11/28/1984 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Law Enforcement personnel were stationed at traffic control points, and the three access bridges were closed to eastbound traffic. The local Red Cross Chapter opened 2 shelters. The Vero Beach Junior High School and the Sebastian Junior High School. These shelters were selected because of their centralized locations. It was estimated that approximately 1,000 people would evacuate, in actuality approx- imately 500 of this number evacuated. Only a token few utilized the public shelters. Itis believed that the reason that the shelters were not used were because those that did evacuate were mainly guests from motels and hotels that were accommodated at establishments on the mainland. Those residents of condominiums and private homes were thought to go to friends and relatives homes on the mainland. At midnight the few who had taken advantage of the public shelters were lodged for the rest of the evening in local motels and the shelters were officially closed at midnight. At midnight, law enforcement personnel were removed from the traffic control points at the bridges and placed on a stepped up patrol of the beach area. - At 2 A.M., Saturday morning it was decided that the area was secured for the time being and the major damage was essentially over. The EOC was closed and reopened again at 7:30 A.M., Saturday morning. At 8 A.M., Saturday, November 24, 1984, the local government damage assessment team --toured the damaged beach front area and a preliminary assessment placedthedamage at $3,400,000 for the oceanfront property from Ocean Gate Condominium to Humiston.Park - Approximately lZ miles. The evacuation order was rescinded at 11 A.M. and the residents were allowed to return to their homes. Due to predicted high tides for Saturday evening the EOC remained opened until after the schedules high tide. Winds had subsided and only minor erosion continued on the beach front. Weather conditions and damages along the beach areas were continued to be monitored throughout Sunday evening. Director Wells reported that Governor Graham came in town around 4:00 P.M. on Saturday and surveyed the storm damage. He advised that state and federal officials would be in town tomorrow or the next day to assess the storm damage. The assessment team will look at preliminary reports, photographs and videotapes of the damage, and also conduct a door-to-door physical examination from one end of the county to the other to determine the amount of insured and uninsured loss. Director Wells advised that Public Works Director Jim Davis and he will accompany the assessment team. Once the assessment is complete, the team will take a damage estimate to the Governor who will decide whether to declare the county a disaster area and also whether to ask President Reagan for a federal disaster designation. If the County is declared a disaster area by the federal government, financial assistance could be available. • 57 NOV 28 1984 a®� 59 pn,E 57