal areas for waste.
- Pets and carriers must maintain proper identification.
- Pet owners are responsible for any items brought to the shelter for themselves and/or their pet(s) and will not hold shelter staff responsible for items left behind.
St. Lucie County Board of County Commissioners’ offices, including libraries and attractions, will be closed Wednesday, Nov. 9 and Thursday, Nov. 10. Additionally, county offices are closed Friday, Nov. 10 in observance of Veterans Day. All public schools and other government offices will also be closed Wednesday, Nov. 9 and Thursday, Nov. 10.
St. Lucie County’s public transportation system, ART (Area Regional Transit), bus service will continue normal operations until noon on Wednesday, Nov. 9, weather permitting. Paratransit services will be running dialysis trips only on Wednesday, Nov. 9, weather permitting. All other paratransit services will be suspended. Advantage Ride service will be closed on Wednesday, Nov. 9 and Thursday, Nov. 10. Riders are encouraged to monitor the schedule using the RouteShout application, available on the Apple Store and Google Play sites.
All St. Lucie County beaches will be closed starting at 5 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 8 with no lifeguards present. Beachgoers should use extreme caution when entering the ocean as heavy surf and rip currents will continue for several days. Additionally, the heavy surf and erosion may expose sea turtle nests. Eggs that become exposed should be left alone. St. Lucie County’s contracted biologists will continue to monitor nests and beach conditions after the storm passes. If you find a wild animal, including sea turtles, in distress, please call the FWC hotline at 888-404-FWCC (3922).
The St. Lucie County Landfill and Waste Pro will continue normal operations for as long as the weather permits.
St. Lucie County declared a Local State of Emergency at 6:44 a.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 8 Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis declared a State of Emergency for 34 counties, including St. Lucie County, on Monday, Nov. 7.
St. Lucie County Emergency Operations Center is operating at a Level 1 (full) activation. If residents have questions or concerns, they should call the St. Lucie County Public Information Lines at 772-460-4357 or 772-460-HELP, which are open today until 7 p.m. and the rest of the week from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. (These hours are subject to change depending on the storm’s path).
St. Lucie County shelters are being open in cooperation with St. Lucie Public Schools, the Florida Department of Health – St. Lucie, the St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office and the St. Lucie County Fire District.
The potential for heavy rains and flash flooding will be in effect for the next several days. Residents can report flooding by emailing details, including street addresses and images, to flooding@stlucieco.org. If there is emergency, life-threatening flooding, please call 911. Residents are reminded to avoid driving and/or walking down flooded streets.
St. Lucie County has additional storm-related information available at www.readystlucie.org as well as our social media channels @StLucieGov.